Here are a few items that aren’t necessary but can help make your hospital stay more comfortable.
I love our Boppy and it makes propping up baby for nursing so much easier than trying to arrange a bunch of pillows into the right position, not something you want to deal with when you’re trying to breastfeed for the first time (and trust me, even if you’ve done it before, when you have a new baby it’s your first time breastfeeding).
Your hospital provides pillows and blankets for your hospital bed, and most likely has some for dad along with a place to sleep, but I’m very particular about my pillows and the flat hospital ones simply don’t cut it. Andrew brought a throw for himself because he says one of those typical woven hospital blankets isn’t enough to keep him warm (hospitals are often chilly) but two is too much. So to avoid any discomforts (even minor ones can suck when you have a brand new baby) it doesn’t hurt to bring your own.
Despite popular misconceptions I’ve never been disappointed in the food I received at the hospital (but then I’ve always birthed in birthing centers that had separate kitchens from the main hospitals) and it is actually quite easy to procure food from other sources if you don’t like it. Many places will deliver to the hospital, ask your nurse about how to go about doing that. And of course you can always bring your own food. I made sure to have some drinks and snacks on hand for after birth and when we’re up late at night with baby.