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Hospital Bag Must-Haves: The Best Products for Labor, Delivery and Recovery
Hospital Bag Must-Haves: The Best Products for Labor, Delivery and Recovery

Hospital Bag Must-Haves: The Best Products for Labor, Delivery and Recovery

If you’re struggling with what to pack for your hospital stay, these products are a good place to start.

author-Jennifer LaBracio
By Jen LaBracio, CPST and Latifah Miles
Updated On
Updated On
Our editors independently test and curate products. If you make a purchase via our links we may earn a commission.

In This Article

For You
A Hospital Bag
Comfy Clothes for the Hospital
Postpartum Care
Breastfeeding Support
Other Helpful Items
For Baby

Packing your hospital bag can feel like an overwhelming task, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. What do you need to bring? What will you actually use? The questions can be endless. But we’re here to walk you through the process, making it less stressful and more exciting.

Once you have your hospital bag checklist ready to go (hot tip: use our interactive hospital bag checklist to help plan), it’s just a matter of choosing what items you want to include—and we’ve done the decision-making for you. But since we know every person’s taste and preferences are different, we’ve given you a few options to choose from per category, but not too many (to keep the vibes chill). 

As moms who’ve packed a few hospital bags in the anticipation of delivering our babies, we’ve curated a list of products that’ll actually be useful at the hospital. And we’ve kept the list concise so as not to add to your decision fatigue.

For You

A Hospital Bag

Before you can start packing for the hospital, you’ll need a bag to hold your things and keep you organized. The bag you choose should be spacious enough to hold all of your things but not so large that you feel like you’re hauling an actual suitcase. As far as the actual style of bag you choose, there are a ton of options, but the general rule of thumb is to go for one that’s easy to carry and is cute enough that you’ll want to repurpose it well beyond labor and delivery. And if you view yourself as more of a minimalist, you can technically just store your stuff along with your baby’s things in your diaper bag. Here are some options we love:

Comfy Clothes for the Hospital

A robe is one of the first things to pack in your hospital bag. It’s comfortable, provides easy access for breastfeeding and IV lines and skin-to-skin with your newborn baby. Once you’ve left the hospital, it’s likely that your robe will continue to be in heavy rotation during your postpartum recovery. Generally, a light and breathable robe will keep the postpartum sweats manageable—but we aren’t against fluffy, cozy robes since most hospitals and birthing centers can be chilly. You'll also notice a pair of comfortable grippy socks on the list. While the hospital will have several pair to offer to keep you from slipping, I have the pair below and they are thicker and far more comfortable to the standard medical facility pair. Here are some comfy options we like:

Postpartum Care

During the first 48 hours after delivery, items like cooling ice maxi pads and pain relief spray can make all the difference in immediate postpartum care. While you can source these products individually (which is a good choice if you want to skip the things you’re not likely to use), you can also skip right to a prepacked postpartum care box. There are a few brands that offer these and some offer options that are designed based on the kind of birth experience you’re planning (like a C-section or vaginal birth). Another tip: check with your hospital to find out the items they’ll provide. We’ve found that many hospitals and birthing centers have postpartum care products on hand. Here are some options to check out:

Breastfeeding Support

Your pre-pregnancy bras aren’t going to cut it postpartum, even if you don’t plan on nursing. You’ll want a wireless nursing bra in your hospital bag. Additionally, a postpartum nursing tank can act as a comfy layer under your clothes (and even take the place of your nursing bra if you prefer). Whether you plan on nursing or using a pump during those couple of days in the hospital, your nipples will have a learning curve and soothing adds like nipple butter and silver nipple cups can help relieve pain from cracks and and irritation. And to round out your nursing essentials while you're in the hospital (and once you get home), we suggest bringing our best overall pick for nursing pillows. It'll help you nail a comfortable nursing position without straining your back or shoulders. Here are some options you should consider:

Momcozy Seamless Nursing Bra - Beige, M.

Momcozy 
Seamless Nursing Bra

Buy
Babylist$29.99
Amazon$23.99
Target$29.99
Kindred Bravely Sublime Hands Free Pumping Bra - Pink Heather, Small.

Kindred Bravely 
Sublime Hands Free Pumping Bra

Buy
Babylist$54.90
Amazon$54.89
Silverette Silver Nursing Cups - Regular.

Silverette 
Silver Nursing Cups

Buy
Babylist$59.99
Amazon$59.99
Walmart$59.99
Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter - 2 Fl Oz, 1.

Earth Mama 
Organic Nipple Butter

Buy
Babylist$13.97
Amazon$13.97
Walmart$13.97
Target$13.99
Simply Sublime Maternity & Nursing Tank.

Kindred Bravely 
Simply Sublime Maternity & Nursing Tank

Buy
kindredbravely.com$54.90
Nursing Tank Tops Built in Bra.

BRLIDO 
Nursing Tank Tops Built in Bra

Buy
amazon.com$34.98
Ice Cream Cotton Nursing Tank.

Cake Maternity 
Ice Cream Cotton Nursing Tank

Buy
cakematernity.com$33.00
Larken Larken X Nursing + Hands - Free Pumping Bra Bundle (2 pack) - Black, Mocha, L.

Larken 
Larken X Nursing + Hands - Free Pumping Bra Bundle (2 pack)

Buy
Babylist$93.60
My Brest Friend Deluxe Nursing Pillow - Soft Rose.

My Brest Friend 
Deluxe Nursing Pillow

Buy
Babylist$59.95
Amazon$44.99
Target$44.99

Other Helpful Items

The list of products you can bring to the hospital is truly endless and while we know you don’t want to lug all of your belongings, there are some items worth considering that can be helpful during your stay. Items like an extension cord that makes it easy to reach your phone while it's charging, packing cubes to keep you organized and a water bottle so you can quench your thirst during and after labor can make all the difference. Here are some of the products that’ll boost your comfort.

For Baby

The hospital will provide almost everything you’ll need for baby while you’re there, including diapers, onesies, bottles and blankets. While we don’t discourage you from bringing your own items that you’ve carefully chosen yourself, don’t stress about forgetting something, as they’ll have it ready to go. The only items you’ll definitely need to bring are an infant car seat and a going-home outfit (if you have a special one in mind).

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