Hospital Bag Favorites + Gift Ideas for Moms to Be!

This post is way overdue but I wanted to share it still (better late than never!). Especially because I get asked this question quite a bit from friends. My hospital bag looked different all three times but by the third, I had my packing list down to only the essentials and a few favorite items.

I’m breaking down a list of just my favorites, not the essentials since there are so many of those checklists available out there already. And honestly I way over packed for my first baby by following all of them! Turns out, you don’t actually need to a hair dryer and nail clippers. 

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Here’s a quick list of my favorite items which would make great gifts too for moms to be!

• Eye Mask. Be prepared to be exhausted after giving birth (obviously) but also prepared to be woken up as soon as you fall asleep. I used an eye mask to try to get sleep during the daytime and it helped tune out everything else…at least for a little while. This is the eye mask I have and highly recommend! It’s only $8 and the reviews are incredible – almost 10,000 positive reviews.

• Footprint Stamp Kit. I had received this as a gift (thanks, Pauline!). It was so thoughtful and I love that I have this artwork now hanging in Harper’s nursery. I sourced this option for you guys here (really, really great gift!): Babyprint Canvas 

I also packed a small suitcase that rolls which makes things easier. One side was for Harper’s items and one for me. Made it so much easier than throwing everything in the same bag!

For the baby:

• Baby blankets. I loved having Harper “swaddled” in cozy blankets with pretty prints (vs hospital ones). I put swaddled in quotes because to our surprise they don’t really swaddle babies anymore. This was news to us! I guess it isn’t good for their hips so we partially had her wrapped in a loose swaddle (the new recommendation). We had quite a few blankets already but I couldn’t resist buying this trio too!

• Pacifier. I’m sure I’ll get a couple eye rolls about this one but I have two girls that wouldn’t take a pacifier as a baby. They both are thumbsuckers which is a really hard habit to break (I’m learning). I was determined to have Harper take a pacifier which will be a lot easier to take away in the future.  Plus these Wubbanub pacifiers are so darn cute 🙂

• Mommy and Me matching clothes. My favorite thing in the hospital bag! I actually ordered two sets of these. I loved ours from Posh Peanut. The fabric is very soft and I was really impressed with the quality for the price.

I’ve also had a few people ask about our bassinet which was a steal!

It’s so cute and very easy to put together. I searched for awhile for one that didn’t break the bank since I know Harper won’t be in it for very long. Here’s the link for the bassinet.

Okay, I think that just about covers my favorites! I’ll update this list if I think of anything else. I’d love to hear, what was your favorite item to pack or favorite gift to give (or receive!)?