What to pack in your hospital bag

It’s a question every mother-to-be asks – what do you need to take with you to hospital for when you give birth? With everything that you have going on getting ready for your baby’s arrival, we thought we’d take the stress out of this question by putting together a comprehensive list of what you need to take with you into hospital.

The Essentials

For you:

Labour:

- Your Medicare card, any private health insurance details and any prefilled hospital paperwork
- A copy of your birth plan
- Clothes for when you are in labour (an old t-shirt or nighty is ideal, a dressing gown can also provide comfort and warmth)
- Socks and slippers, thongs for if you are warm
- Swimwear for your partner if you intend to use a shower or birth pool
- Snacks and drinks of your choice to help you maintain energy during labour

For your hospital stay:

- Comfortable loose fitting clothes
- High waisted underwear (to cover your wound if you have a caesarean and to help with belly support) @myformation have a great range, see here.
- Nursing Bras (once again if you intend to breastfeed)
- Breast pads (whether you intend to breastfeed or not)
- Nipple Cream (to help sore nipples from establishing breastfeeding)
- A shawl or blanket to cover yourself whilst breastfeeding (hospitals can be cold!)
- Maternity Disposable Underwear (maternity panty) or Maternity Pads. See our range here
- Phone Charger
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- If your partner is staying in hospital with you pajamas for them (we’ve heard stories from fellow midwives catching husbands in what they wear to sleep at home – hint – it’s not much!)

For baby:

- Singlets and Onesies/sleepsuits (between 3 and 6 depending on how long you will be in hospital)
- Socks and mittens
- A hat or beanie to keep baby warm while they aren’t sleeping
- A wrap or baby blanket for leaving hospital
- Disposable or reusable nappies (up to 12 per day). Some hospitals supply newborn nappies, so check before you pack to save on space.
- Baby wipes or cotton wool balls for changing nappies
- Muslin Wraps or Burping Cloths for baby spit-ups
- The car seat installed for when you leave hospital
- Frozen expressed colostrum (if this is something that you have been instructed to collect by your medical team)

Optional Extras:

Labour:

- A portable speaker (some hospitals will allow you to play your own music when you are in birth suite)
- A laptop or tablet with your favourite shows downloaded (labour can start with a lot of waiting around)
- A TENS pain relief machine
- The Labour Comb – shop here
- A diffuser and essential oils
- Water spray or hand hold fan for your partner to keep you cool

For your hospital stay:

- An Eye mask (there are a lot of lights in hospitals)
- Your own pillows
- A Peri Bottle to help with vaginal hygiene and comfort – We stock the OhMama peri bottle here
- Peri Spray for comfort and healing post birth
- A notepad to track your baby’s feeding and bowel movements
- Gifts for older siblings

When do you need to have your bags ready?

You can start gathering together what you need whenever you are ready, but you should try to have a bag packed by around 36 weeks. Even if you intend not go to hospital for your birth experience, you should pack a bag in case you need to go in unexpectedly.

Looking for a handy printable version of our Childbirth Checklist? Download it here.