What NOT To Pack In Your Hospital Bag

Lauren Hartmann, mom and writer for Disney's Babble, has some experiences packing the notorious hospital bag. She's sharing her wisdom in an article all about what we really don't need.

It's perfect for women like me who think we need everything but the kitchen sink… and maybe that too.

Here are some things she says you really can skip when you pack your hospital bag:

1. Your laptop
I understand why people think bringing a laptop is a good idea, but seriously, do not bother. If you have a smart phone, that is more than enough. You will NOT want to be keeping up with work emails while your vagina is being stretched to the size of a cantaloupe.

“But, I want to bring it to keep me entertained and distracted,” you might say. And to that my response is that if you’re feeling calm enough to watch an episode of Parks & Rec, then you probably don’t need to actually be at the hospital yet. After the baby comes you’ll be exhausted, and if you happen to have any down time you’ll want to spend it sleeping, not watching a show. I promise there will be plenty of time for that when you’re glued to the couch as a milk maid for your new baby. Just sayin’.
2. Your baby book
I understand why people want to bring along their baby books to the hospital, but ain’t nobody got time to fill that out! You can jot everything down in the baby book once you get settled in at home.

3. A carefully chosen birth playlist
I would suggest just finding a decent Pandora station in lieu of agonizing over a playlist. I wasted so much time choosing a perfectly thought-out playlist for my first birth and never listened to a single second of it.

A lot of women want complete silence during labor, and even the thought of listening to something super mellow during contractions will make them want to punch someone … though maybe I’m just projecting.

4. A million baby outfits
I realize you’ve been counting down the days until you can dress your little one in that adorable layette you received at your baby shower, but odds are he or she will be spending most of their time during your stay wearing just a diaper and a swaddle blanket.

And a word to the wise: my baby got blood from her umbilical cord stump on her fancy going-home outfit, so just a reminder to not bring anything you will be too heartbroken about getting weird bodily fluids on.

5. Baby toys
I hate to break this to you, but newborns pretty much just eat, sleep, cry, poop, repeat. They can barely see their own hand at this stage, so you definitely don’t need to bring along your Sophie la Giraffe or your copy of Goodnight Moon. I promise they will be perfectly entertained by your very exciting facial features.

We brought a birth playlist the first time. I was super excited about it. I may have listened to one song and I'm not even sure about that. The second time I didn't even bother. When I decided I wanted some tunes, Pandora on my iPhone was totally sufficient.

7 other items round out Hartmann's list of things you can leave at home. While I don't agree with not bringing postpartum underwear (I was super grateful for mine!), she makes some good points so check out the rest of the list at Babble.

Then, tell us what you consider essential for the hospital bag and what can really be left at home in the comments.