The Best Postpartum Hospital Clothes | Clothing Essentials for After Birth - Beautifully Busy Mom (2024)

If you are looking for the best postpartum hospital clothes to put in your go bag, I’ve got you covered from head to toe! These clothes will help you feel more like yourself and recover in comfort. This way, you can enjoy your time with your new baby all the more!

This post is all about the best postpartum hospital clothes so you don’t have to stay in that itchy hospital gown all day long!

This post contains affiliate links.

Things to Consider:

When choosing what to pack in your hospital bag, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind:

The temperature of the hospital

Most hospital rooms are kept cold to help avoid the spreading and growth of bacteria. Even if it’s summer outside when you are delivering your baby, you may want to pack a few warm and cozy items to stay warm (especially when it comes to the postpartum shakes). If you happen to take a tour of the hospital before your delivery date, definitely take note of the temperature and take it into consideration when packing.

If you are planning for a vagin*l delivery or C-section

If you have a c-section scheduled, you will definitely want to plan on nightgowns and loose clothing that keep pressure off your incision site. A c-section may also mean a longer hospital stay so you may want to bring a few more cozy outfits along than if you plan on a vagin*l delivery.

However, since you can’t ever know for sure how things will go, I suggest bringing along at least one nightgown even if you have a vagin*l delivery planned.

If you plan to breastfeed

If you plan to breastfeed your baby, you’ll want to make sure that the clothing you pack allows you to have easy access for nursing. Anything button up is a good call for moms who plan to nurse.

What makes you feel best

This truly is the biggest thing to consider. For some people, the most comfortable thing to wear is pajamas the whole time. Others might feel more comfortable wearing leggings and cute sweaters. Do whatever allows you to get back to feeling like yourself quicker! If dressing cute (and heck even doing make up if you feel like) helps you feel better than by all means do it! But if you want to stay in the hospital gown or pajamas the whole time then do that!

Clothes for the Hospital

Hair Ties and/or Headbands

I told you I’d have you comfortable from head to toe, so first let’s make sure you’ve got something for your hair. Since you will most likely want your hair up and out of the way during your birth and hospital stay, you will definitely want to make sure you have a few hair ties or scrunchies on hand.

Nursing Bras and/or Nursing Tank Tops

If you plan to breastfeed, you will definitely want to bring along a few comfortable nursing bras and/or tanks. Pulling aside a regular bra is not only annoying but it can also cause clogged ducts, which can be very painful. You definitely don’t need more pain in your life after giving birth!

I personally packed two nursing tanks and two nursing bras. These are a couple of my favorites! I am also a huge fan of Kindred Bravely’s nursing sleep bras and plan to bring one with me to the hospital! And if you use my affiliate code MonicaB15, you can get 15% off on anything you order from Kindred Bravely!

Your Own Labor & Delivery Gown

While totally not necessary, you do have the option to bring your own labor and delivery gown with you to the hospital (or you can wear it to the hospital when you go into labor). For some people, this can help them feel more comfortable during labor and in turn help them relax a little more throughout the process. This labor & delivery gown has snaps down the back for access if you want an epidural and also has snaps down both sides of the chest if you are wanting to breastfeed immediately after birth.

A Few Nightgowns

Nightgowns make everything easier, whether you delivered vagin*lly or had a c-section. If you had a c-section it will keep pressure off the incision site and allow your doctors to have easy access to the incision. If you delivered vagin*lly, a nightgown makes changing your pads and caring for down there a whole lot easier.

As an extra bonus, nightgowns take out the guessing game of what size you will be after delivery. While it’s likely you will be about the size you were at six months pregnant immediately after delivery, everybody is different. I personally prefer to just bring nightgowns and not have to worry about the sizing.

I ordered this adorable nightgown off Amazon and love how soft it is as well as the fact that it has buttons all the way up the front! So many nightgowns have fake buttons but I love that these are both cute and functional. I’m excited about how easy this will make breastfeeding and getting it on and off in the hospital. It also comes in both short and long sleeve styles and tons of colors!

Cozy Socks with Grippers

There is nothing worse than cold feet! Rather than fighting to get slippers on and off, I suggest bringing along some slipper socks. You’ll just want to make sure that they have grippers on the bottom. Hospital floors are slippery and you will probably be a little shaky for a while. You don’t want to risk a fall for yourself or your baby.

Flip Flops for the Shower

I definitely recommend bringing a cheap pair of flip flops for the shower. Just grab a pair at the dollar store! They will not only help avoid falls when you are shaky, but they will help you avoid whatever nastiness is on the floor of a public shower.

A Comfortable Robe

To wrap things up (literally), I HIGHLY recommend bringing a warm comfortable robe to the hospital. A robe is so much easier to maneuver than a blanket and will help you stay cozy in the chilly hospital rooms. I literally lived in my robe the entire hospital stay with my first and it is definitely going in my bag again!

An Outfit to Go Home In

You will have to take the weather outside into consideration for this one. If it’s warm outside, I highly suggest a loose t-shirt dress. This nursing friendly t-shirt dress is absolutely adorable if you want something comfortable, cute, and easy for nursing! If it’s winter, I recommend going for a pair of leggings and a loose cozy sweater or sweatshirt. Just make sure that you aren’t putting pressure on your incision site if you did get c-section. You’ll want to aim for pants that would have fit when you were about six months pregnant. But honestly, the easiest way to guarantee they will fit is to bring along a pair of maternity leggings.

Clothes for at Home

Once you get home, you’ll still make use of those clothes you used in the hospital but you will probably need a few other things as well. These are the things I plan to have waiting for me at home.

Postpartum Period Underwear

The mesh underwear from the hospital is definitely the easiest option for the first couple of days postpartum. But after the bleeding begins to slow down, using postpartum period underwear can help you feel a little more comfortable at home. They still provide protection from leaks but you can feel a little more put together. I’ve actually added these exact underwear to my DIY postpartum care kit waiting for me at home for after delivery!

Button Up Pajama Sets

Whether you need easy access for your c-section scar and/or for breastfeeding, button up pajama sets are the way to go!

A Good Pair of Slippers

If you don’t already have a good pair of slippers at home, you’ll definitely want to grab a pair. You’ll probably be staying in a lot with your new little one and a comfortable pair of slippers is a must!

This post was all about the best postpartum hospital clothes to help you stay as comfortable as possible after birth! I’d love for you to check out my free printable hospital go bag checklist with comfortable postpartum clothes, pain relief options, baby must-haves and even tools for labor. My hope is that you will feel prepared when you zip up your hospital bag and that you will stay comfortable to fully enjoy those first days with your little one. You’ve got this.

-Beautifully Busy Mom

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