Top tips for packing your hospital bag

For many expectant mothers, packing your hospital bag is when the reality that you are actually having a baby kicks in. We recommend you start packing as early as you can. Babies are unpredictable and like to make early entrances – the last thing you want is to be rushing around looking for big knickers and tiny nappies when you’re in the early stages of labour. 

Our top tip is to write a list of everything you will need. This will make you feel more organised even if your brain is feeling a little overwhelmed. Ask family and friends for their must-have items and remember to also think about what your birthing partner may need.

Our Happy Parents. Happy Baby shopping list and hospital bag checklist can be downloaded and printed here. 

If you will be giving birth in a hospital it is worth noting that you may not have much space to put everything you bring. Cubicles on wards can be small and you may also be moving between rooms, and even floors, during your stay. Remember that you can always ask a family member or friend to get items for you if you run out or are missing something.

We recommend bringing three small bags which can be carried at the same time by your birthing partner.

Bag 1: The birth bag

Pack this bag with everything you will want during the birth. The most important item to include is your hospital notes which the midwife will ask for when you arrive.

If you are having a planned caesarean or induction you may find you are waiting around so you will want something to pass the time and distract you. A book, Kindle or magazine might be useful. Make sure you also have a phone charger.

The hospital will give you paracetamol but you might want to pack your own too. Make sure you keep track of how much you’ve had, especially if you spent the early stages of labour at home.

Some women find a TENS machine helps with their contractions. Make sure you know how to use yours and that it has working batteries or a full charge.

Hot water bottles can help with cramping in early labour and some people also like their birthing partners to use spiky massage balls on their back to ease the pain.

Hospitals can be very warm so an electric hand fan can be effective. Some women find their lips get very dry from the gas and air so lip balm is also handy to have nearby.

We recommend also packing things which will make your labour feel more personal and stimulate all of your senses:

Sight

Battery-operated candles, dimmed lighting, and an eye mask if you want to nap in the early stages.

Sound

A playlist of music or hypnobirthing affirmations may help relax you. Or you might want silence if you’re trying to rest in which case pack some ear plugs. 

Taste

Check with your midwife what you are allowed to have but snacks and drinks are important to pack, especially if you are in labour for a while. A sports water bottle is easy to drink from and won’t spill. If you are having a c-section you may not be able to eat for a few hours before the procedure but you will be advised about this. Make sure you include enough food for your partner as they will need to keep their energy levels up too.

Smell

Essential oils or diffusers might help you relax.

Touch

Wearing your own comfortable, familiar clothes will make you feel more relaxed in the hospital environment. You might want a dressing gown and flip-flops for walking down the corridors and a nightie to labour in. Choose a nightie which has buttons as this will make it easier to do skin-to-skin with your baby and to breastfeed, if that’s what you choose to do. If you plan to spend time in a birthing pool, perhaps take a bikini top to wear in the water.

Hospital pillows are not known for being soft and fluffy so perhaps take your own for added comfort - and maybe one for your birthing partner so they can get some rest.

Bag 2:  After the birth 

Towels

The first shower after having a baby can feel like the best wash ever! Hospital towels can be quite small and are obviously not as fluffy as yours at home. A dark coloured towel might be a good choice because you will be bleeding.

Toiletries 

Pack a bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo. Holiday/hotel samples can be useful as they are smaller and lighter to pack. Some women like to pack make-up to wear after the birth.

Bleeding

Everyone will bleed, even if you have a c-section, so you will need to have some large sanitary pads or TENA pants. The bleeding will be heavy in the early days so you may need up to eight pads a day. You will also need some big knickers for these pads, and they should be high-waisted so they don’t rub on a c-section wound or other painful areas. Again a dark colour is recommended.

Bras

You will want a comfortable nursing bra if you are planning to breastfeed. Feeding bralets can be comfy for engorged breasts and easy to wear as you just pull the cup area aside. H&M, Gap and JoJo Maman Bebe stock these. Lansiloh’s lanolin cream is recommended by many mothers as it eases nipple discomfort.

It can take 3-4 days for your milk to come in and you may have left hospital by this point but it is also a good idea to pack some nursing pads for any leaking. Pads can either be reusable or one-use only. We recommend packing around 20.

Water bottle

Spraying water onto yourself when you pee will neutralise the acidity of the urine and can ease some of the pain, especially if you have stitches.

Clothes

Pack loose, comfy clothes which can be layered up but are not too heavy as the hospital ward may be warm. You will still have a sizeable bump so maternity clothes might be a good option. Clothes with buttons, poppers or zips are great for feeding.

Your partner might also want some light clothes like shorts and a T shirt and maybe a top which zips down for when they do skin-to-skin with the baby.

Bag 3: The baby bag

Clothes

We recommend packing a few complete baby outfits in separate freezer bags which can be pulled out of the bag quickly after the birth.

Do not use anything you are worried about keeping pristine for the baby’s first outfit. There will be blood, meconium (the baby’s first poo) and vernix (the white deposit on a baby’s skin after birth) so it may not stay clean for long.

Each freezer bag should include a vest, babygrow with scratch mitts, a hat and a nappy. Size 1 nappies will fit most full-term babies.

A few outfits in both newborn and 0-3 months sizes should ensure you’ll have clothes that fit your baby.

Pack something warmer to take the baby home in and a cellular blanket to place over them. The holes in these blankets mean they are safe for using with newborns.

Nappies

Anticipate using around 10-12 nappies a day. Babies can poo after almost every feed in the early days and you don’t want to risk them getting a nappy rash if you leave a nappy on for too long.

You can either use cotton wool and warm water or WaterWipes for changing nappies. Don’t use perfumed wipes as these will irritate your baby’s skin.

Feeding

If you are going to formula feed your baby you will need to take your own formula. Pre-made formula is great as the quantities your baby eats will be small and it can be kept in the fridge for 24 hours. The hospital will have facilities for you to wash and sterilise your bottles. You can also buy formula with disposable teats which are already sterile.

Muslins are great to include for any spillages when burping your baby.

Car seat

It is unlikely to you will be walking home from the hospital so you will need a car seat for your baby. You can leave this at home or in your car until you are ready to be discharged as it will be too bulky to keep on the ward.

We hope this list answers any questions you have about what to pack. Obviously you can add in any extras which you think will help keep you comfortable and happy during and after the birth.

Click here to see our Amazon shopping list as recommended by parents and experts.