The diaper bag. It’s a parenting essential that can make or break your outings with your baby! A diaper bag is always stocked with everything you need to handle the expected and unexpected when out of your house as a family. However, let’s not forget that you need to be packing your diaper bag for the first “day away” even before your due date. Why? Because you’ll need plenty in the hospital during and after giving birth to your new little one whether having a vaginal birth or a c-section!
Trying to figure out what items you’ll need when giving birth is hard! And, when you’re searching online, a lot of the hospital bag checklists out there are for those expecting a vaginal delivery. But, what if you’re having a c-section? What do you need to consider? That’s what we’re covering today! We’ll give you a thoughtfully curated list for all of our soon-to-be c-section mamas to help you feel prepared for your next big step in parenthood!
Here’s what you need to bring in your diaper bag if you’re having a c-section:
What to Pack in Diaper Bag for Hospital Bag for C-Section
Packing Cubes
First of all, we’re all about packing light to the hospital. Most hospitals will provide plenty of essentials for you and baby, so there’s no need to overdue! However, when you’re having a planned c-section, you’re not in-and-out of the hospital in a day or two. You can expect to spend at least 2-4 days recovering before release. Naturally, that means you’ll be packing your bag with more stuff than someone expecting a vaginal delivery!
To pack a diaper bag for the hospital efficiently, we recommend using packing cubes. They’ll keep everything organized and compressed, so you can fit the most items possible without creating a chaotic mess inside your bag. So, before you pack a hospital bag for up to 4 days, grab a set of packing cubes!
Comfort Items from Home
Again, you’ll be staying in the maternity ward for up to 4 days with a complication-free birth. That’s a long time to be sleeping in a hospital bed with a fresh 7-layer wound, plenty of stitches, and half a dozen beeping monitors. No matter how smooth birth goes, it’s just not comfortable! So, bring a little of home with you to ease the discomfort. We recommend your pillow from home and maybe a favorite blanket! (Here’s an extra tip, don’t bring anything white to avoid it getting mixed up with hospital linens.)
Labor and Delivery Gown
Many people find the gowns hospitals distribute to be uncomfortable. To make the process more pleasant, consider bringing your own labor and delivery gown! Just realize the doctors may ask you to remove it prior to your procedure, but it’ll be useful during recovery as well. The gowns provide access for various monitors and equipment. Your nurses and doctors will appreciate that they can still get where they need to and you’ll appreciate sitting in a cozy gown instead of a scratchy disposable version!
Comfortable Loose-Fitting Clothes
If you don’t bring clothes, the hospital will have gowns for you for your visit. However, as we’ve mentioned, a lot of moms don’t like them. This is especially true later in your recovery when you’re ready to get up and move, yet the back of your gown is open and revealing a little too much! So, we recommend you bring enough of your own clothes for the whole visit. Just be mindful of the incision you’ll have in your lower abdomen. Here are some of our favorite postpartum wear for the hospital:
Cotton Period/Postpartum Underwear
Even after a c-section, you’ll be expelling a lot of blood and fluid that’ll require some absorbency. The hospital provides mesh underwear, but as you can imagine, they’re not the most comfortable things to wear! You could opt for large menstrual pads, but those can be similarly irritating as you recover.
We recommend cotton period/postpartum underwear that is high-waisted to sit above your incision, of course, to avoid any irritation! Just remember to bring a wet bag for soiled underwear and bring enough to change multiple times a day.
Comfortable Nursing Bras
If you plan on nursing, you’ll want to pack a couple comfortable nursing bras! Don’t be too concerned with how they make you look or how they coordinate with the clothes you bought just get something comfortable and practical for those early days of resting and nursing!
Cozy Robe
You usually can’t control the temperature of your hospital room. A cozy robe can ensure that you’re always cozy even if the room is cooler than you’d prefer. It can also provide either coverage when you’re working on nursing!
Non-slip socks or Slippers
When you’re healing from something as invasive as a c-section, you can’t risk a fall. Make sure you have no-slip socks or slippers for bathroom trips and walking around your hospital room after you start feeling better!
Flip Flops
After you’ve recovered some, you’ll probably want a shower. Flip flops are great for hospital showers to prevent falls and prevent your bare feet from having to be on the floor.
Belly Binder
If you have a scheduled c-section, it’s a good idea to bring a belly binder with you. It can help prevent pain, increase mobility, improve posture, and reduce swelling. Many women credit belly binders with speeding up c-section recovery and providing extra comfort during this intense recovery.
