11 Items to Pack in Your Hospital Bag

Going to the hospital is probably not your favorite destination, but packing some must-have comfort items can make you feel more at home. Apart from pets, many items are fair game to bring into the hospital. So bring your own pillow, a sweater and your headphones – and prepare to treat destination hospital like any other road trip.

Hospitals are kept chilly to ward off bacteria and germs, so bring a cardigan or hoodie to cover up with – even though you might not be able to wear it right away, warns Mary-Alice Pomputius, who blogs for Seattle-based CareZone, which provides cloud services for patients and their caregivers. “[What you wear] depends on what kind of access they have to have to what part of your body,” Pomputius says. Heart surgery patients, for example, need to have accessible chests. But there are still ways to stay warm, she adds. “You can have a pashmina from the get-go.”

Hospital pillows tend to be firm and sometimes covered in plastic, so give your head a rest. Pomputius, who has assisted with or experienced about a dozen long-term hospital stays, uses the u-shaped pillows commonly taken on airplanes. “So often patients find themselves in a hospital bed whose top half has been raised a bit, which prevents them from sleeping on their sides,” she says. “Those u-shaped pillows let you sleep on your back a little more comfortably.” She also brings brightly-colored pillow cases for good cheer – and so they don’t get thrown in the laundry with the hospital’s own linens.

Hospitals provide the basics, but their toiletries tend to be skimpy, says Sadie Jane Sabin, a former labor and delivery nurse in Idaho who blogs about health issues. They’ll give you the “three-in-one: shampoo, conditioner, body wash,” Sabin says. “Bring your MAC makeup and aerosol can of hair spray. If you feel better about yourself then your body is going to recover as well.” Also, travel-sized toiletries pack more fun into the experience: They're more practical and may make your stay feel more like a trip. Choose a disposable toothbrush and leave yours at home, since you don’t want it to pick up hospital germs, adds Karen Curtiss, the Founder of CampaignZERO – Families for Patient Safety.

“They are sanitary and easy to put on,” Sabin says. “I feel like flip-flops are more of an outdoor shoe, and hospital floors are so gross." Most slippers, she adds, have backs that you have to slide your foot into, and bending down to do that can be hard for some patients, say if they’ve just undergone surgery. Plus, who doesn’t associate flip-flops with Florida, beaches and summer fun?

Earplugs can drown out unwanted noise – of random medical devices, your roommate or nurses’ station gab. Earphones can serve the same purpose, while adding an extra layer of comfort – letting you listen to your favorite tunes. Some women even wear headphones during labor, Sabin says.

“It’s just a very disconcerting thing to be in a hospital,” Pomputius says. “You want to keep it light. Go for comfort movies – the ones you’ve seen 20 times.” Pomputius’ go-to hospital movie is "Bride and Prejudice," Bollywood’s version of "Pride and Prejudice." Her niece went through several episodes of "Friends." You’ll need your laptop, too – which is also good for sending email blasts to friends and family with your health updates.

After Pomputius was in a bad car accident, a friend of hers gave her a copy of the "Horse Whisperer," about a horse accident. “In the first chapter you are pretty sure something bad is going to happen. It was too much for me to take,” she says. “Choose books that don’t address accidents or illness. The patient is likely going to be surprisingly sensitive, so avoid [books about] situations that are close to theirs in a disturbing way. I read a lot of mysteries.”

Melissa Kraus, a staff nurse at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, says the list of medications is crucial: “If we’re going to prescribe anything, we need to know about any medications they are on” because of potential counter-indications. Also, names and phone numbers of all doctors – including a newborn’s pediatrician. “Many mothers forget … we want to know so we can send information about the infant’s stay.”

“My father-in-law [after heart surgery] wanted me to draw a map of where rehab was compared to his home,” Pomputius says. “At the oddest moments, you’ll find yourself reaching for a pen and paper.” You can also jot down questions for your doctors, as well as notes to yourself – about your hospital experience and to-do lists for when you get home.

Plug-in scents or essential oils can give your hospital a real lift that even hospital staff will appreciate. “There are certain oils that some people believe help with calming you down and relaxing your muscles,” Sabin says. That can be particularly important pre-surgery or labor.

Go to a drugstore and get as many supplies as you can; that way, you won’t be charged for things such as Motrin and baby lotion in the hospital, Sabin says. For new mothers, buy nipple cream, breast pads and sanitary pads for mom, and Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo, diapers, baby wipes and pacifiers for baby. “Every hospital is different,” says Sabin, who worked at hospitals in Idaho Falls and Rexburg, Idaho. “I’ve had patients who bring in their own stuff, and they don’t get charged the $200 to $500 for a baby package.”

• Loose, warm and comfortable clothing.
• Your own pillow.
• Your own toiletries.
• Flip-flops.
• Earplugs and earphones.
• Comfort flicks.
• Escapist books.
• Laundry lists: of your medications, doctors and family and friends.
• Pen and paper.
• Scents.
• Drugstore supplies.