Packing your hospital bag is a really exciting - and yes, sometimes nerve-wracking - step in your pregnancy journey. After all, it means the big day isn’t far away, and you’ll soon be meeting your little one! Packing your hospital bag is essentially about making sure you have everything you’ll need for your trip to the hospital for the birth. This means packing for the labour stages and birth, as well as for your post-birth recovery. It’s also about making sure your baby has everything they’ll need during their first few days with you. Packing your pregnancy bag might sound overwhelming, with plenty to remember to include, but it really needn’t be - simply follow our hospital bag checklist and enjoy prepping for this next exciting step in your journey.
When should I pack my hospital bag?
It’s advised to have your maternity bag ready at least two weeks before your due date, earlier if you can, considering due dates aren’t particularly accurate. Of course, you can get it ready sooner than this - and often it can make you feel less anxious once you know your bag for hospital is packed. Then leave it by the front door, or in your birth partner’s car boot (assuming they’ll be driving you to the hospital), ready to go. You might even want to pack two small separate hospital bags - one for during labour and one for afterwards. That way, you won’t need to wade through baby clothes and breast pads as you try to find your maternity notes.
What should I pack for labour?
Packing for labour and birth is primarily about making your experience as comfortable as possible. As a starting point, always make sure you pack your maternity notes, any medication you’re taking and if you’ve written one, a birth plan. Everything else is pretty personal to you, so think about what will keep you most comfortable and content during labour.
Here are a few suggestions:
A Couple of Comfy, Loose Outfits
Labour can get hot and sweaty, and hospital wards can be particularly warm, so pack something lightweight and breathable that you can move around in. A baggy nighty or big t-shirt is ideal. Loose shorts or pyjama bottoms are great for maintaining your modesty during trips to the loo or when walking on the ward, but in the later stages of labour, you’ll need to be uncovered down below. Also, bear in mind that dark colours are better in case of stains. For the same reason, you might want to pack old clothes that you don’t mind binning if they do get ruined. Pack a couple of changes of clothes too - if your waters break or you’re sweating a lot, you’ll be grateful for a change of clothing. If you’re hoping for a water birth, pack swimwear you’ll feel comfortable in, but nothing that’s difficult to remove. Again, only pack swimwear you don’t mind potentially getting stained.
Your Personal Chill-Out Kit
Labour can be lengthy, so you might want to fill the time with a book, magazines, music or podcasts, particularly during the early stages while you’re still relatively comfy.
Your Phone Charger
You could be there a while, during which you might want your phone to keep you entertained, take photos, and stay in touch with loved ones.
Snacks, Energy Drinks, Bottles of Water
Your hospital might not have a shop nearby, and you might be there for some time. Labour can be exhausting, and you’ll need to keep your energy levels up, so take snacks that will give you a sustained carb-rich energy boost and those that don’t need to be kept cool, in case you don’t have access to a fridge - protein bars, fruit, nut bars and popcorn are ideal. Bear in mind some women can feel quite nauseous during labour, particularly once the contractions get stronger, so small light snacks are better than heavy ones.
Your Own Pillow
Take your giant pregnancy pillow if you’ve got the room. It will help you get comfy, and if you manage to sneak in a nap, you’ll be grateful you brought it.
A Fan or Water Spray
Labour can get hot and sweaty in the later stages, so these will help to cool you down. A lip balm is another good hospital bag idea, as your lips can get pretty dried out, especially if you’re taking gas and air.
Your Wash Bag and Toiletries
Think: toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, shower gel, face wash, face cream, hair bobble, deodorant, mini shampoo, basic make-up. These will help you to feel fresh, which in turn will make you feel better. These will come in really handy post-birth, too. Remember, it’s likely you’ll be staying overnight, possibly for more than one night.
Additional Items
This includes anything you plan on using to ease the labour that a hospital might not necessarily provide. Examples include a TENS machine, with batteries; your birthing ball (check with your midwife whether the hospital has one you can use); aromatherapy oils to be used during hypnobirthing.
Partner Checklist
If your partner or support person is joining you at the hospital, a few essentials can help the day run more smoothly. Their own change of clothes, toiletries, snacks, water and phone chargers are always worth having close by. A little cash for parking or the hospital café can also be handy. With their own basics packed, they can stay comfortable, present and ready to support you every step of the way.
What not to pack?
It’s easy to pack more than you’ll really need, but keeping things simple will make life easier once you’re at the hospital. Try to leave out bulky extras, lots of spare outfits, valuables or anything too sentimental. Strong-smelling snacks and “just in case” items can also take up precious space. A lighter bag means you can focus on comfort, calm and meeting your little one.