Toiletries and Toiletry Travel Bag
You probably won’t be putting on a full face of make-up every day you’re at the hospital, nor will you be doing an “everything shower,” but you’ll want to feel refreshed each day! Bring your basic toiletries in a handy travel bag for easy access and organization throughout your stay. We recommend you bring the following:
- Chapstick/Lip balm
- Moisturizer
- Hair ties
- Dry shampoo
- Hairbrush
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
- Contact lenses and solution (if you wear them, plus your eyeglasses)
Lightweight Water Bottle
When you’re healing from a c-section, you can’t really use your abdominal muscles at all. That means lifting heavy objects is out of the question. You’ll probably even need your baby handed to you from the bedside bassinet! One odd thing you may not consider as “heavy” is your large water bottle or tumbler. Popular stainless steel water bottles can be difficult to lift without pain post c-section, so bring something smaller or lighter that won’t strain your core.
Going-Home Baby Outfit + A Few Extra
The hospital will have clothes for your baby until it’s time to head home. You can bring clothes for each day if you like, but it’s not necessary. However, do bring an outfit to wear out of the hospital! We recommend bringing a couple of options, because sometimes you get them all ready in a cute going-home outfit and they soil it. Or, something unexpected could delay discharge. Either way, it’s good to have a back-up or two.
Blanket for the Ride Home
Remember, your baby can’t safely ride in their car seat with a puffy snowsuit or an aftermarket car seat swaddle. However, you can swaddle your baby safely with a blanket, so bring one along that’s appropriate for the season. Here’s how to swaddle your infant in a car seat and here’s more on how to bundle up safely in a car seat!
Car Seat Manual
You’ll have some downtime while you’re waiting to get discharged, and some great reading material is your car seat’s manual! Each seat is a bit different and it’s important you totally understand how to properly install and use your child’s car seat. Read it cover to cover to get all the important information! And, while you’re at it, read these important beginner car seat posts. (Psst . . . the nurses at the hospital are likely not qualified to help you buckle and install your child’s car seat.)
Nursing Pillow
Nursing is often a challenge in the beginning even more so when you’re recovering from a c-section! A nursing pillow will ensure you can get your baby in the right position without straining your abdominal muscles too much.
Medications
Of course, the hospital will have pain killers, stool softener, and other medications you need post op. However, you’ll still need to bring any medications you’re taking for other conditions! So, don’t forget to pack a pill sorter with enough medication to last you at least a week just in case you get held up at the hospital.
Folder for Paperwork
You’ll receive a lot of hospital paperwork and information packets while at the hospital. Plus, you may want to bring things like your birth plan or your medical records. Bring along a folder of some sort to keep everything neat and organized.
Extra Long Cell Phone Charger and Portable Charger
It’s a given that you should bring a cell phone and charger with you, but take into consideration that your hospital bed may not be near an outlet. Bring an extra long cell phone charger and even a portable charger to make sure no matter where it is, you can keep your phone charged up for pictures, video chatting, shopping, and anything else you want to do while you recover!
Snacks
You won’t be able to eat or drink anything before your c-section, but throughout your recovery you may want snacks and water! You’ve already got water covered with your water bottle, but it’s a good idea to bring snacks too. You can order meals from the hospital cafeteria, but you may not want to send someone to the vending machine every time you want a treat. Pack some of your favorite snacks in your diaper bag!
Simple Activities to Pass the Time
Even though you’ll be caring for a newborn, you’ll likely have a lot of downtime, especially if you have someone there helping you! Bring a few things to pass the time to make your stay more pleasant. Here are some ideas:
- Books
- Puzzle Books
- Coloring Books
- Download Shows, Mobile Games, etc.
Optional: Gifts for Doctors and Nurses
Bringing small gifts for your doctors and nurses has become a popular (but not expected) practice. If you feel led, bring your gifts with you in your hospital bag. If you need ideas, here are some potential gifts for your labor and delivery staff!
Be just the right amount of prepared with this c-section packing list!
Bringing a new baby home is exciting, but it’s also stressful! There is a lot to plan, consider, and prepare for. We hope this packing guide helped take one thing off your list. For more ways to get ready for a baby, check out this post on what to do to prepare for baby.
And, for all the essential vehicle and car seat safety information, read our blog and take our infant car seat course! It’s the best way to know that your baby is safe on every ride from their first trip home to their first solo drive. Do it all with us at Safe in the Seat!
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