urban ohana: Top 12 items to pack in my hospital bag

I recently had my second baby, well he’s 8 weeks old now! I have been wanting to document my mommy life. I have friends that just recently had their first babies and my best friend is having her first soon too. I’m so excited for all these future friendships my little one will have. I have always had a love for journaling but life with two has left no time for that. Life is busy but I thought that taking a few minutes for myself to sit down and write would make me feel like I had a little more control of my time and my thoughts.

I’m nearing the end of the newborn days and I wanted to list out all the things I brought with me to the hospital before I completely forgot what I packed. My new mommy friends have asked me what to pack and what worked for me. So here are my suggestions:

1. Ergobaby Natural Curve Nursing Pillow: Breastfeeding can be difficult, especially in the beginning since newborns have no head control. This nursing pillow helped me with the weight of the baby and also assisted my 4 year old daughter when she held little brother for the first time.
2. Oat Mama Lactation Granola Bar: I found myself hangry the whole time I was at the hospital so I made sure to pack a whole bag of snacks. Sure the hospital has room service but it took 60 minutes from the time of ordering to arrive. These bars are delicious, filling, and they help boost milk supply!  This is the s’mores flavor which was amazing. I will add that I also had a lactation consultant, Judy Teibloom-Mishkin from Lactation Partners, to support me (the same one I used with my first born). She came to my home the day after I was discharged and she is such an incredible resource for my breastfeeding journey.
3. Monica + Andy Bodysuit: Ever the planner, I wanted to make sure I had Baby J in the softest and cutest outfit for his first photos ever. Monica + Andy have a full organic, modern layette with so many fun prints to choose from. This one is the Little Kahuna print, which I adore!
4. Motherlove Nipple Cream: Again, breastfeeding can be tough and tough on those nipples! I made sure to bring my own nipple cream, which is 100% organic and does not need to be wiped off before nursing.
5. doTerra Essential Oils: I swear by my essential oils and used them during both pregnancies. I was able to have an unmedicated birth with both babies with my go-to labor oils. I love Serenity, which is a calming blend, which helped me stay relaxed. I also brought Wild Orange to help energize me during labor. Deep Blue Rub was an absolute must all over my low back to help relieve the pain and relax my muscles.
6. Fridababy Momwasher:  Talk about luxurious peri care! I didn’t have to use the crappy ketchup bottle from the hospital. Trust me, it is worth the $16!
7. Kieihl’s Damage Repairing & Rehydrating Conditioner: Bring your own toiletries! I brought all my own  toiletries to make those 2 nights as comfortable as possible. Those little motel bar soaps won’t cut it!
8. doTerra Petal Diffuser: I brought a diffuser to use in the labor and delivery room and in my recovery room to help make more room cozy and relaxing. All the nurses kept commenting about how lovely my room smelled.
9. Honest Newborn Diapers: I love the Honest diapers. Being an eco-concious mom I wanted something eco-friendly with both my first born and my newborn but could not fathom the idea of cloth diapering. These premium diapers are a happy medium for me. Not to mention all the fun, cute prints they offer.
10. Monica + Andy Coming Home Blanket and Newborn TopKnot Cap: We set up a layette appointment and Melissa, the Guideshop Manager, was great at helping us customize and select the prints and pieces we wanted for our little one. We chose a few essentials and had Baby J’s coming home blanket customized. These were all great for his first photos at the hospital.
11. Monica + Andy Prima Ballerina Dress: We knew wanted to make big sis feel special so we got her a beautiful twirly dress all wrapped up in a cute box from little brother. We gave it to her at the hospital and she was so thrilled to open it right after meeting her new sibling.
12. PureBarre Non-Slip Socks: The nurses ask you to put on non-slip socks once leaving the labor & delivery room, so why not wear some cute ones instead of the thin, ugly hospital ones. I was dedicated to PureBarre during my pregnancy and loved these socks: inhale tacos, exhale negativity!
13. JuJuBe Be Right Back Backpack: I packed it all in this beautiful diaper bag that I am now using daily. It’s super functional with lots of compartments and pockets. I LOVE that this bag is machine washable! This is the Queen of the Nile Print. There are so many fun designs, the challenge is not buying them all!

There you have it, my hospital essentials! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more stories about my little ohana. Follow our adventures @urbanohana.

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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard