Hospital bag help! And tell me about clothes!

[Waffles]

I just had a freak out because we only have a couple of onesies with feet in newborn size and I don't know what I'm doing and is baby girl going to be too cold or dressed in ridiculously too big stuff if it's 54 or 56cm?

Talk to me like the clueless idiot I am and tell me what I do need. Onesies only? With sleeves/legs? How many? Do I need to buy actual tops and bottoms? What will she wear outside the house once we get home? Do I need to get actual clothes or does she wear onesies + bag with sleeves & legs and a hat?

Induction will be around 13 December and I don't even know what babies wear.

[PennyCandy]

They will give you everything you need in the hospital. All you need for baby is a going home outfit.

J lived in sleepers for the first couple of months. That's what was easy for us. You will go through a couple a day at the very least, but you don't know how big baby will be so buy a few in newborn and 0-3 And send SO to the store for more if you need more.

[konapoppy]

I recommend bringing something that covers legs (either pants with onesie or a sleeper), as I think they are more comfortable in the car seat.

I would bring one NB outfit and one 0-3, as some NB stuff can be really small.

[tiki]

We brought two carseat-friendly outfits and both ended up being too big for DD (who was 7lbs 2oz at birth). It really didn't matter since she was only wearing what she came home in for about an hour. In the hospital she was swaddled over just a diaper & at home at first it was either the same or we'd put her in a gown with sleeves that ended in mittens since she was a face scratcher.

You only need a couple of things to start & will figure out what you like or want as you go. For example, right now our favorite things to dress DD in are long-sleeved, long-pants rompers (not footies, since she is very long & these tend to be too short for her). For sleep we put an arms-only swaddle over that. I didn't even know such things existed before she was born.

Edit: Depending on where you live & how cold it gets, another thing you might want from the start is something to keep your baby warm while in the carseat. I am currently looking at these: 7amenfant.com/product/nido-quilted/  or  amzn.to/1MftJi4

[estrellita]

E spent most of the time in just a onesie at home but our apartment was hot. We'd put pants and socks on him if it was colder or for going out, otherwise a sleep and play. For going outside, it was extremely cold, but puffy jackets aren't good for car seats, so we'd put a hat and mittens on him, plus blankets after he was buckled in (ETA: with a fleece jacket too). We went for a few walks and put him in one of those fluffy body suits for that in the stroller (not really safe for the car seat in the car). We used sleep/swaddle sacks for nighttime.

As for the hospital, we didn't need anything until we brought him home. We brought a newborn and 0-3m outfit since we didn't know how big he'd be. Don't get too many NB outfits, since you don't know how long they'll be in NB. E was in NB for a good 6 weeks so we ended up buying a few more items, so that's always an option.

[pooh8402]

Nov 11, 2017 12:35:32 GMT -5 tiki said:

Edit: Depending on where you live & how cold it gets, another thing you might want from the start is something to keep your baby warm while in the carseat. I am currently looking at these: 7amenfant.com/product/nido-quilted/  or  amzn.to/1MftJi4

I wouldn't recommend either of those. If you do a car seat cover, get one that is the shower cap style. www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Seat-Cover-Khaki/dp/B003ZUXQXU

Much safer.

[tiki]

Nov 11, 2017 18:17:55 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Nov 11, 2017 12:35:32 GMT -5 tiki said:

Edit: Depending on where you live & how cold it gets, another thing you might want from the start is something to keep your baby warm while in the carseat. I am currently looking at these: 7amenfant.com/product/nido-quilted/  or  amzn.to/1MftJi4

I wouldn't recommend either of those. If you do a car seat cover, get one that is the shower cap style. www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Seat-Cover-Khaki/dp/B003ZUXQXU

Much safer.

The Nido was specifically recommended by the Car Seat Lady for safety as it goes on over the fully buckled baby:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67vRu-McHQ

After a little research, you're right that she recommends modifying the Bundle Me if you want to use it in a car seat (as opposed to just a stroller): www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MrwoFJc1qs

[mbcdefg]

I had DD in June.

They provided diapers, wipes, pacifiers and formula (if you want them) for her. They also gave us two hats - the standard pink and blue hospital hat, and a purple crocheted hat made by volunteers. I just needed the outfit she went home in (I brought cute NB and 0-3 PJs ... NB ended up being huge on her since she was under 6 lbs). Plus I brought a pretty receiving blanket that was nice for pics, but they had plenty of blankets and kimono-style shirts for us to use in the hospital. And the car seat of course.

