Hospital Bag Must Haves.

Hey! So I have been shopping on a budget and gathering things that I think are important for my hospital bag, and some items that I found for him that I adore.

First off, I want to talk about how my first hospital experience went. I went to the hospital with one night's worth of things. I thought I was going in, gonna have my baby that day, and then leave within a day. I packed for that scenario exactly. Only one nursing bra, one nursing tank top, and like no clothes really. I had a nightgown and slippers also.

Boy was I wrong!! I ended up having Opal the next morning via emergency C-Section. I lost A LOT of blood. I got an infection in my uterus.... I had more problems with my blood.... I nearly had to have blood transfusions... My stay was 5 nights long, nearly a week spent in the hospital counting the day I was discharged. It was a nightmare. I was so unprepared for that experience.

Xhileration nightgown and robe. Both from Target.

So, this time around I decided that I will pack smarter. I don't care if it looks like I am over packed! If I end up in a repeat C-Section I will be totally prepared this go around. I will have multiple bras, tanks, and changes of clothes.

 This time around I bought a prettier robe and nightgown. I want to feel good and look good. I hate how I look in the photos from Opal's birth so much! I just felt swollen and frumpy.. with blemishes everywhere and messy hair.

I found this really cute (and affordable!) robe and nightgown set from Target.

I really love the nightgown because it has a built in bra. I want to be able to wear this and easily nurse Oliver while at the hospital and at home. It has a low cut front which is great and easier for me to nurse, also.

Another reason why I LOVE this set is because purple has been one of my happy colors. I usually draw to dark colors.. but lately I'm all about purple and bright blues. I want to live in this set already, but I haven't! I just ripped the tags off and washed it and it is going straight to my hospital bag to be my home away from home while staying at the hospital.

Gilligan & O'Malley nursing sleep bras.

I also am packing a lot more bras. With my last pregnancy, I bought a variety of styles which I still have and plan to take one of each style. But I hadn't invested in this type of sleep bra, so I plan to go to the hospital in this. I am hoping they will allow me to wear this while I give birth. I was not a fan of being so bare and exposed. I'd much rather have at least this sleep bra on to be comfortable and willing to take photos. I got this set of bras from Target.

OKAY! So another thing I didn't pack enough of..... or think about in case I had a C-section was UNDIES!

I was not a fan of the mesh undies, but I was bed ridden for 5 days and has no option but to wear them. I was not even allowed to get out of bed to use the restroom. I was also swollen from both attempting to have my baby naturally, and from having the surgery. This time, I hope to be able to just have him naturally and be walking within hours. I bought boxer briefs in a larger size to keep myself feeling human.

I'm also taking both washable and disposable nursing pads. I prefer washables at night, and disposables since I can't wash them for day time use.

KNEE HIGH socks are another must have for me. My legs were SO SWOLLEN from not walking, continuously being on an IV, etc. The hospital's compression socks were too small for me, so I'm taking my own socks and will use them immediately.

Slippers are a given, because I will be walking a lot after the birth to avoid painful swelling.

I am taking a refillable water bottle, because while breastfeeding is the thirstiest I've ever been in my entire life.

A loafa because I hope to shower as soon as possible. Not 5 days after giving birth and having surgery.

From Target.

Chapstick/ moisturizer- because hospitals are pretty dry and you find yourself with chapped lips and skin pretty easily.

And of course,  my glasses because contacts can also get dry and uncomfortable easily. (Especially if you go in later in the evening and have a long labor! You don't realize that you end up wearing them for 24 hours+)

I'm obviously taking more clothing, but I haven't really decided what I'm taking. It's going to be pretty hot and humid here in VA so I am sure It'll probably include yoga shorts (many pairs of yoga shorts) and some loose flowing tops that I can nurse in.

I am also taking stuff for Oliver.

I chose this backpack from Target as my new diaper bag.

I am over the shoulder strap heavy bags! I have two children now. DOUBLE OF EVERYTHING!  I love this bag so much because of the look, pockets and how much baby stuff I can fit in here. It keeps everything together, and is easy to carry around.

I also love that Dillon likes it and feels comfortable carrying it around too. He wasn't a fan of the diaper bag situation beforehand, so this works best for us.

I will also be taking some linens for my sweet boy. 

I found these PLUM swaddlers at Marshalls for $7! I love them so much. They're huge (110 x 110 cm) and made out of Muslin, which is nice and cool enough for our summer baby.

I found this Munchkin Swaddle Angel at Marshalls also! It was $10 and I love it so much too. It is so beautiful and convenient for me. I am not as great at swaddling as my husband is, so I love these styles.

I also found this 4 pack of Carter's receiving blankets at Burlington's for $10. I normally don't buy receiving blankets, because my mom sews all my baby linens for me.. but I couldn't pass up the adorable foxes on these.

And last but not least- diapers. A lot of people say not to take any, just use what the hospital gives you. I agree with that, mostly because you also don't know what size your baby may be. Some people buy and open newborn diapers... all to have a big baby and those NB diapers were too small and wasted.

Wipes are good to have on hand, I love the Huggie's "Clutch 'n' Clean" sooooo much. It is reusable and straps onto your bag or stroller all while keeping the wipes inside fresh and moist. Love it and recommend it!

