I have had the unfortunate pleasure of spending far too many nights in a hospital. Should you ever find yourself in that position, below I share what I recommend packing in your overnight hospital bag.

Recently I found myself, once again, back in the hospital. It was the end of January and I was just wrapping up a conference for Maine’s Agricultural Fairs when I woke up on the closing day not feeling fantastic. When I woke up the following morning feeling even worse and got to work not having improved I knew I probably needed to go get a CT Scan. A 3 hour trip to Boston and a quick head CT later, I found myself in an exam room at Mass General’s Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care on the Oncology floor reviewing a troubling scan with my CNP. It was determined that I would need to be admitted, and the next thing I knew I was having emergency surgery. A week later after I had returned home to recover from a successful shunt replacement surgery I woke in the middle of the night feeling atrocious. I knew this time that something was severely wrong and that I’d be back in the hospital again. So I threw some items in a backpack and we headed back to Mass General, and sure enough, I was going to be having another urgent surgery and staying for far more than one night but for 7-14 days.

I was thankful that I had the common sense to pack an overnight bag of essentials, so now when I am experiencing symptoms and am rushing to Mass General I pack a bag just in case they admit me and hold me overnight. Below I am sharing with you my necessities for having a comfortable overnight stay, including some things I plan to bring now wishing I had before.

Hospital Bag Necessities:

Clothes:

Leggings: I am a HUGE fan of leggings when I am not feeling well or recovering. They are soft, comfortable for long stays or travel, and if you have any abdominal incisions they do not rub as much or irritate those incisions like a pair of jeans would.

During my first replacement surgery, I went from the clinic down to the ER to be admitted for a full work-up and had been wearing leggings to work and was actually able to wear them into the operating room. On my second trip down I made sure to pack a few pairs since I was allowed to wear them in post-op as well.

I would say that if you are unsure of how many days you might be there, pack 2-3 pairs of leggings to have on hand. They typically take up little space and are easy to pack and again, are the most comfortable pant you could wear while laying in a hospital bed for days.

Loose Fitting Shirts: I love oversized sweaters or flowy shirts. Pack 2-3 of these (consider the weather or time of year, and that it may be colder in the hospital than it is outside) in your overnight bag. These come in handy as they are easy to slip on over large braces or bandages if you had orthopedic surgery, but again, if you have any abdominal incisions you won’t be irritating those wounds.

Sweatshirt or Open Front Cardigan: A sweatshirt is always a safe option, especially if you did pack any t-shirts. This way you have something else to keep you warm (although some hospitals like MGH tend to have an endless supply of blankets, or in ICU warm blankets) since hospitals tend to be cold. An open front cardigan is good because it’s easy to get on or off when you are hooked to an IV or EKG machine and have wires coming out of every possible place on your body.

Slip-On Shoes or Lightweight Sneakers: You want something that you can easily get on and off your feet when you are in the hospital. You’ll likely have little energy and be sore, so the less effort or energy you need to use to put shoes on the better. Also, in my case where it was a Neurosurgery, my balance was affected so you want a shoe that has good grip and support. Plus slip-on shoes like Vans or Toms or lightweight sneakers are easy to pack in an overnight bag.

Extra Socks and Undergarments: I’ve had the pleasure of wearing hospital provided undergarments (no Bueno), so I made sure to pack some of my own this time around. Several pairs are fine since they are easy to pack. I recommend extra pairs of socks if you don’t want to wear the hospital ones with grips (although you may have to in order to do PT), but also to keep your feet warm and to wear home with whatever shoes you brought, and sports bras with no underwire. Any clothes with metal or wire are not allowed in the OR or for any imaging you have done, therefore sports bras are not only a comfortable solution for many but acceptable in most hospitals.

Basic Everyday Toiletries: Although the hospital may supply you with some of these items it’s good to have your own in case they don’t, and I learned after my last trip to pack more of these items for the next time around. Face wipes - for cleaning your face morning and night, toothpaste and toothbrush - they will have your brush your teeth in the hospital, deodorant - in some instances if you are able to get up and move around after bathing you are allowed to use deodorant, a hairbrush - because bedhead is real, feminine products - because the ones the hospital has are not always suitable for everyone, and anything else you think you might need.

Entertainment & Electronics: Phone, phone charge, iPad/Tablet, a book, magazine, playing cards, adult coloring books, etc. My family brought me some entertainment which I had not packed with me (I only had my phone), but it’s something that will help pass the time away if you spend hours in the hospital room alone. I was fortunate enough to have lots of visitors, including my medical team, so there were not a lot of downtimes except at night. On my most recent visit for a follow-up since I was still not feeling well, I packed a quick bag and made sure to pack a book or two in case I was going to be there a while. Playing cards are something I will pack next time as well since you have a tray table and can play solitaire while there. Remember to pack light but pack things that will keep you entertained for hours at a time.

This is just a starter pack for things to put in your hospital bag. Certainly, adjust the inventory as needed to fit your specific needs or wants when it comes to staying in a hospital for longer than a day. Remember that the bag will likely be traveling with you to several locations before you head to a room if you are staying overnight, or that a family member may be dragging it around until you get to said room as well, so keep it light and reasonable.

Have you ever had to pack a hospital bag? Have other items that aren’t listed but helped you tolerate your stay? Drop a comment below!