Going Home From the Hospital Checklist

Bringing your baby home is an exciting and sometimes overwhelming step. To help you feel prepared, we’ve put together this checklist of what to expect before leaving the hospital and how to care for yourself once you’re home.  

Going Home Outfit

Pack something loose and comfortable, like pajamas, sweatpants, or yoga pants. If you’re breastfeeding, bring a nursing bra or nursing tank top.

Vaccines

It might be time to get shots like flu, rubella, chicken pox, or hepatitis B. We will review your records and share with you what we recommend.

Birth Control

Talk to us about birth control options before you leave the hospital.     

Food and Diet

Eating healthy food after giving birth matters as much as when you are pregnant. If you need help getting the necessary food for you and your baby, your nurse will fill out the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Food and Nutrition program form for you. You can also stop by BMC’s Preventive Food Pantry before going home. 

Feeding Your Baby

If you are breastfeeding, there is a lot of breastfeeding support available after you go home. If you are formula feeding, check these tips for safely making formula at home. We can also help you find a breast pump if necessary.

Medicines

Before you go home, the pharmacy will deliver your medicines to your room. Your care team will review how and when to take them at home.

Mood and Emotions

Your hormones change after giving birth. Feeling happy or crying easily can be normal. Feeling sad or down most days is not. If you need help, call the clinic or get help now.  

Your Health Plan

If you had any of the following conditions or procedures, here are the basics of what to do:

• High blood pressure: Check your blood pressure every day for six weeks.
• Diabetes in pregnancy: Schedule a blood sugar test for six weeks after birth.
• Surgery: Take blood-thinning shots for 10 days to prevent a blood clot.  

Plan Your Ride Home

Make sure you have a ride home. Our goal is for you and your baby to leave the hospital together by 11 a.m.

Postpartum Checkup

If you had a vaginal birth, you will have a checkup at six weeks. If you had a C-section or a medical problem, you will also have a checkup at two weeks.

Your care continues after birth—we are here for you! If you need help, call your clinic. If you have any warning signs, come to the hospital right away.