They also provided big maxi pads and mesh underwear for me. I preferred my own pads but took home several pairs of the underwear. I wore those for a week, then wore Hanes underwear 2 sizes larger than normal for week 2, then was back in my own underwear by week 3-4. 

DD wore onesies around the house once she came home. For a winter baby you’d be fine with sleepers, or onesies and maybe soft pants if the House is cold. We have soft sweatpants from Carter’s that DD wears at home with onesies. I have a few outfits for DD where there are footies on the pants, but I don't love them because her shirt always rides up (and the pants ride down because she's a peanut) ... I typically dress her in a onesie with pants and socks, or if she wears a two-piece shirt and pants outfit I layer a plain white bodysuit underneath so her belly and lower back aren't hanging out (she went to daycare in that today, with a light jacket on top and a knit hat and a blanket tucked over her).

I packed a big hospital bag full of stuff I barely used. I did use a bathrobe; I threw it on over the hospital gown when people visited, and I still wear it around the house today. Once I was cleared to shower (they provided toiletries but BYO if you want something specific) I wore soft pj pants, a regular tank top and a nursing bra. And Flip flops. Something comfy and loose for you to wear Home.

Skip makeup, or just bring the minimal amount you need to feel presentable. I didn't use a hairdryer but some women say they *need* it to feel human, so it's up to you. I was glad to have my face wash, face moisturizer, Q-Tips, a tweezer for stray eyebrows, eyebrow pencil and concealer, and a razor for my armpits. Again, it's about doing what you need to do to feel sort of like yourself, it's not about impressing anyone.

An eye mask was incredibly useful; also ear plugs if you like them. Hospitals are bright and the machines are noisy. And my own pillow - bring a bright pillowcase (not white, so it doesn't get mixed up with the hospital pillows), and don't bring a pillow that you'd be devastated to lose. Target has $5 pillows, for example.

Cash and change for the cafeteria and vending machines for your SO. And some snacks for when you can’t go grab food/order your tray. If you have visitors, don't be afraid to ask them to bring you something good to eat, or maybe something for the nurses if you wish (I asked my mom to bring them donuts and they were delighted).

Colgate Wisps. These were SO useful because I couldn’t get to the sink and brush my teeth for nearly two days (c-section and then a magnesium drip/catheter).

Boppy is useful for nursing and for holding a tiny new baby.

[pooh8402]

Nov 11, 2017 19:42:01 GMT -5 tiki said:

Nov 11, 2017 18:17:55 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I wouldn't recommend either of those. If you do a car seat cover, get one that is the shower cap style. www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Seat-Cover-Khaki/dp/B003ZUXQXU

Much safer.

The Nido was specifically recommended by the Car Seat Lady for safety as it goes on over the fully buckled baby:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67vRu-McHQ

After a little research, you're right that she recommends modifying the Bundle Me if you want to use it in a car seat (as opposed to just a stroller): www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MrwoFJc1qs

Touche on the Nido. It does appear to have some fabric behind the baby so *I* wouldn't use it but it is up to the parent. If it were to catch on fire, then you couldn't just rip it off the seat quickly like you could a shower cap style.

As far as the BundleMe, I don't understand cutting up a product to make it work, when the same company makes a safer product specifically for that purpose.

[konapoppy]

For you, ditto everything mbcdefg said.

Three helpful additions for me:
- a blowdryer
- phone chargers with long cables
- a folder for important documents (for you to bring and then to use to take home)

[cherryvalance]

I will answer the OP, but can I jump in with a cover question? pooh8402, tiki, what should I get for a City Mini? We only have convertible car seats and use the City Mini and Graco Aire, so no buckle-in carseats. It's COLD here the past few days, and I'm worried about only using thick blankets on DS.

[cherryvalance]

As for the hospital bag, I brought way more than I actually needed

mbcdefg had great suggestions. . I had to spend my first day in the hospital gown because they wouldn't really let me get up, but once I could shower, I wanted my own clothes and makeup.


DS was a summer baby, so we just put him in a sleeper. Now, I'd put him in a warm sleep n play, hat, and car seat cover or thick blanket. He wore the kimono shirt, diaper, and swaddle the entire time he was in the hospital.

When we got home, he spent most of his time in a onesie with socks or sleep n play (it was a cold summer here) and gloves because he loves to scratch the shit out of his face. He slept in a onesie and swaddle. I personally like dressing him, so he wore little pants/onesie outfits, but a sleep n play is so easy.

