C–Section Hospital Bag: What Single Mom Should Pack?

That moment when your screaming, adorable, feisty newborn is placed into your arms for the first time is something you won’t forget. You may have a picture in your mind of how you want your birth to go. You may have a perfect Birth plan with all the little things that are vital for your birth experience. And C–Section may or may not be part of that picture, but it’s sometimes necessary. It may or may not have been your first choice, but there’s one undeniable advantage to having a specific due date circled on your calendar: You can prepare yourself mentally and physically for the journey ahead. 

What’s more, you can pack your suitcase for the hospital in advance and double–check that you have everything you need — from essentials to Mommy & Me outfit — plus a few things you want. 

If you’ve been told you’ll need a C–section (or you’re just preparing for all scenarios), it is okay to feel overwhelmed. It is okay to feel like a Bundle of nerves. And it is okay to feel anxious. It’s no secret that for many reasons, the moment you take your tiny bundle can be not only the warmest but also challenging. Coping with C–delivery stress & post–surgery pain can be hard. But understanding that all this will pass, and your baby will be with you — this thought should be your top priority. And to make this first Meet Up as comfy as possible — you’ll need to pack some items for you & your newbie. 

Before you start doing anything, you will need to create the Blueprint of your hospital bag checklist, some free time without obsessing over the little things and ‘what ifs’, a hushed cup of happiness, iPhone, iPad, or tablet, access to the Net, and Notebook or Planner & pen if you prefer making the notes & creating the lists in handwriting.

Find a comfy space to sit, add some touch of magic to this morning by doing what you love or getting something you’re dreaming about for a long time, take a deep breath, and get ready for one beautiful packing experience. 

Tap, Type, and Swipe.

Googling the hospital bag checklist will show a myriad of search results. Visuals, videos, blog posts, mom blogs, social media, and much more — all kinds of content you’ve imagined & beyond. Save some templates of checklists. Compare essentials they have. Drag, drop and rotate items you’ll need. Make it a Bundle — group things by categories: Clothing for a hospital stay, Clothing for an announcement, Clothing for going home, Makeup & Toiletries essentials, and so on. And create your hospital checklist Blueprint. 

Make it a Bundle & make it a Bag. 

After having your digital hospital checklist Blueprint on your iPhone screen or handwritten version of your Blueprint in your Notebook — select any category you would like to start with. 

 Let’s say you want to start with the shortest category you have: Makeup. It has just 5 items to pack: Makeup Primer, Foundation, Makeup Beauty Blender, Lip Balm & Liquid Lipstick. If you have all makeup essentials listed in your Blueprint — just take them all & pack. You’ll have one Bundle — packed & ‘bagged’. 

Shop for Packing Cubes for Travel.

I love the 9 Set Double–Zipped Suitcase Organizers in a pastel hue with 3 Clothing Bags, Shoe Bag, Electronics Bag, Makeup & Toiletries Bag, Compression Cells, Accessories Bag, and Laundry Bag made of transparent & breathable waterproof nylon fabric. 

It will save your time to find clothes & it’ll help you to keep your clothes clean and neat wherever your need. Plus, it will be easier to find all your essentials for Communication (iPhone, charger, and power bank) or Makeup bundled in one packing bag. 

If you don’t have any Suitcase Organizers, take a quick look in Net & save some variants you like. By the way, before you hit the buy button, add one more set for your newborn baby. Or, you can add even 2 more for packing one more extra suitcase in case of a longer hospital stay. I have 3 Sets of Suitcase Organizers 9 Pieces Each. And it’s an amazing investment I have ever done. 

Prepack. Repack. And Pack.

Try to make your hospital suitcase light & the essentials you packed — functional. Heavy on things. And Light on weight. It’s better to learn all about things the hospital supplies the new moms & newborns than to overpack your bag with 100+ newborn–ies and 100+new mom–ies necessities. And it’s better even to ask someone from your family or your close friend to come one day before your discharge date & take home half of the things you can stay one night without. It’ll make your way home lighter on weight as some of the things you won’t need to pack & take.

Make It Listed.

Save or print a copy of your hospital checklist for having an idea of what you take to the hospital, and what you’ll need to pack on the way home. It’ll make your packing back experience easier & you won’t forget at hospital something you brought from home. 

Leave It at Home.

You should consider leaving expensive items, such as jewelry (including engagement and wedding rings), laptops, clothing, and other pricey personal items at home, if possible. 

Need a bald new look at what to pack? 

Take a closer look at the hospital bag checklist for single moms I prepared for you. And yeah, drag, drop, rotate, add or delete anything you want tuning up the checklist to what you feel is right for you & your baby.

The Large Envelope/File Folder for Storing Any Loose Paperwork.

• ID & other documents needed for hospital stay & their copies
• Personal Health Card & Prenatal Health Record
• Copy of Pre–Registration Papers & Filled Out Hospital Forms
• List of Current Medications & Notes on Taking Them
• Notes on Allergies to Any Medication You Had in the Past
• Insurance Card & Insurance Info
• 2x Printed Copies of Your C–Section Birth Plan 
• 2x Large Envelopes/File Folders for Storing Any Loose Paperwork

Packing the extra essentials.

