Pregnancy has many “to do” tasks throughout. Prenatal vitamins, sonograms, reveal parties, and so on.
Take your time. Relax and enjoy the moments. You have 9 months after all...
But then, it’s go time!
Water breaks. Contractions start. It’s time to grab the go bag and race to the hospital. Even if you have a C-section scheduled, sometimes our babies have a mind of their own and decide to come early!
Most of this falls to your wife of course. She's the one giving birth. But what can you do besides provide moral support and Lamaze coaching? You can prepare the heck out of a hospital "Go Bag", that's what!
When you get that “the baby is coming” signal, you want to be ready. There’s plenty of need-to-haves and just as many nice-to-haves for you, your wife, and the baby (or babies) while at the hospital. Your wife’s in labor, doing the hard work, so getting as many of those items prepared and with you at the hospital, the better.
You’ll look like a champ, and feel useful in a situation where you’re otherwise somewhat powerless.
Below is an extensive list of both the necessary and the unnecessary that will all help improve your and your family’s hospital experience.
For Mom
Birth Plan
If you’ve taken the time to make one, you better have it with you.
A going-home outfit for mom
Bathrobe, Nightgown, Socks and/or slippers, Underwear
These last few are a must for your wife, she’s going to be feeling rundown and not her best, so making her comfortable in her own clothes is a must.
She just had a team of doctors and nurses looking at her most private area…no need to have the rest of the hospital seeing her butt while wearing the standard hospital gown!
Lip balm
Back Massager
Lotion
Eye Mask
Ear Plugs
Spray bottle or sponge
This can come in use during labor while your wife is getting hot and strained. I’d go with the sponge, though. She probably won’t appreciate be sprayed in the face like an errant pet.
Pillow
Comfort, comfort, comfort.
Entertainment
Music, movies, books, magazines, you name it. Also, a good time to catch up on your Facebook feeds!
I thought it’d be a good idea to pack Three Men and a Baby. I loved it. However, my wife was trying to sleep and every time the baby in the movie cried, she woke up, nervous. If you remember, the baby cried a lot!
Toiletries
Makeup
Plenty of pictures will be taken during your stay. Your wife will likely be happier and more “ready for her closeup” if she can apply some makeup. (Not that it matters of course!)
Phone charger
Snacks
Because, well, hospital food. Plus, vending machine prices will break you!
For Babies
Approved infant car seat(s) with the base properly installed in your vehicle.
Local fire stations are generally available to install these correctly for you and to educate you how to do it yourself.
Call ahead to get the correct station (not all do it) and schedule an appointment if needed.
A few sleepers and onesies, socks and a hat.
Same as above, but this time you’re keeping your new baby(ies) comfortable…AND cute for pictures!
A Going-home outfit for the babies
Cozy blanket and several receiving blankets.
Package of newborn/size small diapers.
New parent? Time to learn how to put these things on!
Package of unscented baby wipes.
Stuffed animal
Some hospitals give a new stuffed animal to babies, some do not.
A stuffed animal and a kid are long-term relationships, sometimes lifelong. Why not start the relationship (and get pics) in the babies’ first days?
For You
Naturally, you'll be thinking of just mom and the babies, but don't forget yourself!
Mirror for you to see the baby in the car seat.
We had twins. I had prepared two car seat bases, installed professionally. Those initial car seats have the kids facing backwards, so you can’t see them without a mirror. I had 1 mirror setup. Unfortunately, that would let me see only 1 of the twins. I had what I assume is a panic attack on the 25 minute drive back from the hospital because I couldn’t see the 2nd twin. I stopped halfway home, checked on him, then hurried home. I had a 2nd mirror before we got back into the car!
Camera – videos/pictures
Natural birth, you can video. C-section (at least where I live), you cannot. Luckily most cameras have the fast multi-picture options which basically make a video when combined!
Change of clothes
Phone Charger
Entertainment
Mom and babies will be sleeping, a lot. You’ll need something to do.
I had all this packed in our go bag. All of it. The needs and the wants. My wife was comfortable and happy. My babies were comfortable and looking good for photo ops.
I was a champ.
(Even in the eyes of my mother-in-law!)
The one drawback (besides the aforementioned need for a 2nd mirror in the car) was the massager I chose. It was battery-operated. It vibrated.
My impressed mother-in-law bragged about my pregnancy “go bag” to people up and down the halls. She was loud, for all to hear. She said, “He remembered everything…even the vibrator!”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her she wasn’t saying what she was meaning to say.
Be sure to check out our other parenting advice.
* Also published on FamiliesofMultiples.com