Everything I Actually Used from My Hospital Bag
As a chronically Type-A overpreparer, I was bound to overpack for the hospital prior to having our son - but as it turns out, my painstaking tendencies actually came in handy. When I was packing our hospital bags a few weeks before my due date, I had no idea that a) my son would be gracing us with his presence Earthside a week early, or b) that it would take a couple of days of labor for him to do so, resulting in three additional recovery days in the hospital.
There were a handful of things that I packed that we didn’t end up needing during our hospital stay - but when it came to the things that we did need, I was grateful that we went in prepared. This is a list of what we used the most from our hospital bags - and if you’re in the process of building your own, I hope you find it useful!
Insurance Card, paperwork, and birth plan: These were the first things to go into my husband’s bag, since I thought it would be better for him to have access to them rather than digging through my stuff for them while I was in labor. This ended up being a great decision because after my epidural and subsequent emergency c-section, I was in no state to locate paperwork for the first few hours after giving birth.
Comfortable clothes: I bought myself this set a few weeks before I gave birth and when I tell you I lived in it for most of the hospital stay, I’m being serious. Those wrap dresses with the opening? Didn’t use a single one (this may have had to do with the fact that it was the dead of winter) - I know they work for some folks but I wasn’t one of them. It’s very important to feel as comfortable as possible in those first few days, and having a matching set made me feel a tad more put together.
A comfy robe: This might have been one of the best and most used items that I brought with me to the hospital. All of our nurses told me it was a great idea and it did make me feel a lot more comfortable in a space that really isn’t that comfy (and while I was recovering from my labor and c-section). This one is pretty close to the one I bought myself, and once we came home from the hospital, I washed it immediately and then proceeded to wear it for the next three months.
Extra long phone charging cords: These came in very handy, particularly once we realized that my labor and recovery were going to take more than a couple of days. We threw a couple of these in my husband’s bag as well, and when we got home I put one of them in the nursery so I could charge my phone when feeding the baby or racking him before sleep.
Weighted blanket: We packed this in my husband’s bag and were very glad we brought it with us. We took turns using it for naps during our stay and it definitely improved the little sleep we got at the hospital!
Nipple butter: Anyone who’s breastfed before knows how rough those first few days are while you’re still adjusting to it. This was really helpful for me to have on hand, and I think I went through three or four containers in the first few months postpartum when I started pumping as well.
And here’s a brief list of some other essentials:
Toothbrush, toothpaste and toiletries
A good hand cream - this one’s my favorite
Dry shampoo - I’ve got dark brown hair, so this is the one I use
Slippers
Flip flops for the shower - After the hospital, these slippers got a second life as my shower flip flops when I went to the gym
Newborn outfits for the baby (I highly recommend bringing 3-4)
Extra bags to pack up all the extra stuff in the hospital room: This will hit different once you’ve gotten that hospital bill back, but since you paid for everything that comes in your hospital room, you’re entitled to take as much as you want.
Pregnancy 101 Checklist
My go-to items for pregnancy!
When I found out that I was pregnant with our son, I went on a frenzy trying to figure out what I needed to get in order to prepare. Now that I’m on the other side of that period, it’s easier for me to look back and have a clearer picture of the things that were the most valuable. This is an essential list of everything I would 100% buy again!
I started using this around 15 or 16 weeks pregnant, and it made my sleep SO MUCH EASIER. It was also really helpful to have when I had to start sleeping on my right side. I still have mine stored in the basement because I know I’m going to need it down the road for my next pregnancy.
I went through a whole bunch of leggings once I hit my second trimester - and I kept using them through all of postpartum. I grabbed a few pairs of these once I realized I needed more than one pair.
Starting at four weeks pregnant, I was on a mission to fend off stretchmarks as much as humanly possible - and thanks to my vanity I spent a fair amount of money on creams and serums to do just that. I didn’t know until later that Vitamin E oil and shea butter probably would have been fine to use. I did still have some stretchmarks post-baby, but they were relatively minimal - and with enough dry brushing in the following months I was able to mostly eradicate them. If you’re looking for an oil to splurge a little more on, I’d also recommend this one by Everden.
Continuing to move my body was one of the things that really helped me throughout my pregnancy - and after I ended up with a 31-hour labor followed by an unexpected c-section, I was really glad that I stayed active up until the end of my pregnancy, because the recovery was no joke. Getting an exercise ball gave me a wider range of options for working out - and I used it non-stop the night that I went into labor. It also comes in handy when you’re getting back to working out post-baby - I still use mine today for core workouts and stretching!
Preparing for Maternity Leave 101
A checklist for getting ready for maternity leave at work.
For women who love their careers, the prospect of going on maternity leave can stir up a lot of feelings. On one hand, you’re excited for the arrival of your new baby and the bonding time you’ll have with them - and on the other, you may be anxious about stepping away from your work and your team.
When I was preparing for my leave, my biggest concern was making sure the team members I managed didn’t feel overwhelmed by the work they would have to take on in my absence. With a decent amount of preparation on my part, I learned that in my absence, other people are capable of stepping up in a bigger way than you may have expected.
