Before you knew it, you’re already in the second trimester and all of the apps are telling you to pack your hospital bag. It won’t be long until you get to see the sweet bun that’s been baking in the oven for all of these weeks! With your hospital visit just right around the corner, now is the time to pack your essentials! You’ll never know when baby will make their grand entrance.

Although the list below shows some of the basic things we brought for my hospital visit, there are a TON MORE that I didn’t link to because these are items we already owned (i.e. a pillow, brushes, camera tripods, etc). To get the **FULL downloadable hospital bag checklist** for Mom, Dad, and baby, check out my FTM Prep Kit below!

GET THE PREP KIT!

Just a reminder—depending on where you live, you might have to bring all of the diapering essentials to your first hospital visit or just about nothing at all! I live in California, so most of our hospitals provide essentials for mom and baby, such as wipes, diapers, rash creams, perineal ice packs, and even disposable underwear. However, to make your hospital visit as comfortable as possible, it doesn’t hurt to bring a few extra things to set the mood. After all, studies show that mommas have a much smoother labor and delivery when the atmosphere is conducive to the release of oxytocin. We’re talking about a private, quiet, and dimly lit environment—preferably with some meditative background music (see: source)!