• Notebook/Planner & 2x Pens
• Wallet, Cash, Coins & Credit Card 
• Don’t forget to take AirTagged keys 

Packing Your Clothing

• 2x High–Waisted, Loose & Lightweight Clothing/Loungewear Outfits 
• 1x High–Waisted & Loose Sleep Pants & 1x T–Shirt or 1x Loose Night Gown & 1x Sleep Mask
• 1x Cardigan (warmer for fall/winter & early spring, and lighter for late spring & summer)
• 3x Comfy No–Slip Socks
• 1x Laundry Bag

Packing Your Underwear Bag 

• 4x High–Waist Cotton C–Panties 
• 1x versatile wrap by Chongerfei 3 in 1/TiRain 3 in 1 Postpartum Support/Recovery Belly/Waist Belt Shapewear
• 4x Stretching Nursing Tops
• 1x pack of Maternity Pads with Wings or 2x Maternity Pads with Wings for Going Home

Packing Your Shoe Bag

• 1x Slippers/Booties for the hospital ward
• 1x Flip–Flops (for taking a shower before surgery)

Packing Your Toiletries Bag

• 1x Shampoo (60ml) & 1x Hair Conditioner (60ml)
• 1x Hair Brush with Natural Bristles Ceramic + ion Boar
• 1x Toothpaste (50 ml) & 1x Toothbrush 
• 1x Bar of Soap (100g) & 1x Silicone Soap Dish
• 1x Deodorant (travel size)

Packing Your Skin Cleansers Zipped Bag

• 1x Cleansing Foam/Milk/Cream (50 ml)
• 1x Micellar Lotion (50 ml)
• 1x Skin Resurfacing Peel (30 ml)

Packing Your Makeup Zipped Bag

• 1x Makeup Primer (15 ml) 
• 1x Foundation (15 ml) 
• 1x Makeup Beauty Blender 
• 1x Lip Balm & 1x Lipstick/Liquid Lipstick

Packing Your Electronics Zipped Cube

• Phone/iPhone/iPad/Tablet & Super Long Charger(s) so you can use it plugged in from the bed)
• Headphones/AirPods

Packing Your Health Zipped Bag 

• Medication List & Prescribed Medication & Prenatal Vitamins

Packing Your Nursing Bag

• 1x C–Shaped Nursing Pillow & 2x Protective Pillow Liners
• 1x Nipple Balm/Cream (15 ml) 
• 4x Nursing Pads (for going home journey)

Packing the Newborn Clothing Bag (fall/winter & early spring):

• 3x Newborn Cotton Hats 
• 3x Velvet Newborn Onesies (Newborn & 0–3 Months’ size)
• 2x Tiny Booties (any color you want — from ivory & pastel to rose gold)
• 1x Knitted Cardigan/Sweater (0–3 Months’ size)
• 1x Newborn Beanie (for fall/winter & early spring)
• 1x Winter Baby Clothing: Overall/Winter Hooded Romper/Newborn Hooded Snowsuit (0–3 Months’ size)

Packing the Newborn Clothing Bag (late spring & summer)

• 3x Newborn Cotton Hats
• 3x Cotton Newborn Onesies (Newborn & 0–3 Months’ size)
• 2x Tiny Socks (knee highs for Fall–Winter or shorter ones for Spring–Summer)
• 1x Cardigan (0–3 Months’ size)

Packing the Newborn Laundry Bag 

Use the laundry bag for packing some essentials & after that, use it to pack the used baby items that need washing at home.

• 1x Swaddle Blanket (for taking your baby home if it is late spring & summer)
• 1x Warm Blanket (for taking your baby home if it is fall/winter & early spring)

Packing the Newborn’s Essentials for Feeding & Washing

• 2x Baby Bottles with Slow Flow Nipples (60 mL & 60–90 mL) 
• 2x Newborn Silicone Pacifiers (Size 1: 0+ months)
• 2x Newborn Nappies (Newborn Size for going home) 
• 2x Muslin Washcloths Natural Purified Cotton
• Some baby care items you love (you can take the Fragrance–Fee Nourishing Baby Oil, 2 oz (59.14 ml), or Fragrance–Free Silky Dusting Powder (3 oz = 81g or 4 oz = 113.4g), or Baby Organic Diaper Balm, 2 oz (59.14 ml)

Packing Extras for Adding Comfort to Your Hospital Stay

• Glasses/Contacts & Solution
• 1x Water Bottle 
• Healthy Snacks & Lollies (check with your MD what you can eat after having surgery)
• 1x Small Comfy Pillow & 2x non–white or patterned pillowcases
• Power Bank(s) 

After all Packing, Repacking, Overpacking & Packing, Repacking, Underpacking, & Repacking & Packing — I can say: ‘You Did It! Congrats!’ 

When you’ve gone through the hospital bag checklist and are satisfied you’ve packed what you’ll (all) need, stash your hospital bag in your car or by the front door if you plan on taking a taxi to the hospital — and get ready for baby’s arrival! 

P.S.: You’ll need a little bit more time to hush your mind & concentrate on the moment of Meet Up with your tiny newborn rather than on the scheduled C–Section. Coping with C–delivery stress & post–surgery pain can be hard. Feeling like you’re unable to do your routine things for some days can make you feel even worse. Especially if you had already experienced C–delivery. But think about 100000+ amazing moments being with your baby ahead!