Packing the Hospital Bag

Every week I get an email in my in box from What to Expect When You're Expecting.com - they give me handy little tips, have a section for new dads, and even give me my weekly to-do list for getting ready for baby.

This week? Packing my hospital bag! Hmm... perhaps you're thinking what I'm thinking... what could be so difficult about packing a hospital bag? I pack overnight bags all the time. What could be different? But as I placed my duffel bag on the bed and stared at its gaping emptiness, I felt completely overwhelmed.

Maybe it's because this is the last bag I will pack as simply a wife/daughter/sister... from every day after I use this bag, I will be known as a mother. An all-encompassing title that is a huge step.

Maybe it's because that, like in every part of my life, I want to do everything right. I want it to be perfect. I want the first minutes, hours, days, weeks of my son's life to be perfect. I just know that I will forget the one thing that will intrude on this perfection.

Maybe it's simply because I am a chronic overpacker...pair that with my husband (whose Boy Scout training tells him to "Be Prepared"), and we are a couple that always has too much stuff (like a roll of toilet paper in the trunk of the car at all times in case of "emergency"). I have mental images of us walking into the hospital, loaded down with suitcases, duffels, pillows, and bags.

What if I forget something? I mean, we live a whole 3 minutes away from the hospital! It's not like we can just pop home to get something we forgot!!

So, in goes chapstick, hand sanitizer, a swimsuit, and diapers into the bag. But wait! I check online for a checklist, and everyone says not to bring diapers, since the hospital provides those. So out go the diapers. Ok, I consult the checklist - toiletries. But, the only problem is that I kind of NEED my toiletries from here on out, so I can't exatly pack those yet. Ok, next. Camera. Also need that, can't pack that yet. Ok, next. Going-home outfit for baby. Don't have that yet (yes, I am unreasonably picky about this topic).

Now I'm starting to get frantic. The bag is so big and empty! I... must...fill....the...space!!!! So I start scanning the room, looking for items to throw in - a sweatshirt! Sure, I'll need that! Oh, a belt! Of course we'll need that! Dog treats! Why not? Throw 'em in! War and Peace? Yeah, the checklist said a bit of light reading may come in handy!

I stand there glaring my ridiculously overstuffed bag, and I realize something. This baby is coming out whether I bring a Boppy pillow to the hospital or not. Everything will be fine. If I forget something, it will be ok and it will not ruin the baby's life.

So I do what every good mom-to-be would do in this situation. I empty everything out and put the bag away - I'll pack when I'm in labor and ready to go to the hospital! Nothing like a bit of procrastination to make a girl feel better!