Things to Bring to Seattle Children’s Hospital When Traveling for a Surgery

Bring the post-delivery items recommended by your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will likely provide many items that you need after you deliver. Ask your child’s nurse if you need more pads, a postpartum peri-squeeze bottle or nipple cream.

You may also want to bring:

• Witch hazel wipes
• Big water bottle for staying hydrated
• Nursing bra
• Nursing cover

We will provide a breast pump and storage supplies while your child is at the hospital.

The Family Resource Center has private showers for families to use. Soap and towels are provided.

Some toiletries are available, but you may want to bring your own:

• Shower flip flops and toiletries for shower (body wash, shampoo, conditioner)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss
• Face and body lotion

Patient belongings bags are available for you to keep your clothes sorted. The Family Resource Center has free laundry machines for families to use. Laundry soap is provided.

The hospital will provide all blankets, diapers, wipes, butt creams, bottles and formula (if needed) for your baby.

You may bring a few outfits or blankets for your baby for traveling home. The hospital will not keep track of baby items while you are in the hospital.

• Comfortable clothes like leggings, t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, tank tops, and underwear
• Comfortable shoes for walking around and outside the hospital
• Slippers to walk around the hospital or hospital room
• Warm blanket (The hospital does provide blankets because the hospital rooms are kept at a cool temperature. You can bring your favorite blanket from home if you would like.)
• Favorite pillow (The hospital does provide pillows. You can bring your favorite pillow from home if you would like.)
• Comfortable earplugs (Earplugs are available at the hospital).
• Pictures of friends and family or favorite places to hang on the foot of the crib

You cannot have food in your child’s ICU room. There is a lounge with a fridge and freezer on your child’s floor. You may bring outside food in and keep in the shared fridge. You may keep frozen meals in the freezer. There is a microwave, water and ice machine, and plates and utensils are available.

Outside of the ICU, it is OK to eat in your child’s room. Most rooms have a mini fridge to store your child’s breastmilk or formula. You can keep food in the remaining space in the fridge.

You may pack and bring shelf stable foods. Consider packing protein-rich snacks for postpartum healing.

The hospital has several food and drink options during the day and evening. Ask your child’s social worker for more information about financial assistance with food.

Have a plan for an activity while your baby is in surgery. Depending on how and when your child arrives, there may not be a room available for you yet. You may want to make other plans for resting. Some parents and caregivers do a puzzle, play a game, or watch a movie.

You may want to pack:

• Headphones
• Chargers for phone or other electronics
• Books
• A laptop or tablet (once your child is in a recovery room, each room has an iPad with educational resources where you can watch videos to learn how to care for you child at home. There are also entertainment apps like Netflix and games.

The guide in your child’s room lists local activities and locations if you need to step away or take a break.

• Seattle, Bellevue or Everett
  206-987-2015
• Alaska
  907-339-1945
• Federal Way, Olympia, Silverdale or Tacoma
  253-682-1466
• Montana
  406-771-3223
• Tri-Cities
  509-375-9050
• Wenatchee
  509-662-9266
• Yakima
  509-375-9046