Packing Your Hospital Bag: C-Section Edition

**Below is a link for a printable version of this list.**

Printable C-Section Hospital Packing List

**There are blank spaces to add your own items as well.**

I Googled all over the damn internet looking for what I might need at the hospital for my c-section that was different from what you'd need for a vaginal birth.  I couldn't find any good resources.  Some of them clearly haven't been updated since 1990: camera and film, change for pay phone, list of phone numbers to call, tape player. Obviously digital cameras and cell phones weren't popular when the lists were made.  Now, with the surgery done and over with, I can answer that question: not much is different. It's pretty much the same.  However, there are a few exceptions.  So what all did I bring?

IN THE DUFFLE BAG/SUITCASE

• Abdominal binder (more on that here) 
• Toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, mini shower pouf, toothpaste, toothbrush
• I was in the hospital for four nights and five days, the max allowed.  I made them kick me the heck out of there. Food and nurses available at my whim? I wasn't leaving early!  Because you're in the hospital longer with a c-section, you might want to consider bringing higher quality and more toiletries than you might need if you were only there overnight with a vaginal delivery, since instead of none or one shower you'll probably be taking three or four showers.  I kept them all in a separate bag that I just kept in the shower area and tossed them in the trash when I left
• Note: you may or may not feel like getting up to shower. I did not. I just wanted to lay down and be lazy and rest. If you don't, DO IT. You will feel AMAZING afterward.
• Towels
• I debated about putting this on here. I didn't take any, and it was fine.  You'd be fine too.  The hospital towels sufficed. But they were small and thin and it really would have been nice to have better ones. Hell, go buy a couple $3 ones from Target and just leave them there at the end if you don't want to haul them home.  Again, this is more important for a c-section delivery where you'll be taking several showers over several days. One shower, you can deal with shitty towels. Three showers, and they start to get annoying.
• Face wash wipes (like these)
• These are nice because you can freshen up immediately after leaving the recovery room without getting out of bed.
• Lip balm
• Hospitals tend to have dry air. Your lips will be very dry!
• Brush and hair ties/clips if you have longer hair
• If you don't shower right away, it's nice to get your hair out of your face - and it's nice when you're constantly looking down at the baby too.
• Stretchy, comfy clothes:  3-4 nursing tops/tanks/bras, 3-4 yoga pants
• You might not want to get out of your hospital gown during your stay, but after 24 hours of that, I was ready for some real clothes. Of course, vaginal grads need comfy clothes too, since we all will look five or six months pregnant when we leave - though they won't need as many. With a c-section, you need to also consider that tender incision site. Look for pants that you can wear higher or lower than your bikini line - or those yoga pants with the foldover rise are great.  If you're planning on nursing, keep in mind ease of access for breastfeeding. And try pulling out a boob before packing it - I had a chemise I thought would be perfect, but when I actually had it on it was a total no access top.  Why 3 or 4? Because you have a new baby who might pee or puke on you, or you might bleed on it. You could pack fewer and have your partner bring you another outfit each day, but I thought it was easier to just have them on hand. To minimize packing, wear in one of the same outfits that you'll wear later, because you'll literally only be wearing the clothes you arrived in for an hour before you have to change into the hospital gown, so you can re-wear them later.  Anything you bring should be cheap and not well-loved in case it gets stained, lost, etc.
• Sweater
• Even in the middle of the summer, hospitals can be chilly due to air conditioning. A lightweight sweater in case you get chilly is hugely helpful. One that you don't mind tossing is always good.
• Cheap flip flops or slide sandals you won't mind tossing
• I brought these in case the shower was gross but didn't end up using them in the shower, because it was surprisingly clean.  However, they were great for walking the hospital hallways when I didn't want to just wear socks. Plus, I couldn't get socks on myself (and when recovering from a c-section you probably won't be able to either), but I could slip these on. The socks they gave us had fold-back toes so I didn't even have to take my socks off!
• My blankie
• Ok, it's not like I can't live without a special blanket, but it was nice to have. And truthfully, I didn't use it so much as whoever was spending the night did. 
• Camera & charger
• Laptop or tablet & charger
• Cell phone& charger
• If you have a lot of things to plug in (your stuff plus your partner's stuff - we had two laptops, two phones, a camera, and a tablet) consider bringing a power strip too.
• Any meds you're taking (talk to your doctor first, obviously)
• I brought my pre-natal vitamins and Colace. They'll give them to you at the hospital if you ask, but it was 100% easier just to do it myself.
• Newborn take home outfit and socks
• You don't REALLY need to spend time searching for the perfect take home outfit. It will be worn maybe 20 minutes and once they're in the carseat you won't be able to see much of it because of the car seat straps. Really, just a onesie and stretchy pants would be fine. Don't forget - no gowns or anything that you can't use in a carseat!   The hospital doesn't give you newborn socks, so you might want to bring those as well. 
• For winter babies - heavy blanket
• Summer babies can just the lightweight swaddling blankets that the hospital provides and be just fine. Winter babies might need something heavier. 

