A Look Inside My Baby Hospital Bag (10 things we packed)
We had our twin boys a little over two weeks ago and we are happy settling into life as a family of six! I’ve had people ask about some of our photos and what we brought to the hospital for the babies. So on our second go around with the hospital, here’s what we packed!
With two sets of twins, I have become very familiar with the hospital. Between both pregnancies, non-stress tests, and early labor I’ve spent my fair share of time in and out of the hospital. So when we were packing for the hospital this time around, I knew I wanted to do a few things differently.
I packed a separate bag of clothes and toiletries for my husband and I but this time around I was more concerned with the babies’ bag. So I’m just going to cover what we packed into the diaper bag today.
With my first set of twins, I literally had no idea what to expect. I read other people’s hospital packing lists that seemed to range from taking everything including the kitchen sink to the hospital and other lists that said you don’t need to bring a single thing.
So basically I ended up bringing the going home outfit and that was it. But over the past two years I’ve heard other moms share what they brought to the hospital (and from trial and error from being in the hospital so often) and I decided I wanted to bring a bit more with me.
Because we knew we were probably facing a c section, we didn’t know how long we would be in the hospital. We could have even been there 5 or 6 days, though thankfully it was only two and a half days. So this time around, I wanted to be more comfortable.
I wanted to bring a few comforts from home and I’m so glad that we did! Here’s what we packed in our baby hospital bag (and what we ended up actually using):
10 Things We Packed in Our Baby Hospital Bag
1 – Comfy Sleepers
Because our boys were born in July, I didn’t want to pack big warm sleepers so I chose a few light, cotton sleepers in case we wanted to change them. On the second day we changed the boys into these and I was glad I had something really comfy for them to be in. This is also what we used for their going home outfit. Verdict: Will pack next time
2 – Onsies
My first set of twins were born in December and it’s been over 100 degrees here lately so I wasn’t sure what clothing they would need. So I threw in some onsies in case it was too hot or we wanted to layer. I didn’t end up using the onesis at all. Verdict: Won’t pack next time
3 – Cute Hats
We already had these cute hats from Malachi and Micah (otherwise I wouldn’t have gone out to buy them specifically to bring to the hospital). But because we had them, I decided to bring them as a cute and comfier option to the ugly striped hats the hospital gives you. It was nice to have them on hand. Verdict: Will pack next time
4 – Burp Cloths
At the last minute I threw these into the hospital bag but we never ended up needing them. Our boys didn’t end up spitting up at all and besides, we had our amazing muslin blankets with us (see #9). Verdict: Won’t pack next time
5 – Baby Formula
I’m sure not everyone needs to pack formula, but I wanted to have it on hand just in case. I’m very picky about the formula I’ll feed my boys, and so I wanted to have my favorite brand on hand in the off chance that the doctors pushed to introduce formula for any reason. (And yes – two weeks out, we have had to supplement a little bit now).
After a lot of research, I was really happy this Spring when The Honest Company came out with their own line of formula. It’s not perfect, but it’s a much better option than other brands on the US market. (i.e. it contains real lactose instead of high fructose corn syrup). The size you see in the picture above is actually their trial size you can order from the website. I didn’t end up needing the formula in the hospital, but I was still glad I had it there as an option. Verdict: Will pack next time
6 – Diaper Rash Cream
This is another item that we didn’t end up needing. But it only takes a tiny spot in the diaper bag and I was glad it was there just in case. I’ve been happily using The Honest brand diaper rash cream which is much cheaper on Vitacost or if you order a bundle directly from Honest Co. (By the way, you can get $10 off your first order from Vitacost by signing up through this link). Verdict: Will pack next time
7 – Hand Sanitizer
I’m not usually a fan of hand sanitizer, but I also hate hospitals and the germs. So when I first discovered The Honest brand hand sanitizer (are you noticing a pattern yet?) I was really happy packing this in my bag! It was handy to have for the guests who stopped by. With natural and healthy ingredients like aloe, vitamin e, grapefruit seed extract, and sweet orange, this is a hand sanitizer I can get behind. Sometimes. When we are at the hospital. This is also cheaper on Vitacost or via Honest Company directly. Verdict: Will pack next time
8 – Diapers and Wipes
This one is not a necessity so it really depends on how picky you are with your diapers and wipes. Hospitals provide diapers and wipes for your newborns. But my older boys have really sensitive skin and are prone to diaper rashes so I wanted to have a few chlorine and icky-free diapers and wipes with us just in case. Again, we didn’t really need them this time but I was glad to have them as a back up. Verdict: Will pack next time
9 – Swaddle Blankets
This is my favorite thing we brought to the hospital. Yes, the hospital provides you with those itchy receiving blankets but I wanted something more comfortable and I’m so glad we had these. I packed my very favorite Aden and Anais swaddle blankets. They also sell these at Target (hint hint for your baby registry)! Verdict: Will pack next time
10 – Pacifiers
My older boys never took pacifiers (even though we tried) but my new boys love them! I’m so glad we took two different kinds of pacifiers as each boy prefers a different style (go figure)! I packed NUK newborn pacifiers (which Remington prefers) and silicone soothie pacifiers (which Ryder prefers). Verdict: Will pack next time
While not everything we brought to the hospital was necessary, it was nice to feel prepared and have a little comfort of home with us! I’m glad I packed our diaper bag with everything we did as it wasn’t hard to bring just one bag for the babies.