Congrats! I didn't deliver there but my recommendations in general for the hospital and after:

Hospital:

• You'll be doing so much laundry once you're home, I recommend she just wear the hospital gown during her stay. Fewer items for y'all to wash at home.
• Chapstick
• One never knows if one will need an emergency C-section so if you're a light sleeper, pack a pillow for yourself in case you stay there for 5 days instead of 2.
• If she would like to breastfeed and has the supply, pack a nipple cream she can use in the hospital. It will help after nursing attempts as her nipples will crack from baby attempts at latching, and will hurt rubbing against fabric; before y'all leave, ask her OB for a prescription of all-purpose nipple ointment (APNO). It's around $70 and compounded by a pharmacy. It helps the nipples heal faster.
• in addition to the painkillers she'll get, they'll likely give her stool softener but won't be enough in my opinion. Bring your own so she can take it after each meal (during and after her stay).
• I recommend packing your things in a small rollie bag so you can leave the hospital easily while holding baby in car seat. If mom can't walk, staff can wheel her out. Also, it'll allow you to take more stuff from the room (swaddle blankets, diapers, postpartum stuff, formula samples, syringes).
• Pack either a nursing or pumping bra. If she doesn't have one, you can cut holes in a bra she's willing to sacrifice. Baby will latch easily, other times not and mom needs a mental break so baby is bottle fed; or baby has jaundice and needs formula instead of breastmilk to bring down the bilirubin; or you and mom want a night's rest by having the nurses care for baby while you sleep but mom needs to pump to establish supply or relieve breast pain. In the latter scenario, I pumped in the middle of the night (between 2AM - 4AM), in the dark while my husband slept, for 20 minutes. To stay awake and make time go by faster, I used my phone and not needing to hold the pump flanges on my breasts was a plus. No need to bring your pump - the hospital will have one. Despite the pump box likely saying "don't open until after birth", open, wash, and assemble it so you don't have to figure out the mechanics of it after returning home sleep deprived.

After:

• Have heat/ice packs at home. If she chooses to not breastfeed or doesn't have supply, she will still need to address engorgement pain in her breasts.
• I used adult diapers when I got home for the bleeding and not to pee/poop. You can take the mesh undies/pads from the hospital but I found them annoying because of leakage.

Edit: Pumping scenario at hospital

I can’t suggest anything for labor and delivery but I’d recommend an Italian from Bobs food store in Medford. The actual best.

First, congrats! Don’t worry about packing too much. We delivered at another Boston hospital but here is some general advice.

Bring phone charger(s) and change of clothes for both of you. We stayed 5 nights each delivery…not great and our clothes smelled after but whatever.

Grippy (maternity) socks for wife (tufts provided them)

Flip flops (so you can jump outta bed and get whatever wife needs at whatever hour she needs it if the nurses are busy)

Car seat!!! Hospital won’t let you leave without it (or stroller I assume if not driving but idk)

Chapstick

Get mentally prepared to watch a team of people stick all sorts of things into your wife’s vagina (seriously wtf was that balloon thing).

If you are offered the chance to cut the umbilical cord, do it! Great experience imo.

Lastly, if you feel like you’re gonna faint (I did with our second, which was weird), sit down! Don’t go passing out all over everyone lol.

For the Italian sub: https://www.bennettssandwichshop.com/bennettsfenway

earplugs, eye cover, slippers/slides, snacks, books/devices, chargers, extension cord/power strip, robe (for her).

The Italian from Same Old Place in JP is solid. Real Deal has a big sandwich menu too. Cuttys has nice ones too. The food from BWH is decent.

You don't really need to pack much. Basic toiletries are enough. Maybe a change of clothes for you.

My wife had 2 c sections there.

Please don't let the fact that I was delivered there discourage you in anyway. Studies have shown that the hospital your child is born in only determines about 20% of their personality traits later in life.

Make sure to rehearse.

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I delivered there in 2021 and will again in the spring! I mainly packed things like two coming home outfits for the baby (just in case one gets dirty!), change of clothes for me and my husband. Lots of snacks (granola bars, goldfish crackers, apple sauce, etc.) which my husband and I shared. Extra long phone charging cords (recommended by others). Toiletries for me and my husband. And of course the car seat! You don’t need much.

I do plan to bring my breastfeeding pillow this time bc last time using pillows there was hard. The nurses and lactation consultant can give you samples of various gel pads and creams that you might need.

Good luck and congrats!!

I’d really recommend the Positive Birth Company’s Hypnobirthing online course. I did the online class that Brigham recommended and if that had been my only info I would have been woefully unprepared!! The care I received was excellent though, everyone was so kind. Make sure to take all the supplies you can get your hands on, the nurses are super happy to bring extras 💕

Get a new bag for this if needed and look online for bags other folks recommend as their hospital bags. Get it in a less common color or in a pattern. So many people have black bags. I always get an ugly pattern to make sure I can see my bag.

Get one that is waterproof.

Get some one pouch makeup organizer to organize the small things including phone chargers.

Pre pack the bag in advance. Include phone chargers and bricks for both phones, long cords are ideal, colored items are ideal so you don’t lose them.

Bring a non electronic timekiller as well, in case you can’t use electronics for some reason.

Get maternity underwear and pads in advance.

Bring change of clothing.

Face wash and a face cloth towel.

Makeup wipes or face wipes.

Moisturizer for the face. Lotion — light and buildable. I like the aloe one from Jergen’s or Neutrogena. I forgot. Sheet masks if you want.

Hand sanitizer. Chapstick. Hand lotion. Nipple cream.

Light blanket. Heavy blanket.

Get a noise maker for the nights