If you’re preparing for maternity leave, here are some thoughts on approaching it with intention, clarity, and care for both your career and your wellbeing.
Start Early.
Begin planning your leave around the second trimester. Check your company’s leave policies, talk to HR, and map out your ideal timeline. The more proactive you are, the smoother the transition can be.
Create a Leave Plan.
Document key responsibilities, current projects, and timelines. Identify a trusted colleague who can cover urgent needs, and prepare a handoff plan that empowers them, not burdens them. This communicates confidence and leadership.
Set Boundaries—Then Honor Them.
Decide how much (if any) communication you want with work while you’re on leave. If you want to stay lightly in the loop, set expectations clearly. If you plan to unplug completely, honor that boundary.
Trust Your Value.
You’re not replaceable. Even if someone fills your role temporarily, remember: you bring a unique combination of skills, leadership, and voice that can’t be duplicated. Your return will be welcomed—because your presence matters.
Embrace the Pause.
Let yourself fully experience your new season. The work will be there. This time, however messy or magical, is short—and it will shape you in ways that make you even more powerful when you return.
Finding Grace in Postpartum
Since having my son, I've been working on treating myself with a little more kindness as I navigate this new phase of my life.
"You know, you don't have to keep doing this. You could stop today if you want to."
My mother sounded pretty worried as she gently said those words to me over the phone one evening when I was four weeks postpartum with my son. He had been having feeding issues since the day he was born, and despite his tongue and lip ties that we had discovered and very quickly resolved the week prior, he was still having a lot of trouble breastfeeding - and my supply was starting to dwindle as a result. That night, as I hiccupped my way through tears on the phone to my mother from 100 miles away, she tried to coax me into giving myself a break from trying so hard to breastfeed and just switch fully to formula. Though the breastfeeding itself was new to me, the sentiment behind her words was not - she was telling me, as she has so many other times in my life, that I should stop being so hard on myself.
Well, true to form for my stubborn *ss, I didn't listen. With the help of four medical professionals and consultants, I tried for weeks to get my son to latch with very little success before I finally gave up - largely because the bottom really dropped out of my supply at around nine weeks, and in the days that followed, I would be making just over an ounce a day to mix into my son’s formula whenever I could. After three more consecutive weekends of hours upon hours of pumping and breastfeeding attempts, I came around to my mother's advice - and told myself that I'd done my best.
The interesting thing is that my son and I really found our groove when I stopped trying to force breastfeeding as often. He was more relaxed when he knew he was just getting a bottle, probably because – and both my breastfeeding consultant and infant physical therapist confirmed this – he knew he could just settle in and eat, instead of having to struggle with latching, cry, and then not get to eat right away. After a couple of months of an almost exclusively adversarial relationship, we both started to chill around each other. And once I could see that he was happy and content, I got more confident – and I started to really enjoy it.
If you’re in that postpartum moment – or if you’re preparing for it – here are a few things I wish I’d known going into it.
Leverage those doctor appointments. Becoming a new parent opens the floodgates for well-meaning (and usually unsolicited) advice – and on top of that we have access to every kind of online platform or forum to look for advice or tips from people who have done this before. Those early doctor appointments are frequent for a reason, and since your baby doesn’t come with a manual, having those check-ins can be really helpful for the first few months in particular. I’d encourage listening to and asking as many questions as possible of your medical folks in the early days as you get to know your baby – and in the months to come, you may find yourself more confident in trusting your gut when it comes to what they need.
Ask for help. This is generally difficult for me to do, but my husband and I have gotten a lot better about asking for help from the important people in our lives – parents, extended family, and close friends – when we recognize that we need it. Help and support can take lots of different forms, from watching the baby so you can take a shower or a nap, to cooking a meal you can heat up for dinner tomorrow, to just being available for a phone call when you’ve had a stressful day.
Take some time for yourself. I know this is much, much easier said than done, but I can’t stress how big this was for me in the first few months of my son’s life. In the first 4-6 weeks or so, you’re largely in survival mode – so for me at that time, “me time” took the form of listening to podcasts while I fed him or took him for walks. Once we got to three months, my husband and I got into a routine where I would have some out-of-home time 2-3 days a week – a couple of uninterrupted hours that were mine to do what I liked. Whether it’s a family member, a sitter, a partner or a friend, asking for help to get some time for you is necessary for your own well-being – which means, by extension, it’s necessary for your family’s well-being too.
In the two and a half years since my own postpartum period, I've gotten a lot better at treating myself with a little more kindness as I navigate this new phase of my life. Giving myself grace has become one of the most important aspects of how I (attempt to) manage my life at home, at work, and with myself – and trust me, it’s still a work in progress, but I do feel as though I’ve learned a few things and gained some skills that I didn’t have before I became a parent. That’s why I started Modern Mom Mode, to share a little bit of what I’ve learned and what I’m still discovering. Thanks for reading: I hope you find something useful while you’re here!