{"id":7018,"date":"2023-09-12T15:29:58","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T15:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/?p=7018"},"modified":"2023-09-12T15:29:58","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T15:29:58","slug":"hospital-bag-must-haves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/hospital-bag-must-haves\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Have In Your Hospital Bag If You Plan to Breastfeed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparing for your newborn\u2019s arrival can be a lot of work\u2014 there\u2019s getting the nursery ready, working on your birth plan, and of course packing your bag to take with you to the hospital! In addition to onesies, swaddles, and baby gear, if you\u2019re planning to breastfeed there are a few essentials you\u2019ll want to have packed to help make the start of your breastfeeding journey easier. Here is a handy checklist from <a href=\"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/about\/#meet-the-team\">Nannie Reinert<\/a>, one of our certified pediatric sleep consultants and a lactation education counselor.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Breastfeeding pillow: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting the positioning of your baby right (important for ensuring a good latch!) can be tricky, so bringing a nursing pillow from home can help a lot. Pro tip: look for one with at least one very firm side (it may also be called a newborn side)\u2014 a soft surface can make things harder when you\u2019ve got a brand new baby with no head\/neck control.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Nipple cream:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The truth is, getting the hang of breastfeeding can be a bit uncomfortable, as your nipples have to get used to having a baby latched on. Nipple cream can help with this \u201cbreaking in\u201d period though. Moms generally like lanolin-based ones, and olive-oil based ones are popular plant-based alternatives. The hospital may have samples of these, too.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Nursing pads<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: You may leak, or you may just find the pads are a convenient way to keep the nipple cream on your nipples without staining your clothes\/bra. These are a good thing to have on hand! You can either get reusable or disposable varieties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gel pads<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Another great option for sore nipples is gel pads\u2014 you can stick them in the refrigerator for extra cooling relief! If you have any trouble finding these, ask your postpartum nurses, because hospitals often have them available for moms to use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Nursing clothes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The most important thing to pack is probably a well-fitting nursing bra. As your milk starts to come in, your breasts may feel heavy and uncomfortable, so getting a good bra is key. It\u2019s also a good idea to pack a bra you can both nurse <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pump in, just in case you\u2019ll do both during your hospital stay. You can of course nurse while wearing a hospital gown, but if you\u2019d prefer to wear your own clothes, make sure to pack some button-down pajamas or nursing camisoles, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Snacks:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Breastfeeding is a round-the-clock job, and all that feeding can make you <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hungry!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Make sure to pack some of your favorite quick, easy, one-handed snacks. Good choices include energy bars, nuts or trail mix, dried fruit, jerky, and other shelf-stable, filling foods.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Water bottle:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Breastfeeding also makes you very thirsty! It\u2019s a good idea to bring a large-capacity water bottle from home, keeping it filled and within arms reach.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Silicon suction pump (like the Haakaa):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This is a \u201cnice to have\u201d that can help you start storing milk immediately! <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These hands-free \u201cpumps\u201d suction to whichever breast you aren\u2019t using to feed your baby, and can collect your milk letdowns as your baby nurses. It\u2019s a super easy way to start to build a stash of milk, and they can also be more effective at catching colostrum than traditional pumps.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Breast pump: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your individualized nursing journey, it may or may not be needed<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but if you already have a pump and you have room to bring it with you, it can\u2019t hurt to have on hand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Milk storage <\/b><b>bottles<\/b><b>\/bags:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you do pump at all while in the hospital, you\u2019ll want to save everything you get! Make sure to have something to keep that precious liquid in.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Phone charger<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Nursing sessions can be loooong, especially at the beginning! Bring a phone charger to scroll, listen to podcasts, etc. while you feed (and bring an extension cord, too\u2014 sometimes the outlets in the hospital rooms are far from the beds).<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Baby tracking app<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It\u2019s a good idea to pick out what app you plan to use before you head to the hospital! These apps are handy for keeping track of feedings (you\u2019ll be feeding your baby between 2-3 hours from the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">start<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of their previous feed, so the apps make remembering what time that was much simpler) and dirty\/wet diapers, which you\u2019ll also be counting during the early days. Huckleberry and Baby Tracker are popular choices!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you find you need other supplies, ask the lactation consultant at the hospital: they can usually help you get breast shields, nipple shields, and other tools <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that your individual breastfeeding journey may need.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Still struggling? Don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to <strong>Nannie Reinert, <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>lactation education counselor<\/strong> and one of our certified pediatric sleep consultants<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> schedule your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30 minute phone consultation with her <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dreambabysleep.com\/scheduler\"><b>here<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Preparing for your newborn\u2019s arrival can be a lot of work\u2014 there\u2019s getting the nursery ready, working on your birth plan, and of course packing your bag to take with you to the hospital!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7018"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7018"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7023,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7018\/revisions\/7023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreambabysleep.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}