[pooh8402]

Nov 11, 2017 22:52:56 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

I will answer the OP, but can I jump in with a cover question? pooh8402, tiki, what should I get for a City Mini? We only have convertible car seats and use the City Mini and Graco Aire, so no buckle-in carseats. It's COLD here the past few days, and I'm worried about only using thick blankets on DS.

Whatever you want, really. The rules that govern safety for a car seat in a moving vehicle do not apply to strollers.

[cherryvalance]

Nov 11, 2017 23:04:23 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Nov 11, 2017 22:52:56 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

I will answer the OP, but can I jump in with a cover question? pooh8402 , tiki , what should I get for a City Mini? We only have convertible car seats and use the City Mini and Graco Aire, so no buckle-in carseats. It's COLD here the past few days, and I'm worried about only using thick blankets on DS.

Whatever you want, really. The rules that govern safety for a car seat in a moving vehicle do not apply to strollers.

I'm assuming the car seat ones don't stretch enough for a jogger, right? I need to get a BundleMe one? 

[pooh8402]

Nov 11, 2017 23:12:03 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

Nov 11, 2017 23:04:23 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Whatever you want, really. The rules that govern safety for a car seat in a moving vehicle do not apply to strollers.

I'm assuming the car seat ones don't stretch enough for a jogger, right? I need to get a BundleMe one? 

I guess? It doesn't get cold enough here for people to get fancy stroller covers and we don't go over stroller covers in my CPST training, except to discuss what it is and is not acceptable to use in a car seat. I know that Lucies List discusses those because I remember reading about them during my pregnancy, but I didn't commit it to memory since it doesn't apply to my area.

[cherryvalance]

Nov 11, 2017 23:15:29 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Nov 11, 2017 23:12:03 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

I'm assuming the car seat ones don't stretch enough for a jogger, right? I need to get a BundleMe one? 

I guess? It doesn't get cold enough here for people to get fancy stroller covers and we don't go over stroller covers in my CPST training, except to discuss what it is and is not acceptable to use in a car seat. I know that Lucies List discusses those because I remember reading about them during my pregnancy, but I didn't commit it to memory since it doesn't apply to my area.

Ah, gotcha! I just assume you know everything   

I figured he'd be okay with a thick blanket, but it just seems SO cold and I know January/February will be bitterly cold, so I'm stressing it. 

[pooh8402]

Nov 11, 2017 23:17:12 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

Nov 11, 2017 23:15:29 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I guess? It doesn't get cold enough here for people to get fancy stroller covers and we don't go over stroller covers in my CPST training, except to discuss what it is and is not acceptable to use in a car seat. I know that Lucies List discusses those because I remember reading about them during my pregnancy, but I didn't commit it to memory since it doesn't apply to my area.

Ah, gotcha! I just assume you know everything   

I figured he'd be okay with a thick blanket, but it just seems SO cold and I know January/February will be bitterly cold, so I'm stressing it. 

I'll have to defer to people with more experience than me when it comes to the cold. I just purchased my first down jacket ever since I moved to a colder part of the state.

Hopefully I'll be asking you this question in a year from now if my IVF works.

[cherryvalance]

Nov 11, 2017 23:19:15 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Nov 11, 2017 23:17:12 GMT -5 cherryvalance said:

Ah, gotcha! I just assume you know everything   

I figured he'd be okay with a thick blanket, but it just seems SO cold and I know January/February will be bitterly cold, so I'm stressing it. 

I'll have to defer to people with more experience than me when it comes to the cold. I just purchased my first down jacket ever since I moved to a colder part of the state.

Hopefully I'll be asking you this question in a year from now if my IVF works.

Squeee, fingers crossed!!

[kitkat1502]

I wish I brought a good towel or two. The hospital towels for showering are so small and thin. It would've been nice to have a regular comfy towel.

[konapoppy]

Nov 11, 2017 23:29:11 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

I wish I brought a good towel or two. The hospital towels for showering are so small and thin. It would've been nice to have a regular comfy towel.

Ooh this too. And maybe one for your H. I brought one for me, but he was stuck with the hospital ones.

[blondemoment123]

I’m so glad we brought a onesie to the hospital. We had a super cute going home outfit picked out, but it was too big for him.

Bring a blanket. It was freezing here today and just the 5 feet walk to the car made me worry that he’d catch cold.

As far as other baby supplies, they gave us everything we needed in the hospital. They even loaded us up on diapers and wipes before we left.

Ditto PP who mentioned change for the vending machine. I’d bring a robe too. I felt so exposed, but wasn’t allowed to put on my pj bottoms or tank I brought with me.

