Packing my bag for the birthing center seems like a never-ending process.  I’m packed, but I keep on running through each item over and over again in my head.  Do I have everything?  Am I sure?  Of course I’ll miss something, but here are the important items, plus a few tips.

Tips:

*Pack in advance – around 37 weeks

*Have your partner download a contraction app weeks ahead.

*Plan what you are wearing TO the hospital.  You will not be feeling well enough to make many decisions at “go time”. Make sure you are happy with the bra and underwear, as you will be stripping down and possibly getting in water, depending on the labor.

*You may want to pack two bags:  for labor  and one for post labor.

*Have your partner pack a bag in advance too.  Button down shirts are a good idea for easy skin-to-skin contact.  And, shorts if they need to get into the hot tub/shower with you.

*Schedule your doula, a birthing photographer, and decide what you would like to do with the placenta/cord blood in advance.

Hospital Packing List

Essentials: 

1. Multiple copies of your birth plan
2. Necessary hospital forms
3. ID/Insurance card

For Labor:

1. Zip lock bag – for the car ride to the hospital…just in case you get sick!
2. An outfit for water laboring, if at birthing center
3. IPod/Phone/IPad/Speakers – Plan playlist or meditation to listen to in advance
4. Chargers
5. Birthing ball/Tennis balls/Rollers – for labor pain
6. Sports/Energizing drink/Water
7. Snacks – quick, easy energy during labor and snacks for after (you AND your partner)
8. Flexy straws – trust me, they will make things easier during labor.
9. Your own pillow
10. Grippy socks/slippers – for walking around your room

For Mom After Birth: 

1. Robe – white is not a good idea, as it may get ruined
2. Comfy pajamas – preferably that button down or are made for breastfeeding.
3. Nursing bra
4. Underwear (with coverage)/Socks
5. Mom’s maternity “go home” clothes
6. Flip flops – for the showers
7. Towel – hospital towels can be small and rough
8. Toothbrush/toothpaste
9. Makeup
10. Toiletries (shampoo/conditioner/wash/hairbrush/contacts/solution)
11. Lip balm
12. Hair ties

1) Gap Nursing Nightgown 2) Gap Robe, 3) Beautycounter 4) Promptly Journal 5) Poeme & Poesie  6) Birdling  7) Livly Clothing  8) The First Forty Days 9) Gaima Balance Ball 10) Beautycounter “Our Favorite” Set 11) My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow 12) Coveted Things 13) Noka Superfoods

For Baby:

1. Baby’s “take home” outfit
2. Swaddle – the hospital will provide, but you may want your own
3. Warm blanket for baby
4. Diaper cream/Protective cream – Beautycounter’s Protective Balm is great
5. Car Seat

After Birth:

1. Nursing pillow
2. Camera – with extra batteries
3. Journal/Pen/Paper – write down info and birthing story
4. Book/Magazine
5. Nursing gel pads/Nipple cream
6. A plastic bag – to take home dirty clothes

*The hospital will provide sanitary pads, disposable underwear, diapers, a swaddle, but if you want to bring your own or there is a certain brand you like, make sure to bring it.

Feature Picture: @livly_stockholm

While I will always stay on the hunt for new, inspiring beauty products, I feel such a relief to have found Beautycounter.  I know that I’ve found a brand whom I can trust to deliver some of the safest products available to me and my family.  In case you aren’t familiar with Beautycounter, their mission is to get safe product into everyone’s hands.  And these are high quality products – think Wholefoods meets Chanel.  They are effective, luxurious, and SAFE!

Looking into Beautycounter, I found out just how under-regulated the beauty industry is in the U.S., where a federal law to regulate the ingredients used in personal care products has not been passed since 1938.  There are only 11 ingredients banned in the U.S., while 1400 are banned in Europe.  Companies we have been trusting with our healthy and beauty needs are actually allowed to use known toxins – ingredients that have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, hormone disruption – in our beauty products without having to disclose them.  Everyday, we put hundreds of chemicals on our bodies without even knowing it!  With 10,000 ingredients commonly used in personal care products, only 10% of them are ever tested on human health.  Frightening facts.

It ends up being us, the consumer, who must take on the responsibility to find safe products in the sea of options available on the market – and it is daunting!  What I love about Beautycounter is that they use a guilty-until-proven-innocent approach with their ingredients and have gone ahead and created a “Never List” of more than 1,500 ingredients they will never use in their products. They also are serious about their testing – making sure they use the best ingredients possible and that these ingredients have safe reactions when combined with one another.  Beautycounter is also serious about trying to get new legislation passed to make our beauty products safer for everyone.  I was so blown away and inspired after seeing a video of Gregg Renfrew, the Founder, that I decided to become a consultant for this pioneering brand.

Here are some of my favorite products:

Top Row: Nourishing Rose Water Mist, Balancing Face Oil, Charcoal Cleaning Bar, Body Oil in Citrus Rosemary

Middle Row: Touchuo Skin Concealer Pen, Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer, The Rejuvenating Skin Collection, Color Pinch Cream Blusher

Bottom Row: Lengthening Mascara, Lip Sheers, Protect All Over Sunscreen,

If you have any questions about Beautycounter or want to place an order, email me or find me at www.beautycounter.com/lauramitchell 

xxoo