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Ya never know when you'll go into labor. Once I hit the 30ish week mark, making sure my hospital bag is ready has been a top priority. Henry was born at 39 weeks, and Wesley was born at 38 weeks.  I'm 35 weeks today, so it's getting real! This weekend I finished it up (besides snacks), so we're ready!

The Bag

First off, I talked back in my Target Favorites post about a cute bag I was eying!  I ended up with this one. Still polka dots, but just a slightly different style since the one I'd originally posted about went out of stock. It's the perfect size for all I'm taking.

 

Open-Front Cardigans

You're not going to really want to mess with buttons or zippers when you're holding a wee little one, so I've found that any open-front cardigan is a winner. This isn't the exact one I have; mine are usually a little more drapy, but I have a few of these to throw over my nursing tanks and feel a little put together and add a little warmth because hospitals are usually a little chilly.

Sweatpants

Comfy. That's what I want on my bottom side, so sweats are the definite answer!

Nursing Tanks 

These are basically what I live in after baby, and let's be honest, hospital gowns are not glamorous, so I bring a few to the hospital to wear. 

 

Going Home Outfits for Baby

Yep, I said outfitS plural. With Henry, we had him all dressed in his outfit, then he exploded on it. Good thing I'd brought along that awesome gender neutral sleeper so he didn't have to go home in the girl outfit we'd brought!

 

Toiletries

I have a complete extra set so I don't have to grab anything from my medicine cabinet. Extra glasses, FleurtyBands, dry shampoo, chap stick, Neutrogena face wipes (that I just got in the mail from Influenster, SCORE),  deodorant, even extra make up. I don't want to have to worry about forgetting anything. If you can't go this route, I suggest putting a not on top of your bag so you know exactly what you need to add before you run out the door.

Lanolin 

The hospital usually has some of this on hand if you're nursing, at ours it's the Medela brand.  I actually prefer the Lasinoh brand, so I bring my own. 

Nursing Pads

Again, the hospital has these, but I like to have my own so I don't have to hound the nurses and so I'm ready when I go home.

Boppy

I know there are debates about which nursing pillow is best, but I got this one cheap before Henry was born, and it's done the job, so it's what I've used.

Extra Bag

There's always lots of goodies to take home from the hospital like gifts and extra diapers, so I like to bring along an extra bag. The one I have rolls up to be super compact.

Nursing Cover

I don't worry about this a ton, but if we have visitors, It's nice to have instead of making them vacate the room. It's all about your comfort level. My cousin made the one I have pictured.

Aiden + Anais Swaddle Blanket

The hospital does provide blankets. I like to have an extra just in case. The Aiden + Anais swaddles are my favorite type of blanket and will come in handy a ton this summer.

Aiden + Anais Burpy Bibs

 I discovered these with Wes and I just love them. They're soft and  absorbent. They also fit well over my shoulder. Later on, when baby is older, they can double as a bib, so I always keep one in the diaper bag.

Spare Change for Vending Machines (not pictured, but I threw some in there)

Our hospital has some vending machines. It is great to have change so Russ can go grab a snack. It was also a fun field trip for Henry to go pick something out. 

Snacks (not pictured because I need to buy some yet...)

I really, truly appreciated having hospital food because our hospital has pretty good stuff, but the three meals a day wasn't always enough for me, so I packed a few snacks like granola bars and trail mix. It is also handy some snacks on hand if you have other children who will be visiting you. My boys are always hungry!

So, what did I forget? Any hospital bag necessities you had to have that I haven't listed?

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