The Go Bag: What You Need While Your Kid is in the Hospital

Here’s a list of everything I keep in my Go Bag. Between the boy and myself, our 3 longer hospital stays proved that we had needs we hadn’t anticipated before we stayed the first time, so this list was made considering those needs. I hope it provides a good jumping off point if you need to do this yourself. Also, I was able to fit all of this into one Ikea KNALLA zippered tote, which is nice and cheap, with a mostly water resistant and wipeable exterior so I don’t have to worry that I’m bringing hospital dirt home. I’m not suggesting anyone would have to use this bag, or any of the specifics on this list, but hopefully it provides reasons to consider for if you have to build your own bag. It’s important to remember that while the little one is there, we have to be the best parent we can be, and that means making sure we are comfortable and as well rested as we can be. This is how I plan in order to be a good mom when it comes to emergency hospital stays, the week long video EEG’s, even some of the longer sedated scan and test days. 

 

Item:                                                 Reason:

Grab and Go Things:

 

Care Cards (Medical Services Plan or Provincial Health card)
Tablet
Meds	The hospital will provide meds for their patient, but sometimes it takes time to get organized around the needs of their patient on arrival. Having a couple doses on hand is good, because on time is better than free.
Semi-perishable snacks (jerky, fruits or veggies, sandwiches, etc. assuming that’s reasonable at the time)	The hospital provides for their patient, but if you arrive between meal times, the trays don’t come back around. Also, they only provide for the patient, but us parents can’t just leave, so having food for ourselves is important too.

 

(These items don’t live in the bag for reasons you could probably guess, but are important to remember, so they stay on the list)

 

Shower bag:

 

Shampoo/Conditioner
Body Wash
Face Wash
Baby Soap	Must have, kids get stinky in bed too, and baby soap is made to be less irritating to skin in case it’s not fully rinsed off properly during a sponge bath
Wash Cloth
Towel	These aren’t typically provided in the parent shower room, and even if the nurse is being extra helpful, the hospital towels aren’t the kindest to anyone's skin
Wetbag	Collecting the towel and wash cloth and laundry
Hook	A door hook or just generally something to keep your stuff off the gross floor
Shower Shoes	Parent shower room floor...need I say more?

 

 I couldn’t emotionally handle going home while my kid was there, so having the shower stuff made sense for me. If you are able to go home periodically and shower comfortably, it’s worth taking advantage of that, and saves some space while packing. 

 

Toiletries:

 

Waterproof mat, change mat or pad	This is to give you a surface in the bathroom or on the counter that you know is clean. The hospital staff do their best, but I’ve never felt it’s worth the risk when it comes to my or my kid’s toothbrush.
Toothbrush and paste
Mouth wash
Lozenges	Dry air usually means sore throat in the morning
Foundation mineral powder	Dry air also means oily skin
Chapstick	..and cracked lips
Nipple cream	Anyone remember this stuff? Incase your little one is too little for proper chapstick, this is consumable, so won’t hurt them when they lick their lips
Deodorant
Lotion
Peri bottle	This is a personal preference item, but I found the amenities for parents to be lacking in luxury enough that I didn’t always feel clean after using the bathroom, even if I was, so having this little thing made a huge difference for that.
Pads/Fem. product of choice if needed	Never want to be caught in the rain...

 

Clothes:

 

Compression socks	Hard floors make for sore and swollen ankles, these will help combat that
Underwear, socks, top drawer comfies	You might not be sure when new clothes are coming, better to have a few of these handy
Sleep bra, again, if it's mom I'm talking to here.	Things happen in the middle of the night, at the very least nurses will be checking in, so I found having one on through the night meant I felt better prepared to handle things that happened
T-shirts x2
Sweater	Something cozy that is also soft and inviting for the little one. There may be a lot of sad cuddles.. I found this helped both of us.
Pants	Comfy incase you have to sleep in them
Laundry bag	Their clothes will need collecting too, and having bags to keep things separate helps maintain order in the small space

 

Bedding:

 

Fitted sheet	As is reasonable, the hospital will insist someone stays with the little one overnight. But they don’t provide bedding. Usually there is something comfortable enough to sleep on, but having your own bedding will make it better than trying to sleep in your sweats and shoes
Camping pillow/pillowcase
Blanket

Extras:

 

Small fan/stroller fan	Keeps the air moving while you sleep, and helps block out hospital noises
White noise machine/night light	Hospital noises increase anxiety which gets in the way of good healing sleep. The nightlight and white noise, especially if also used at home, can help a lot. I had my own stay in hospital and didn’t take this for myself. I regret that choice
Boogie wipes	Softer than hospital tissues by a long shot
Advil/tylenol	Hard parents bed, weird noises, regularly interrupted sleep, lots going on with the boy, this momma had a big headache
Lysol/disinfecting wipes	Despite my best efforts, the boy was constantly finding ways of throwing toys or books on the floor. This way he could have them back
Disinfecting dish soap	The pacifiers went on the floor as well. There was usually a sink in the boys room, so the pacifiers, and my own dishes and water bottle could get cleaned rather than just getting tossed in a bag to go home. That kept the room a bit cleaner
Reusable water bottle
Headphones	A set the small one could use is handy too, sometimes they just need to emotionally escape that place as well
Phone charger
Tablet charger
Small toys or comfort items	Plan well. There’s not a lot of space, but often there’s way too much time to kill, and it’s hard to judge how well the little one will feel at any given time, but the hospital is likely to have a couple things too.
Non-perishable yummy snacks	e.g. chocolate, protein bars, unopened cereal
IV friendly clothing for the little one	A housecoat or oversized sweater, that type thing. The nurses might say not to wear it, but then it could be used as a blanket that smells like home, so still worth it
Binder with blank pages, dividers, and a 3 hole puncher Pen or Pencil	This is important for collecting info sheets that may or may not already be hole punched, and also for making observations and taking notes while the many healthcare professionals come through and talk. Keeping it all straight also helps with asking the right questions to the right person, and making sure the answers line up correctly

 

While, of course, I sincerely hope no one needs to prepare for a hospital stay with their kid, not all of us are blessed that way. Maybe you don’t need a bag right now, but in a pinch, having a list is good for even sending Grandma/pa or someone close home to pack for you. Hopefully this is helpful.