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These are all of the must have items for the hospital bag for dad so he can be properly prepared for labor and the stay afterwards!
Whether you’re a first time dad, seasoned dad, or mom prepping it for dad, these are the hospital bag for dad must haves to bring along so he can be prepared and ready for labor and the hospital stay after birth. You might have no idea what to bring, or already packed and just double checking you have everything you need. Either way, this list will have you covered!
This post is all about the labor and delivery hospital bag for dad must haves!
Before having our baby, I really wasn’t sure what dad should bring. I went to TikTok to ask and get tips! A handful of people said that he could just pack his own bag and leave it to him to figure out lol, so to clarify, I’m not saying moms need to do this for your husband/partner. But I just wanted to do a little research myself to help out if I could!
Plus, he was tackling ALL things nursery – painting, putting together furniture, etc., so this felt like one way I could contribute while very large and basically not mobile in the third trimester.
This is a list of what my husband ended up bringing and using, as well as what was suggested in the comments!
Also, major advice – DON’T wait until the last minute to pack the bag (for dad or for mom!)
We did…which ultimately lead to us packing our bags last minute after I woke up at 2 am and my water had broken…
We had a scheduled induction for the following week, and neither of us thought baby would come before that. Don’t make our mistake. Of course it all was fine, but packing a bag at 2 am, whether you’re in labor or not, isn’t ideal 😂
1. Blanket
The hospital likely will provide you with one, but not a very comfortable one. Bring one along to make sleep a bit more comfortable, especially since the sleeping arrangements for dad is typically either a chair or fold out couch. Neither are all that comfortable!
2. Pillow
Same goes for the pillow! You’ll probably be provided one, but your own will be more comfortable.
3. Charger with extra long cord
This is KEY! The outlets are typically in odd places, so having a charger that can reach wherever you need it to is absolutely essential.
4. Change of clothes or two
To help stay fresh and clean, and also with birth and labor and babies you never know what kind of bodily fluids might get on you lol.
5. Toiletries
Whether you plan on showering at the hospital or just want the ability to freshen up, brush your teeth, etc., bring any of your go-to toiletries!
6. Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks
This is one thing I feel like you can’t overpack! There might be times during labor or after baby is born where you need to stick around and don’t have a moment to leave to get yourself food, or even just run down to the lobby to pick up door dash. Have snacks on hand! Better to have them and not need them than to be starving and unable to eat anything.
RELATED POST: 8 HOSPITAL BAG FOR MOM MUST HAVES
7. Button down
ESSENTIAL for skin to skin time!! Babies love skin to skin, and it’s helpful for their little bodies to regular temperature. Ensure you can have that sweet bonding time with your new baby easily with a button down shirt or zip up hoodie.
8. Matching outfit with mom and baby
Not a necessity, but if you’d like to do newborn/fresh 48 pictures, or just want a cute picture for when you all leave the hospital, be sure to bring that!
9. Camping chair
This was a recommendation in the comments of my TikTok video and they said it was super nice to have! This probably would have been nice during pushing especially because my husband was next to me with no where to sit, and I pushed for a close to 3 hours. A break to sit might have been nice!
10. Shower shoes
If dad plans to shower while at the hospital, definitely bring a pair of shower shoes! Do not go barefoot at the hospital shower, you never know what might be on that shower floor.
We were fortunate enough to live very close to the hospital, so my husband just went home to shower instead of doing so at the hospital. But if you don’t have that option or you aren’t comfortable with your husband leaving, be sure to bring shower shoes for him (and yourself!)
11. Slippers
Comfy shoes during your stay is nice to have!
12. Water bottle
Bring a refillable water bottle to fill up at the water station. Stay hydrated!
13. Air Pods or ear plugs
Hospitals are noisy! And there are a ton of check ins for mom and baby during your stay. While dad might want to/should be awake for some, he definitely doesn’t need to for all. Plus, it’s important to sneak in rest when you can!
That can be hard with the hospital noises, so having something that blocks them out is nice to have.
14. Eye mask
Same thing! While you can usually turn the lights off in your room, they might need to be turned on for checks or dad might be resting while something else is going on that requires the lights on. Blocking out light will help make sure dad can get some sleep.
My husband used this one at the hospital, and at home for sleeping every night and loves it!
15. Medications
Any prescriptions dad takes, as well as tums, tylenol, and any other OTC medications for dad as the hospital isn’t able to give dad any.
Did we miss anything? Anything your husband or you brought that made a world of difference? Leave it in the comments below!
PS – don’t forget to check out the hospital bag for mom post where I go over what I actually used from my hospital bag and what I wish I brought with me!!
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