IN THE CAR TIL YOU NEED THEM

• Travel pillow (more on that here)
• Pillows from home (more on that here)
• Keep in mind again that you'll be there several days, so it's more important to be comfortable than I think it would be with a vaginal delivery. I could live with an uncomfortable bed and flat pillow for one night, but not for four nights. Also useful for those poor saps that are spending the night on the pull out bed.
• Boppy or nursing pillow
• When you're first learning to breastfeed, this is incredibly useful and worth the space it takes up. It also helps protect your incision from kicking baby feet. Of everything, this was the only thing that didn't fit in my duffle bag, and we kept it in the car until I was out of the recovery room when my husband brought it up.
• Car seat
• You don't need this until you're leaving, so it can just stay in the car. But have it ready! Have the appropriate accessories ready - a lightweight sunshade for a summer baby or a warm cover for a winter baby. (PLEASE - do not get the covers that the baby sits on! They are not safe! Nothing that is not included in the car seat should go between the baby and the seat! So no to this, yes to this!)
• Extra bag
• You get a shit ton of stuff from the hospital and from people bringing gifts. It's nice to have an extra bag to throw it all in. I had Chris take home a load every time he went home at night so that the last night we weren't trying to carry home five floral bouquets and twenty gift bags. This can also wait in the car until you need it.

LEAVE AT HOME/STUFF YOU DON'T NEED

• Socks. 
• With a c-section, they give you special compression socks, so you wouldn't be able to wear any other socks anyway. Or at least my hospital did.  And the toes fold down so you can wear the aforementioned flip flops. (You may want to ask just in case your hospital doesn't share this policy.)
• Underwear (other than what you wear in)
• Just wear and embrace the mesh panties. I promise.
• More than one newborn outfit.
• They give you shirts, so you only need something for the ride home. You certainly CAN bring extra clothes or hairbows or whatever, but it's just more stuff to keep track of. I don't recommend it.
• Newborn care items.
• They give you everything. Pacifier, diapers, wipes, hat, snot sucker, blankets, whatever.  I had been planning on starting to cloth diaper in the hospital, but since I didn't change a diaper until the last day (the nurses did it all, which I didn't ask for but was appreciated), it was easier to use what they had. I did put her in a cloth diaper as we were leaving.
• Diaper bag
• You don't need any newborn care items, so you don't need a diaper bag. 
• Books/Kindle/Entertainment
• I know, this is surprising. But I never cracked one of the books that I brought or even looked at the Kindle.  Who has the time?? If I found a spare minute, I SLEPT. I recommend you do the same. For the love of god, sleep. Maybe for your partner?
• Robe
• It just ended up taking up space. When I was only wearing the hospital gown, they give you a second one to wear backwards to cover your booty. When I had real clothes on, if I got cold I just wore my sweater. It took up a lot of room for something I didn't really need.
• Blow dryer or straightener
• You're probably better than me and will do a full blow out and full face of makeup. Me? I didn't care so much. Definitely something you can skip til you get home.
• Rings/jewelry
• Leave your wedding rings and all other jewelry at home!
• Pads
• Again, the hospital will give you some. It's just for a few days, you can go without your super special pads for a few days. And they're probably not big enough or absorbent enough anyway.
• Nipple cream/pads
• They provide these as well.
• Breast Pump
• If for some odd reason you need one of these, the hospital will provide it. 
• Change for vending machines/food
• Our hospital, at least, had a food station with pop, water, snacks, etc.  And when I was more hungry than that, room service was a phone call away.