[tiki]

cherryvalance, due to the issues pooh8402 pointed out with the Bundle Me, I am now definitely going to get the Nido for both car seat & stroller use. I've been told shower cap style covers aren't warm enough on their own for New England winters but the Nido is.

[mccallister84]

Nov 12, 2017 2:31:52 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

Nov 11, 2017 23:29:11 GMT -5 kitkat1502 said:

I wish I brought a good towel or two. The hospital towels for showering are so small and thin. It would've been nice to have a regular comfy towel.

Ooh this too. And maybe one for your H. I brought one for me, but he was stuck with the hospital ones.

Yep! I hate, hate, hate skimpy towels. i had my parents bring towels for us to use. Bring old ones though - they may get ruined.

[estrellita]

FWIW we never got a car seat cover and E came home in negative 20 degree weather. We warmed up the car, put blankets over him, and hurried as much as possible. He was just fine every time we went out with just blankets (which we occasionally draped over the car seat and canopy like a cover when carrying him to/from the car if it was windy or snowing, then of course moved the blanket once we got in so it wouldn't fall in his face). Maybe I'm just jaded from living here and being used to super cold weather, but I don't think a cover is 100% necessary if you don't want one and it doesn't need to be super heavy duty.

[Waffles]

Thanks for all the advice! I feel much better now that I have a clue! I could not stop crying because of this yesterday. Those hormones are not a joke.

[cherryvalance]

Aw, Waffles, those hormones are no joke (and the PP ones, either), but you'll be fine! Definitely put people to work if you forget something and let them run out or figure it out for you. Baby will have everything she needs at the hospital, so mainly worry about yourself.

Another thing I thought of--I followed a bunch of those Pinterest hospital bag checklists and that was a waste. I packed a bunch of snacks for us that we didn't even need because our hospital basically gave me food whenever I wanted. I packed my pump, which was unnecessary, and I could have just used the hospital pump if I really needed.

Thanks, lucybrown and estrellita! I have a feeling we're in for a cold winter and I worry about DS during drop off, but we're already warming the car, bundling him in cozy blankets, etc, so I guess he'll be fine. He also has a bunting for stroller walks.

[lo]

Nov 12, 2017 7:11:52 GMT -5 tiki said:

cherryvalance, due to the issues pooh8402 pointed out with the Bundle Me, I am now definitely going to get the Nido for both car seat & stroller use. I've been told shower cap style covers aren't warm enough on their own for New England winters but the Nido is.

www.amazon.com/Jolly-Jumper-Sneak-A-Peek-Attached-Weatherproof/dp/B005LVNS4S

We use this one in NY. Waterproof, fleece lined with a fleece blanket inside that’s attached. My kid actually gets too hot in it sometimes!

[jnibean]

Nov 12, 2017 19:42:48 GMT -5 lo said:

Nov 12, 2017 7:11:52 GMT -5 tiki said:

cherryvalance , due to the issues pooh8402 pointed out with the Bundle Me, I am now definitely going to get the Nido for both car seat & stroller use. I've been told shower cap style covers aren't warm enough on their own for New England winters but the Nido is.

www.amazon.com/Jolly-Jumper-Sneak-A-Peek-Attached-Weatherproof/dp/B005LVNS4S

We use this one in NY. Waterproof, fleece lined with a fleece blanket inside that’s attached. My kid actually gets too hot in it sometimes!

We just ordered this one (we live in WI).  I haven't used it yet, but it fit easily over the car seat and it washed really well!

[hamster]

We haven't ventured out yet, so no help there. We've been wearing sleep and plays around the house though.

For the hospital bag, I wore soft, loose tee shirts. Button ones would have been nice but I didn't have any. I never wore pants. I got a lot of use out of my robe which is plenty long. Flip flops for walking around. I was really minimalist.

The hospital provided diapers, gauze pads for wipes, swaddle blankets and a couple of tee shirts. In hindsight I probably could have packed some clothes for baby other than the going home outfit but meh.

[linz]

I would just bring a going home outfit and maybe 1-2 sleepers. You don't need your own clothes at the hospital, it's parent choice. 

When you are home it's fine to have sleepers with no feet, just put socks on. I know my twins I always swaddled anyway. Some people pretty much only have their babies in sleepers in the beginning. I did at first, but eventually started getting them dressed each day because it was something to do. They came home in November and we still left each day to go somewhere unless it was freezing or snowing. Even if it was 1 hour we would go to target or the mall so I could walk around. I also had them wear a onesie under their sleeper a lot in the beginning, but that's what they did in the nicu and they were tiny so just wanted that extra layer.