Every aspect of being a parent is new to me. I find myself searching for advice about various topics online. I was surprised by how few things out there cater to multiples and moms of multiples.
One of the first things I ran into was what to pack in my hospital bag when having twins. I am a planner and wanted to have everything ready to go when the time came.
Here’s my list I’d love to share with other mothers who could benefit from it!
What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag when Having Twins
For Babies
Preemie Clothes
I will admit, this was one thing that I didn’t want to think about. I wanted to believe my babies were going to be average size at birth. I carried my twins to 38 weeks exactly, and they came out at approximately five and six pounds. I am extremely glad in retrospect that I packed the preemie clothes because regular newborn clothes would have been much too big! That said, unless you are anticipating a longer than normal hospital stay, I would pack maybe one or two outfits of each size per baby. In other words, four preemie outfits and four newborn outfits for twins should be plenty.
Stroller
Having a stroller for twins (or other multiples) makes life so much easier when leaving the hospital! My husband and I used this stroller which allows car seats to be snapped in. There is also a plethora of storage on the bottom of the stroller. Not only did this help when we left the hospital, but it was also life-changing for pediatrician appointments.
For Mom
Comfortable Clothes
In many cases, you can wear your own clothes while in the hospital. While you can spend your time in a hospital gown, you can also spend time in regular clothes! That said, I would recommend something extremely comfortable. This means packing some maternity clothes and nursing tops if you plan to breastfeed your babies. I personally packed some maternity yoga pants and a maternity dress. That made life so much easier for me, especially since I had a C-section. Tight waistbands would have been painful!
Non-Slip Socks or Loose-Fitting Shoes
Just because you have delivered your babies doesn’t mean that your feet will be any less swollen. In my case, I found myself walking the halls of the maternity ward in the days after giving birth. Going barefoot clearly is not an option, so comfortable socks and shoes will have to do!
Toiletries
This includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and conditioner. My hospital had a shower in the hospital room. Nothing felt more amazing than taking a shower postpartum!
What Not to Bring
Anything Breastfeeding/Nursing Related
Your hospital will most likely have their own resources. This means you do not need to bring a pump or pump parts. If your hospital determines you need a pump while there, they should provide a pump and new clean parts to use while there.
I also packed a double nursing pillow, but we didn’t end up using it because there weren’t any areas in the hospital room where we could comfortably use it. The hospital ended up providing lots of pillows instead.
Anything Disposable
This includes diapers and wipes. The hospital will provide some for you when you have your babies. In fact, the hospital sent us all home with several packs of diapers and wipes. I don’t think we had to buy any preemie or newborn diapers once we got home!
What I Learned
In short, you don’t need to pack a ton of stuff for babies. The hospital has just about anything the babies will need. I did pack some nice-ish outfits and special swaddles for hospital pictures, but that was really it.
Packing as light as you can is definitely the way to go. You will be exhausted after everything, and the last thing you’re going to want to do is lug around tons of stuff!
If you are anticipating a C-section, find helpful packing and planning suggestions in this post!
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