Labor & Delivery + Recovery Nurse Thank You Gift Bags
Throughout the entire eight (8) months of my pregnancy, I saw a few posts here and there about Labor & Delivery (L&D) Nurse Thank You Gift Bags. It wasn’t until well into my third trimester - 36 weeks to be exact - that it dawned on me that I should do something. (It only dawned on me because I asked a girlfriend who recently gave birth what she packed in her hospital bag.)
(PSS: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, disclosure here.)
The contents of my Labor, Delivery & Recovery Nurse Thank You Gift Bags.
Do I have to give my labor and delivery nurses a thank you gift? No.
Helping you manage labor and deliver your baby (as well as recover after birth) are their jobs, so gifting them with something is absolutely not necessary. And, through my research, some nurses are not even allowed to accept gifts (more on this later). But, at the end of the day, I decided to do it because one of my main love languages is gift-giving.
If you search on Pinterest (or Google) for L&D thank you gift ideas, you’ll probably get overwhelmed.
I definitely did. At the end of the day, you can include whatever you want in your gift bags, but I wanted to include things that would actually be useful. After searching high and low, I found this blog by an actual L&D Nurse, Hilary, outlining the best things to include in a thank you gift, and I used this as my holy grail!
Here’s everything I included in my Labor, Delivery & Recovery Thank You Gift Bags (and why), down to the packaging!
Spritz Favor Bag (12 Ct.)
These bags ended up being a tad too small, but I made it work! For the price, you also can’t go wrong.
Price: $5.00
Paper Shred (Shredded Filler)
I bought a whole bunch of these for my bags and baskets. For the bags, I used half of the 1.5 oz. package to fill about 1/4 of the bag.
Price: $2.00
Skinny Pop Popcorn
Why I Included This: I personally love this popcorn as a snack, especially over chips. It’s light and filling, but doesn’t give you that I feel a little sick from eating that bag of chips feeling.
Price: $10.99
Sun Bum CocoBalm in Pina Colada
Why I Included This: I saw many other Labor & Delivery Nurse Thank You Gift Bags/Baskets include lip balm of some sort. It’s also one of those things you can’t go wrong with, so I got this fun SunBum one from my local Target.
Price: $3.99
Made Good Granoloa Minis
Why I Included This: Hilary included “food,” “candy,” “baked goods,” and “protein bars,” in her blog. What I like about the Made Good Granola Minis are that they are a quick and yummy snack (she says they don’t get to eat much) without the guilt of eating a full-on candy bar.
Price: $19.50 (24 Pack)
Scunci Spiral Hair Ties
Why I Included This: I think all women know how easy it is to lose these things. I personally love my phone cord hair ties (as I like to call them), and Hilary included this as a good gift to include. I bought two different kinds (based on local stock), and this multi-colored set is just a bit cheaper than the pack of all-clear ties (50¢ cheaper to be exact).
Price: $2.99
SmartSweets Sourmelon Bites
Why I Included This: Once again, I felt like food was a top gift option, so I wanted to include a candy that wasn’t chocolate. These watermelon-type candies are popular in Hawaiʻi, so I bought a “healthier” version to include.
Price: $3.29
Que Bella Moisturizing Hydrogel Eye Masks
Why I Included This: This one I chose all on my own! I just thought after a 10 (or 12) hour shift I would have dark circles under my eyes for sure. I thought this would be a good way to pamper them after hours.
Price: $2.99
Uniball 207 Plus 0.7mm Retractable Gel Pen (6 Pack)
Why I Included This: Hilary noted that pens were a good gift (which makes total sense, since they use them all the time). I bought this set from Uniball. I put two (2) pens in each bag.
Price: $9.29
Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer
Why I Included This: I think this one is pretty straight forward, but Hilary did include this in her blog too!
Price: $1.99
EOS Shea Butter Hand Cream (Lavender)
Why I Included This: Again, Hilary noted that lotions/hand creams were a great inclusion in labor & delivery thank you bags. Between all the handwashing and sanitizing, their hands tend to dry out!
Price: $3.49
Rxbar Minis: Chocolate Sea Salt & PB Chocolate (1o Count)
Why I Included This: A girlfriend suggested including an energy bar of some sort, but my island didn’t have the brand she recommended. I bought these instead. They’re mini, so another perfect snack to sneak while on the job.
Price: $12.49
The Labels
I was planning on designing and printing some labels to include, but since I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy, I didn’t have the time (or energy) to design and get them printed (though somehow I had the energy to do it by hand, LOL). I ended up using supplies I had at home to make my bag labels. I doubt that you are, but in case you’re dying to know how I made them or what I used, here’s my list.
Strathmore Watercolor Paper - 9x12
$23.11Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Colors Watercolor Paints - in Yellow Gold
$13.99Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Set - in Black
$23.85Glue Gun Sealing Wax Sticks - in White
$12.99Dual Heat Glue Gun
$9.76Wax Seal Stamp - Protea Design
$18.90Glue Stick
$2.27e6000
$11.26
FAQs
Okay, okay, these might not be FAQs. But hopefully this helps answer some of your questions, since I had some of the same ones.
How many L&D Nurse Thank You Gift Bags should I make?
You can call your L&D Department and ask, so it’s no surprise. But, as a general rule of thumb (according to my research) you typically have two L&D nurses plus a recovery nurse. Plus, there’s the AM/PM shift. And according to some other blogs I have read, it’s not just the L&D nurses, but an entire staff behind your delivery. With that said, I chose to make five (5) bags for my actual nurses. And two gift baskets (AM/PM) for the rest of the staff I might be unintentionally missing.
Can I just give them gift cards?
No. I would steer away from this as I’ve read it’s a big no-no - even illegal!
Is there something easier I can do?
Absolutely! I have found some people will order pizzas for the entire staff (L&D nurses include). Others have even chosen to provide baked goods after baby is here. Do what works for you, and remember that this is not a requirement or something you have to do.
How much did you spend?
I like to see actual numbers when I am contemplating doing something like this, so I am happy to share! Here is the breakdown of what I paid for the bags. Keep in mind that I bought some items in bulk because I also did two additional baskets (blog post to come on that too).
Item
12 Count Sprtiz Favor Bag (x1)
Spritz Paper Shred (x3)
Skinny Pop Popcorn - 14 Ct. (x1)
Made Good Granola Minis - 20 Pack (x1)
Scunci Spiral Hair Ties - Multi Color (x2)
Scunci Spiral Hair Ties - Clear (x3)
Smart Sweets Sourmelon Bites (x5)
Que Bella Hydrogel Moisturizing Eye Masks (x5)
Uniball 207 Plus Pens - 9 Pack (x2)
Purell Hand Sanitizer (x5)
EOS Shea Better Hand Cream (x5)
RXBAR Minis - 10 Count (x1)
Cost (Not Including Tax)
$5.00
$4.50 ($1.50/Bag)
$10.99
$6.39 (Costco)
$5.98 ($2.99/Pack)
$9.87 ($3.29/Pack)
$16.45 ($3.29 Each)
$14.95 ($2.99 Each)
$18.58 ($9.29 Each)
$9.95 ($1.99 Each)
$17.45 ($3.49 Each)
$12.49
Total Cost for All Items Purchased = $132.60
Total Cost/Bag = $17.62
There are a million and one blogs out there referring to Labor & Delivery (and don’t forget your recovery) Nurse Thank You Gifts/Gift Bags - so it can get overwhelming! I tried to include some content I didn’t see, so I hope this helps in some capacity. At the end of the day, make sure you include what works for you and within your budget! Happy gift giving and an easy, safe, labor.
