5 Must-Pack Items for Your Maternity Hospital Bag

When most moms-to-be enter their third trimester of pregnancy, two things cross their minds:

The first is: I can’t believe my third trimester is already here, and soon I’ll get to meet my baby.

The second is: I can’t believe I’m only in my third trimester. Part of me feels like I’ve been pregnant forever.

Like the trimesters before it, the third trimester brings with it preparations that have to get done in advance of baby’s arrival. Namely, starting - *ahem* I mean finishing - the nursery, and getting prepared for my trip to the hospital.

When I pack my bag for the hospital, I'll be one step closer to hugging my baby, as opposed to hugging my belly as I have for the past few months!  And I can’t wait.

No matter what your situation, you should always have your bag pre-packed and ready to go. In my case, I live in a small town so my local hospital does not deliver babies. This means we will have to travel when my water breaks. The closest hospital we can deliver at is 45 minutes away. It is because of this that it’s so important I pack my suitcase for the hospital and have it ready to go. We’ll need every moment we can get to travel in the wintery November weather to the hospital.

There are a number of essentials to add to your list, including:

1. Comfort Items

Pack things that remind you of home so you can have as much comfort as possible while in the hospital. The idea of labour and delivery still frightens me a bit, so having things that remind me of home and somewhere comfortable will help and (hopefully) put me at ease. A warm housecoat, knee high baseball socks, and a pillow are all things I'll be bringing with me.

2. Toiletry items

A toothbrush, deodorant, a hairbrush, and other such items are must -haves. Buy extras from the drugstore now and have them packed and ready to go. These easy-to-forget items will likely not be remebered as you putter around the house grabbing last minute things before hading to the hospital, so best to have them ready to go.

3. Diapers for baby

The hospital will have diapers, but bring some of your own to get a feel for what it will be like when you take your baby out after you’re home. I'll be bringing along a good supply of Huggies.

I especially like Huggies, because thanks to them, I now know how important hugs are for baby development. Research has shown that hugs are important for baby's development which is why Huggies is dedicated to providing more hugs to the babies who need them. Huggies has created the No Baby Unhugged initiative with the goal of helping to set up more Baby Hugging programs in hospitals across Canada to help babies get the hugs they need.

I can't wait to hold my baby in my arms and give him lots of hugs!

4. Baby’s outfit to wear home from the hospital

The outfit baby comes home in will be in many photographs, so choose something you like and will want to remember. Baby won't care, so this is more for mom, dad, and other family members!

Now that we know what we’re having, and as we get closer to the day of the arrival, my husband and I are looking at onsies and other cute items as potential outfits our baby will wear when he comes home. Right now, we have a top contender, and I can’t wait to put it on our little one.

5. Your outfit to wear home from the hospital

I’m not really one for clothes, hair and makeup, but for some reason, I want the outfit I wear to come home from the hospital to be something special (and of course, comfortable).

The main thing about the outfit you choose to come home is that it must be comfortable. This will be your first car ride as a mom, so look as special as you're going to feel.

I'd love to hear what you will be packing so I can add to my list! What were the essentials you packed in your hospital bag?