11 Things You Won't Need For Your Hospital Birth

By Alessia Santoro

Published on 10/6/2016 at 2:23 PM

Wanting to pack up all the essentials for your hospital birth is tempting, we know — especially if it's your first child. But the truth is, besides delivering a beautiful baby, not much else about the experience is all that glamorous. You won't want to do a lot more than stare at your gorgeous creation, sleep, and relax with your family and friends who come to visit (and you don't need a heck of a lot of "stuff" to do all that).

So yes, your fresh new baby bag full of sweet little baby items may be tempting to haul with you, but these are the 11 things you can totally leave at home (you'll have plenty of time to lug that bag around with you once you're home!).

  1. Adorable baby outfits. You've probably bought a ton of cute outfits, but in the hospital, they'll mostly be in a diaper and swaddle blanket. At most, bring one cute ensemble for a "homecoming" photo opp.
  2. Diapers. The hospital will have you covered on this one, but make sure you've got some ready to go at home.
  3. Nice underwear. Make way for mesh underwear or Depends. Even if you had a C-section, you're going to want to be comfortable.
  4. Swaddle blankets. The hospital will wrap your baby in one of its blankets, so there's no need to dirty up the fresh ones you bought — yet.
  5. Breast pump. Your breast milk needs time to come in after birth, so you're not going to need to explore the ins and outs of your pump just yet.
  6. Formula and bottles. If you are not going to breastfeed or are nervous you won't be able to, don't worry about formula and bottles — the hospital will have it covered.
  7. Toys. Your adorable little nugget of a baby is not going to sit and play with Sophie the Giraffe in his first days — he's going to sleep and poop.
  8. Laptop. You may want to have one as entertainment — or because you're Superwoman, to do work — but seriously, you won't want it in the throes of labor.
  9. The baby book. Even the craftiest moms aren't going to have time to make pages at the hospital. Save the birth details and take some photos to fill things in later.
  10. Beauty products. Most new moms won't have the energy to do a full hair and makeup routine after baby. A few products to help you feel fresh are all you'll need.
  11. Prepregnancy clothes. With babies only weighing in around seven pounds, you're probably not going to fit into your old clothes yet. Pack your favorite sweats and a comfy tee.