Wait Mama! Before you pack that hospital bag to go get your bundle of joy, check out this list of what NOT to bring to the hospital. This time is stressful enough, why add clutter?

Now bear with me, this is only my two cents, and I had a C-section with a two day hospital stay. So what I ended up using might differ from what you need/want, and that’s ok! (And of course if you want to bring a full makeup bag of glitz and glam, you go girl don’t let me stop you!)

1. Leave the wipes at home!

Save your diapers and wipes Mama, the hospital has plenty! They will even send you home with a week’s worth if you want. I brought a fully packed diaper bag and used none of it.

2. Baby clothing!

While you might want to bring baby clothes, I found swaddles worked just as well. Especially since the nurses are checking baby and running tests, or new parents getting the hang of changing diapers for the first time. They made things simpler!

3. Lots of comfy clothes!

I have always heard to bring fuzzy socks and comfy clothes. But in reality, I lived in the provided hospital gown and used their grippy socks. The hospital gown made it easier recovering from a C-section and the more I thought of it, I didn’t want to ruin my own fuzzy socks or slippers. I don’t know about you but even in the maternity ward it still feels “germy” to me and the less I have to bring home to clean the better.

4. Literally any normal day-wear.

While we’re talking about what to wear, let’s talk about what NOT to wear. Miss Ma’am, please do not bring jeans. Or anything with buttons. This is a stretchy pant, messy bun event. Jeans are not invited.

5. Your cute undies.

For postpartum care, forget the panties girl. You won’t want them I promise. The hospital provides cheap ones along with maxi pads and peri bottles. Unless you want to be bougie and bring Depends adult diapers and a Frida Mom peri bottle. It’s me, I was bougie.

6. Too many pillows!

A lot of people want to bring their own pillow. And while you can, for me personally I didn’t want to bring my own pillow into a germy hospital. To each their own! Truth is the hospital has plenty of pillows so feel free to ask for them! Don’t worry about the body pillow either. I know it sounds like a good idea but the hospital beds just aren’t big enough and it might get in the way of machines or IV pumps.

7. Pumps!

You can forego bringing a breast pump if you plan on using one. It can take several days for milk to come in, but if you do need one, you guessed it, the hospital has them to use! Lactation consultants can be so helpful and set them up for you. (Side note, you can get free breast pumps through insurance! I got a completely free one through Aeroflow Breast pumps, which is a company that does all the work for you. They check your insurance eligibility and then you get to choose from a selection of pumps. The pump then gets shipped to your house. You can get replacement parts, milk storage bags, even accessories from them! This isn’t an ad I promise I just really like free stuff.)

8. Water!

I brought a gallon jug of water and accidentally left it in the car. My nurses were so great about giving me a huge souvenir cup and constantly refilling it for me. You can leave the drinks at home!

 Lastly as a reminder, don’t pack too much – even things you know you will use. It can be overwhelming to bring all that with you and even worse, take it home. Especially when you take home all the items the hospital sends with you.

Now let’s get to packing! We have a baby to bring home, Mama! Let me know what you would add to this list in the comments below!