Packing for after birth
After your birth, you’ll want to freshen up, get comfy - particularly if you’ll be staying overnight - get some much-needed rest and start looking after your post-partum body, so this is what you should bear in mind when packing for yourself after birth. Here are a few of our suggestions and must-haves:
Stick to loose, comfy dark clothes, in your maternity size, for your post-birth stay in hospital and for your travelling-home outfit. Your bump is likely to be a similar size to what it was pre-delivery, so stick to clothes in the size you wore during pregnancy. If you have a C-section, you won’t want to wear anything tight or with a low waistband that could rub on your wound, so go for high-waisted and baggy. Opt for front-opening tops or a dressing gown - both are easy to undo quickly - if you’re planning to breastfeed.
You’ll need a few pairs of loose, large, high-waisted knickers. Go up a size - you’ll need roomy knickers, as you’ll be wearing maternity pads post-birth, plus your tummy and pelvic area might be sore. If you’ve had a C-section, you won’t be able to wear low waistbands, so high-waisted is essential. Don’t pack your best underwear, as they’re likely to get stained.
Maternity bra. Whether you plan on breastfeeding or not, a maternity bra is supportive yet comfy at a time when your boobs are likely to be particularly tender.
If you plan on breastfeeding, you’ll need breast pads. Ditto, nipple cream. Don’t worry too much about taking your own breast pump - you probably won’t use one during a short hospital stay, but if you do, the hospital should be able to provide one. If you plan to formula-feed, make sure you take your chosen brand of formula and enough of it (check this with your midwife), plus your sterilised bottles.
Maternity pads. Regardless of the type of delivery you have, you’ll need to wear maternity pads or large sanitary pads for the few days and possibly weeks following the birth, so take a full pack.
Slippers or flip-flops are a good idea for walking around the ward and for trips to the loo/shower.
An iPad - or something similar - will keep you entertained during the night feeds, or when baby is sleeping during the day.
You’ll really appreciate the toiletries you packed in your labour bag now: they can totally transform how you feel. If you’ve had a C-section, you’ll be limited in how much you can move and may not manage a shower, but it’s amazing how much better you can feel after something as simple as washing your face and brushing your hair.
Eye mask and earplugs, to help you try and get some sleep, particularly if you’re on a noisy ward.
Packing for a C-section
For both an elective and emergency C-section, your hospital bag requirements will be pretty much the same as for a vaginal delivery, so don’t worry too much about this when packing your hospital bag.
If you’ll be having an elective C-section, you won’t need any labour-easing tools (a birthing ball, etc) as you won’t be going through the labour stage, so you can leave these out. However, you may end up staying in hospital slightly longer post-delivery, so bear this in mind when deciding how many outfits and knickers to pack.
You will probably be quite limited in your movement after your C-section, which means you might not be able to shower, so including a pack of wipes to freshen up is a good idea.
When it comes to clothing, you’ll definitely want to stick to loose, high-waisted pieces with waistbands that sit above your wound and don’t rub against it. You’ll be expected to wear compression stockings following the operation, so you’ll need to keep your lower legs bare or accessible so keep this in mind when deciding on the leg length of pyjamas/trousers.
Packing for baby
Your baby will need a few essentials from the moment he or she is born. These include:
Vests and sleepsuits. Pack at least two of each for each day, more if possible. Pack an additional outfit for their journey home.
A hat, or two. The midwife will want to put your baby straight into a hat so make sure you have one handy. If it’s winter, take one for wearing indoors and a slightly thicker warmer one for the journey home.
One pair of scratch mittens. Some sleepsuits have these built in, which is handy. If yours don’t include integrated scratch mittens, pack a separate pair.
One pair of socks. Their sleepsuit will probably cover their toes, but take a pair of socks to keep those little feet warm, especially in winter or on the journey home.
One pack of nappies, in a newborn size. Newborn babies usually go through around 10-12 nappies a day, so take a full pack with you!
Cotton wool balls or pads. In the early days when baby’s skin is more sensitive, you’ll use these with water instead of wipes during nappy changes and to bathe your baby.
A blanket. The hospital will provide a blanket, but it’s nice to have your own as a spare, plus you’ll need it when you leave hospital to keep baby covered and warm.
Muslins. Take at least 4, as these can get soiled with spit-up milk pretty quickly. You’ll soon realise, you can never have enough muslins handy!
Depending on the season and weather, a jacket or snowsuit, for the journey home. Although for safety reasons, make sure you remove it before putting them into their car seat.
Finally and crucially, you’ll need to make sure you have a car seat that’s been correctly fitted for your car. In fact, most hospitals won’t let you take baby home without one. At Mamas & Papas, we offer a free car seat consultation so you can ensure yours is a proper fit for both baby and your car, and that you know how to install it correctly. It’s a good idea to keep your car seat in your car until it’s time to leave hospital - rather than keeping it next to you in your hospital room - purely to save on space. It’s also worth practising getting the car seat in and out of the car in the weeks leading up to your due date. It can take a few times to get the hang of it, and that way, when it comes to bringing home your little one, you can really focus on enjoying the experience.
