Pro Tip #1 - The Hospital List

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#1 - PACK AN
Extra Bag

One of the best tips I received was to bring an extra bag to shlep all the free stuff that the hospital will give you. Apparently by the time the item enters your room, insurance will already be billed for it, so it’s in everyone’s best interest if you just take it. While I haven’t researched the veracity of this statement, I will attest to the fact it did not have any obvious impact on our bill when I reviewed our statement. And this included a few additional items I had to ask for, as they weren’t “in” my room beforehand.

Complied shortlist of what my friends recommended as well as the items I found particularly helpful:

(1) Postpartum Care for Mom -

  • Body Wipes 

  • Disposable Underwear (Depends disposable underwear are a fancier option you can buy and bring for yourself to use during your hospital stay. A definite game changer!)

  • Dermoplast (the blue one; apparently the red one burns), Witch Hazel Pads

  • Big Pads, Perineal Cooling Packs

  • Sitz Bath, Air Cushion

  • Miralax

  • Blankets

(2) Post Delivery Care for Baby -

  • Nose Bulbs (works on both nose and mouth)

  • Newborn Hats

  • Swaddles (I love the one we got from the hospital so much, I went and hunted them down.)

(3). Nursing & Feeding Equipment -

  • Pump Flanges

  • Nursing Straps

  • Shells (breast feeding)

  • Milk Bottles & Syringes

  • Plastic Tubs (no idea what these are actually called, but I received one every time I was handed a pump flange kit, super handy for corralling all things bottle related afterwards. Target sells similar ones here. I’ll link to my pump setup post once it’s complete so you can see how I’m using them in more detail.)

MVP Mama’s Notes -

  • Keep in mind, what is offered (and available) varies from hospital to hospital, as well as from provider to provider. According to our nanny, private institutions tend to be more generous as vendors will woo them with samples, versus at large hospitals which have centralized buying workflows.

  • There were things on this list I didn’t ask for or feel like I needed, as well as things that were amazing I’ve included that weren’t on there originally. Definitely do take your pump flanges since you may be able to use them with whatever pump you get. Our hospital pump used Ameda Pump Flanges, which worked for me much better than what came with the insurance provided pumps. If you do use the flanges that come with your pump, make sure to boil them first since as unlike the hospital ones, they DO NOT come sterilized and ready-to-use.

  • While the items were originally ordered by perceived value, I’m ended up recategorizing them by how they will be used with the assumption that like me, many new moms may have no clue what they are for before delivery. The categories are designed to provide some context without getting into the nitty gritty to avoid being overwhelming.

Lastly if you forget, don’t sweat. You can find most of these items for purchase individually or Frida (the makers of the popular Nose Frida) makes a Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit that includes many of the essentials for recovery.

Lulu LinMVP, MamaComment