While I already did a big long post with all the things I’m doing to prepare for our lives to change in an Earth-shattering way (dramatic, much?), I thought it would be good to devote a post entirely to the Bambino Bag. Typically referred to as the “Hospital Bag” or “Go Bag,” this is what I brought with me when I went to deliver.
Instead of a duffel, I filled a small rolling suitcase. It’s easier to transport and I might as well get some use out of it since it’s usually a bit too small to take on most vacations. This list looks long but it all fits! I heard so many stories of people overpacking and not using half of what they brought so I talked to a few people and read a few blogs to make a list of only the essentials.
- To Bring (In addition to the suitcase)
- Mental Plan for My First Meal: I didn’t expect gourmet hospital food so I wanted to plan for some really exciting delivery, preferably something I hadn’t been allowed to eat for nine months.
- Playlist: I made a playlist of songs for the delivery room to keep the mood positive. Think about what vibe you want. Energizing to motivate you to push? Soothing to keep you centered during a stressful time? Mine was a mix of pop to keep the mood up, showtunes so I could sing along, and some songs about love and stars that were a bit more specific to our bambino. [Playlist linked below]
- Gift Baskets: I brought two gift baskets for the nursing staff (one for labor & delivery; one for postpartum team) to thank them for all their hard work. I got a 2-pack of baskets on Amazon for about $12 total and filled with a ton of stuff to make them feel energized and loved. I got some candy in bulk from Amazon (60 Airheads for $8) and the rest from Trader Joe’s (lemonade pouches, hot chocolate mix, various chocolates/candies, individually wrapped trail mix and nuts, and granola bars). In total, I spent under $75, but they were plentiful and I think they were appreciated. Before bringing them to the nurses’ station, I included a personal thank you note in each. The baskets themselves arrived folded so we stuck them and all the fillings in shopping bags to carry into the hospital and just assembled them there.
- Car Seat/Stroller: So we can actually leave the hospital. (You can also use the stroller’s undercarriage to bring some of the stuff into the hospital.)
- Prepped Email for the Mohel: We were planning to host a bris, which happens exactly 8 days after the birth. Since you never know exactly what day a baby will decide to be born, you can’t pre-schedule it. We had the email to the mohel (the person who performs the bris) ready to go so we could just click send and get on his official calendar.
- In the Suitcase
- For The Room
- Charger: for phone/iPad
- Extension Cord: [for phone/iPad chargers] Outlets can be comically far from the bed and you’ll want to be scrolling your phone during downtime
- Mini Bluetooth Speaker: So you can hear that playlist you made for the delivery room [See above]
- iPad: To watch some Netflix during downtime/recovery
- Earbuds: To actually hear whatever I’m watching on that iPad if I don’t have a solo room or if I don’t want to wake the bambino
- Book: Another downtime activity
- Small Canvas Bag: To bring home whatever the hospital gives you – take alllll the diapers you can (and disposable undies and maxi pads)
- Clothing
- Bathrobe: It’s encouraged to walk around as you start to recover and this makes you feel much more put together
- Socks: It’s winter and I wanted to feel cozy. I recommend cloud socks or grippy socks. Pack 2 pairs so you don’t have to put the same ones back on after you’ve showered.
- Slippers: I brought this $10 pair so I could walk around and then not have to get back in bed with dirty socks/feet
- PJs: 1-2 pairs, with buttons on the top for easy feeding if you plan to try nursing. I loved this set from Target.
- Scrunchie: You don’t get to shower right away so it’s nice to be able to throw it up if it starts getting unwieldy.
- Going Home Outfit: Plan for 2 options (a sweatsuit and loose dress) so you’ll be comfortable no matter what. I had a c-section so a flowy dress was much easier on the incision site. + shoes (I brought fur-lined mule flats, knowing bending down would be rough and I’d want to just slip something on. They also took up very little room in the suitcase.)
- Going Home Outfit for Bambino: Again, plan for 2 options if you already know he could be on the bigger side. Leading up to delivery, our guy was measuring large and in charge so I brought one newborn sized outfit and a 0-3 month backup.
- Toiletries
- Shower Shoes
- Shower Towel
- Travel Size Shampoo/Conditioner/Facewash
- Toothbrush/Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Glasses/Contacts
- Makeup
- Prenatal Vitamins
- Lip/Hand lotion: a lot of people tend to get dried out in the hospital
- For The Room
So that’s everything! It really did all fit in a rolling suitcase + tote bag. I was able to handle that myself and my beau could carry the carseat. I can confidently say I used every item I brought, but also didn’t feel like I was missing anything.
Peaches to Apples 