I knew I wanted to bring some type of gift for the labor + delivery and postpartum nurses in the hospital when I had my daughter. I had seen other people do this type of thing for their delivery and I thought it was such a nice way to thank the professionals taking care of my baby and I. After you have a baby, these are the people that make you feel human again and even show you the proper way to care for your newborn. After having a baby I can tell you that no one deserves being thanked like these people do! The staff at the hospital did so much for my baby and I.
My mom and I prepared a bin of goodie bags the week before I gave birth. Below I’ve listed what we put in each bag. We tried to think of what nurses who work long hours and are constantly washing their hands might use or like, but you could ask for specific ideas when you do your hospital tour.
- Coffee Gift Card
- Hand Lotion
- Face Mask
- Lip Balms
- Pens
We also prepared a bin of snacks. These snacks can be used by you, your visiting family, and nurses that stop in to check on you. I just chose what I was craving at the time – and had the energy to chase down while 38 weeks pregnant. It’s nice to bring something like this for the nurse’s station as well to share with the other nurses on the floor.
Both of these bins were supposed to be kept in my room but my husband didn’t know and in the hustle and bustle of our arrival he ended up bringing everything to the nurse’s station. I would recommend keeping them in your room because otherwise (depending on the size of your hospital) you might not have enough gifts. We had 2-3 nurses for each 12 hour shift and I stayed in the hospital 2 nights. If you have any complications you may end up staying longer, so keep this in mind. Err on the safe side and you can leave the extras at the nurse’s station when you leave.
