With our newest little one’s arrival just around the corner, it’s almost time to get packing. As much as I would love to have a home birth, we currently live in a state that makes it difficult to have amenities at home, (such as a midwife). Though anyone can have a baby anywhere, I personally like having an experienced midwife available. Since we live in a rather rural area, we will be traveling quite a distance to a birthing center of our choice. No matter where you plan to give birth, it’s always a good idea to have your wants and needs at hand when the time comes to welcome your baby. Of course, everyone’s list will vary depending on their own circumstances and preferences. However, here is an example of what I typically pack for labor and delivery and after. Perhaps it can help you prepare for the arrival of your “little”.
Mommy Bag
- Two comfortable clothing items to labor in. Why two? Labor can be messy, in that case, you’ll want options.
- Two pairs of booties for your feet. Who likes walking on cold, hard floors? Not me.
- A soft, comfortable piece of clothing for cuddling with your baby after labor, and you’ve had a chance to shower, Some examples are a nursing gown or tank and stretchy pants, whatever you like. I also like to take a comfortable robe or house coat. Of course you’ll also need undergarments. Some midwives suggest using “Depends” undergarments. You’ll at least like to take some pads, and there is always the lovely mesh underwear with inserts you can use at most facilities. It’s all up to you. I can see my husband cringing as he reads this.
- Nursing bras. If you’re nursing, a good nursing bra is essential for both comfort and practicality. I love these super comfy nursing bras by “HOFISH“ I ordered off Amazon, these were one of my best mommy purchases! Lansinoh is also great for soreness. A nursing pillow can come in handy and keep you and your baby comfortable during feeding time. If you plan on a longer stay, you may want some nursing pads for when your milk comes in.
- A comfortable, loose fitting outfit to go home in.
- Make up bag. So this is my list, and yep that’s a must for me. I feel better, when I look better. In fact when I feel that labor is near, I spend some time doing my makeup routine (which is pretty minimal). It not only is a helpful distraction from contractions, but also just makes me feel more put together in a way. Whatever works for you is best.
- Daily essentials like; deodorant, lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb/brush, hair ties, etc… Chap stick of some sort is nice to have also. Some of this can be added before you head out, some of this is included in my make up bag.
- A heat pad of sorts and anything to help with after pains. Mine are often worse than most of my labor, so I’m always thinking of things that can help. I used a cramp bark tincture after my last labor, but unfortunately it didn’t seem to help much. It tasted awful, so maybe I didn’t take enough, many swear by it though.
Labor Bag
I usually keep a labor bag separate from my other things. Depending on what you want to bring, this could be a large purse, or a whole suitcase. This is a smaller bag for me that I keep close, something I can easily access and carry.
- Water and healthy snacks. Labor is hard work and studies show that women who are allowed to eat and drink during labor, often have better labors. I’m not talking cheeseburgers and ding dongs. Keep it light and minimal, just something to keep your strength up if things go longer than you hope for. Granola, dehydrated fruit, crackers, protein bars, berries, etc.. can be good options. Even if eating is the last thing you want to do during labor, it’s nice to refuel afterwards. I also take extra snacks for my husband.
- Many times, I’ve taken my own pillow. Depending on the location and amenities, I have taken a pillow and blanket from home for my husband in case we stay, just to make him more comfortable.
- MP3 player, or other music source (for distraction and to help relax)
- A tens unit. I took my husband’s tens unit for my last labor and it helped me get through a long car ride and fairly intense contractions. If anything, just playing with the buttons helped me focus on something other than the pain. If you choose to use one, make sure yours is a good one for labor, and practice a little before hand. Here is a short video link for you mamas who want to know more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40lv-WANbtM
- My birthing ball. This obviously doesn’t fit in the bag and would take too much time to deflate and inflate again. I’ve just thrown it in the trunk, just to have the option of using my own if I wanted to.
- Personally, I take a little reading material. I don’t get much reading done and don’t even really know what I’m reading. However, I found it really helpful in a couple of my labors to have something else for my eyes and brain to focus on during contractions. So, I read it, but don’t really comprehend it fully. I’ve also looked at pics of our beach vacations and of my other children.
- Some natural massage oil and some natural essential oils like lavender or peppermint oil for sniffing. These can be useful especially in early to mid labor, or even late pregnancy. I usually try to stay home as long as possible, so these things don’t always get into my bag.
- Camera. No need for explaining this one, just don’t forget the batteries or chargers.
- Some cash. This is always good to have on hand.
- Birthing plan or other documents, such as; insurance information, phone numbers, directions, etc.. You may also have a baby book that you want their little prints on? Etc…
- If you’ve got a lengthy drive to your birthing place (like we do), you may want to take some towels for the ride, just in case your water breaks like mine did in our new car. I was glad we had towels and leather seats! Also, if you know you will have a long drive, you may want to think about purchasing a birthing kit or just putting together a few birthing essentials to keep in your car.
- Include anything that you think could help you, or that you have practiced with at home or in birthing class. Just try not to get carried away. However, if it matters to you and helps you feel more confident, why not take it along. However, if you don’t have time to take everything you planned, I assure you, you’ll be fine. I don’t use all of the things I take (I try to keep it minimal), but being prepared gives me a better feeling moving forward to the big day.
Baby’s Bag
- This does not have to be a huge amount of things. You can pack these things in your hospital/birthing place bag or have a separate one. A couple of soft blankets to swaddle for starters (I usually include one thicker one and one thinner one).
- Diapers and wipes. I like Water Wipes, or just water and rags for the first 3 months or so. There are a lot of bad ingredients in many wipes that can easily absorb through baby’s bottom. You can often save by buying diapers and wipes (for convenience) in bulk. Find Water Wipes in bulk at Amazon.
- A couple comfortable, soft sleepers for baby and a take home outfit or two and socks or booties if needed. If you’re nursing, you’ve got everything you need as far as food. Basically your baby needs to be warm, swaddled, and fed.
- You could take along a nose aspirator (though most places have them), and maybe some natural soap/shampoo if you’re planning on staying a couple days to wash them off, if you insist. Read the link below to see why vernix (the whitish, goopy stuff on baby) is good for them. https://www.mamanatural.com/vernix/
- Don’t forget to install baby’s car seat prior to labor, of course this won’t fit in a bag, but I thought it worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Labor can be timely, like a scheduled cesarean or induction, or pretty unpredictable. If you don’t have all the items you envisioned taking with you, don’t worry, you’ll be fine without them. If you can’t go home to get something, someone can probably bring you what you need later. Preparedness is more of a mental game, it just makes you feel all the more ready to greet your precious baby face to face. Ok, with all this talk about prepping, I should probably go do some packing.
What do you pack when preparing for labor and delivery? Share in the comment section below!
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I like the hofish nursing bras as well. Ilovesia from amazon have been comfortable as well.
We always took a muslin swaddle and a fleece swaddle because the room temps were pretty unpredictable.
Extra hair ties if you have long hair (somehow I always lost a few).
I used extra large puppy pads in my car to save my seats when my water broke.
If you are a csection mama, underpants that go above the section line are an absolute must. It seems most hit right on that line and it causes unnecessary additional pain. Same with making sure your going home outfit doesn’t constrict right there (as most maternity pants do).
Thanks for commenting. Very good info! I never thought of puppy pads, that’s a great idea! I like the muslin swaddle blankets as well. Thanks for the extra info for csection mamas, all labors are different and special, there’s definitely different things to consider for each one.