Some other things I will be packing that are not pictured are:

• Camera & Battery charger (or spare batteries if you need those)
• Makeup, remover wipes, and face wash. (If you plan to wear makeup for photos.)
• Spare towel(s), body wash, shampoo/ conditioner. You just never know how long you'll be there. Best to be prepared.
• Hair brush, ties, and bobby pins to fix your hair for photos. Straightener if you're going all out!
• Snacks- I didn't need them because the hospital was bringing me food and snacks, but my husband DEFINITELY needed them and ate all of them.
• Phone charger, music, etc. Anything to keep you distracted or busy to pass the time if that's what you need. 
• A going home outfit for yourself and your baby.
• Pads- yep. The bleeding begins immediately, and I am really picky about what I wear for period use. I will be taking my personal favorite pads and use those. I don't really like the ones the hospital gives out, but I'll use them as long as I don't have a bad reaction to them. (I'm allergic to most of these products.)
• Nipple Butter- I'm going to use Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter. (I just haven't gone to pick one up yet from Babies R Us.)

I'll continue to add to this list if I think of anything else.

Third home- third master bedroom.

 

Each of our master bedrooms has been pretty different. Our first started out the first 4 months with an air mattress on the floor of a one bedroom studio apartment. We finally bought a bedroom set that included a cherry wood slay bed and two dressers. It was dark in our room and my husband picked out a dark red comforter set that made it even darker! I hated that room, but we were newlyweds and didn't know how to compromise, honestly. 

Our second bedroom we mutually decided on changing the bedding to a bright blue comforter with orange sheets. I loved that set so much, but the bedroom furniture was still my least favorite. Our bedroom was my least favorite room. We didn't have a ton of money laying around to buy anything new, so we just made it work.

When I moved to California we decided that selling our furniture altogether was probably the easiest because we didn't know I would be moving back. We were under the impression that by December 2014 we would be at a new duty station, or that I would have purchased a home in California for us to begin life without the military. Well, things changed, promises were broken, and we had to pick up the pieces of our life and try to figure out a new plan. We found out we were pregnant, and not leaving DC until after he was due, so I moved back. 

wall decor- target. has 9 cubbies. $50 regular- but I got it on markdown for $20.

Moving back to DC was a big decision that took a lot of planning. We would need everything new.

Furniture, linens, etc. Along with a baby on the way and needing several thousand dollars reserved in savings deemed untouchable because military moves are sometimes all out of pocket upfront. So, we budgeted in a 2 month span and made it happen. I tried to be as thrifty as possible while out shopping for our new furniture. We had the living and dining rooms taken care of a month before our move, but still had no clue what to do about our bedroom or Opal's room. 

I tried to keep this room really bright and neutral in colors. I think it is my happy place in the apartment.

So, here is what we did with our tight budget. I'll include where I bought things, and I'll try to also remember the prices or deals that I got the items on. :-) I hope this helps those of you who want a revamp but are on a tight budget!

 

Excuse the somewhat wrinkled bedskirt! (I forgot it in the laundry hamper a little too long after washing it.)

•  Bed skirt is from Target. 
• Bedding is Threshold- also from Target.
• Sheets- lime green/yellow are Nate Berkus for Target.
• I found this awesome headboard at Ross for only $120! Love it so much- & it actually isn't as short as it looks. We have a 4" memory foam mattress topper on it that makes our bed appear taller.
• 4" Sealy gel-memory foam mattress topper is form Big Lots- $85.

At the foot of our bed we have Oliver's crib. Opal is currently sleeping in this during naps and half of the night. I'm not sure when she is going to be in her big girl bed, especially with teething keeping her up all night. 

• Crib is Jenny Lind in gray from Babies R Us. $200.
• Laundry hamper was $20 from Marshalls. I love it so much.
• Banner is currently in the One Spot bins at Target for $3. 

 Another view of the crib area, sleeping baby included.

• Not sure if you can see the crib sheet, but it is gray and white stripes- from Target. $10.
• I like the mesh crib bumpers a lot. You can buy these pretty much anywhere that sells crib bedding.

Dillon's nightstand.

•   Instead of purchasing traditional nightstands that can cost on average $100 each, we chose these small dressers from Ikea. They were $100 a piece and work so much better for us. We love to hang all of our tops, so these work well. Holds our socks/ undies, pajamas, and jeans. Pretty much serves its purpose.
• Bedside clock is from Marshalls. Opal bought it for Dillon for $12.
• Wolf figurine was a gift from my grandparents on a cross country drive.

My side.

 Our lamps were from Marshalls. We spent $24.99 on each of them.

Our bedroom doesn't have a light, so they were a NECESSITY for sure.

All of the picture frames are from Target clearance.

 Another view of my nightstand.

• Jewelry tree is from Target. I got it on clearance for $5, but I think they still sell them for $20.

Check out that photo of my grandma- such a hottie.

•  The wire baskets on both nightstands are from Target's One Spot section. They were $3. I use them to store diapers and wipes while keeping the flow of the neutral colored room going.

On my side of the room is our walk in closet- totally closed the door because the floor was destroyed by Opal exploring before this shoot. I wasn't even trying to bend down that much. :-)

To the right of that is our bathroom. I've kept it pretty simple in there with peach and gray tones.

• The laundry basket and shelf is from Target. Around $40. I have a bunch of the One Spot metal buckets and large jars storing my little things (nailpolish, makeup, hair ties, etc).

 Here's a somewhat view of my walk in closet. That big bin right there is full of Oliver's teeny tiny baby clothes!! I can't wait to unpack all of that stuff and dress him in it.

• Paris/ France sign from Kohls. Don't remember how much I snagged that for.

And then a quick bump selfie in my bathroom. Hair a mess and all. :-)

Hope you all enjoyed my little tour.