With both of my pregnancies (thus far) I have chosen a birthing center; however, with my first child the birth actually occurred in a hospital. The second one has yet to be determined… but having packed planning for a birth center with my first, and being transferred, gave me a good idea of what is needed for a birth center vs hospital birth.
While there are many, many helpful lists available on packing for a either a birth center or a hospital, I haven’t really seen posts comparing the difference between the packing lists… so that’s where we are going to start.
Birth Center VS Hospital Packing List Differences
Quite truly, although I (obviously) prefer to labor at a birthing center over a hospital, the list of things you need for a birthing center birth is MUCH longer than the list for a hospital birth… even if you are trying to minimize your packing.
At the hospital, you need the bare bones basics… and sometimes not even that. Diapers and wipes are often provided, and when I delivered my son we were even offered a car seat if needed (I am not sure if that is standard practice or not, just recognizing that it was an option for us).
For the “bare bones” of a hospital birth, you need an outfit for baby to go home in (be careful dressing baby too soon, or you might not recover the outfit depending on your individual circumstances), and I would definitely be prepared with a suitable infant car seat (again, I cannot guarantee that one will be offered).
For you, the list could be a little bit longer, depending on preferences, but not bad… you basically need an outfit to go home in (you can stay in a hospital gown during your stay if so inclined, and we are talking minimal items), your phone (if desired) and a charger. The hospital often provides after birth care items as well as mesh panties and even toiletries are usually available (although not preferable).
Packing for the Birth Center
Although I won’t attempt to list each and every item you should bring to the birthing center (it’s a decent sized list, especially in comparison to the hospital list) my birthing center (and I assume most other birthing centers) provided a list of items that I should bring or at least consider.
Keep in mind, bringing your own supplies for a birth center vs hospital birth keeps costs lower, even if it does mean more to pack… which is a non-issue if you pack in advance.
When it comes to a birthing center birth, basically assume practically nothing except the birthing location (plus furniture) and any medical type supplies are provided. You are responsible for the majority of supplies, including diapers and wipes for baby, and even snacks and a “hearty meal” after delivery before you can go home.
The meal needs to be prepped ahead of time and brought with you, because you cannot know (until it happens) when you are going into labor… and everything around where you might buy a proper meal could possibly be closed.
A Brief Comparison Overview
As you can likely see, the packing lists for a birth center vs hospital vary with not just the amount of items that need to be packed and brought (truly, the birthing center kind of felt like we were moving in, whereas we needed almost nothing for the hospital) but the level of preparation necessary.
Packing for a birthing center might sound daunting, but overall it’s a more affordable, personal experience. Aside from the labor itself (due to a required transfer to a hospital) all of my care was at the birthing center… even the after care when I was released from the hospital!
Psst! If you are at the stage of packing for a birth center vs hospital birth, you might want to check out Restoring Sanity from Overwhelm, too… because labor is definitely the easier part… especially with the transition to your first baby.
If you have tried packing for a birthing center vs hospital birth, did you notice these differences, too? Let me know in the comments below!
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
[…] about the differences in packing and prep for a birthing center versus a hospital? I wrote a whole article about it based on my first birth experience that started at a birthing […]