This post is all about what to pack for your hospital bag!

I’m currently in the last stretch of my first pregnancy: the baby could arrive any minute. Also for those who might not know I’m growing and will give birth to this baby in France.

So I’ve had to prepare and pack my hospital bag. There is a lot of information on what you should bring with you: from books, friends, the recommendation from the hospital you’re going to give birth in, youtube…It can all get quite overwhelming if you consider everything.

Also, depending on your knowledge of yourself and how things are done in your country, you might want to take out or add things to the list below.

Feel free to make your perfect list based on the checklist I have prepared. The goal is for you to have the best experience possible.

Please consider that at the time I am writing this post, I have not yet given birth. So this is quite a theoretical list at this stage. I prepared it taking into the feedback from new moms around me, Youtube videos on the topic that resonated with me, and the medical staff at the hospital.

I’ll do a second post once I will have given birth to compare and potentially add or remove items from this list. So be sure to check that post out once it will be published!

Here we go with the checklist to best help you pack your hospital bag for mom, dad, and baby!

 

Hospital bag for mom, dad, and baby

 

When to pack your hospital bag?

The general rule is to have your bag ready 1 month before the due date if you are having one baby and about 1 month and a half if you are having multiple.

This could of course vary depending on the birth plan you might have and the recommendations from your doctor based on your particular pregnancy. Be sure to follow their advice.

I liked having it done this much in advance because it allowed me to have some extra time in case I thought of something else to add to my bag after that 1-month mark. You want to be as serene as possible for the baby’s arrival. So all the stress you can evacuate ahead of time is welcomed.

You’ll have much on your mind the day of!

 

Hospital bag for mom

There are in fact 2 bags to be packed from mom (and baby – more on that down below). One for the delivery room and one for the hospital stay.

 

Mom’s bag for the delivery room

• • Your stuff

This is going to be the smaller of the two bags. I’m taking a duffle bag for this. It could also be a diaper bag.

Depending on the time of day and night you’ll be arriving at the hospital you might either already be in comfortable clothes or you’ll change into them at the hospital. This is the outfit you’ll stay in for a little while before they ask you to change into a hospital gown. At this stage of your pregnancy, you might already have comfortable shoes (like slippers or slide sandals): bring those too!

I’m planning on changing into a nursing bra and a thin bathrobe that I can tie in the front. This will make baby skin-on-skin time easier.

In case you get the epidural, you might get cold, so bring a sweater and socks to keep you warm.

You might stay several hours in the delivery room, so it could be a good idea to bring things to entertain you: your phone (and its charger), an extension cord, a book, a card game, a tablet…

Because I’ll be giving birth in August (summertime in France) and since I’m planning on getting the epidural: I won’t be able to drink or eat from the epidural onwards. I’m bringing a misting bottle.

I tend to have dry lips, so I’ll be bringing lip balm and some hard candy to suck on if I need a pick-me-up.

Here is the exact list of things I am bringing with me in my delivery room bag (with links):

• Slip-on shoes
• Sweater
• Socks
• Bathrobe
• Nursing bra
• Misting bottle
• Lip balm
• Hard candy
• My Kindle
• A game of UNO
• My cell phone and phone charger

 

• • Paperwork

There is always some hospital paperwork involved. The day you’ll be giving birth is no exception. Depending on where you’ll be giving birth they might have a very precise list of documents the medical staff is expecting you to bring.

I have prepared all the required and important documents and put them in a folder provided by the hospital. This is going to be in my delivery bag ready for when I arrive. The neater this folder is the easier it will be for everyone.

Here are some elements you might want to consider bringing with you:

• Social Security and or insurance card
• All the scans and blood work analyses you had done during your pregnancy
• ID card
• A credit card

Make sure you check with your hospital if they have any special requirements.

 

Mom’s bag for the hospital stay

This is going to be the bigger bag for you. I’m taking a suitcase for this one. It will have mine and the baby’s things in it.

Depending on your hospital, they might already have given you an indication of the duration of your stay. For example, I know that if I’m going to have a vaginal birth, I’m going to stay 5 days. If I am having a C-section, it’s going to be 7 days. This helped me in the packing process.

Another element that is important to take into account is how your hospital room is going to be furnished: both in terms of amenities (fridge, hospital bed, breast pump…) and in terms of supplies (pads, creams, soaps…). If things are already there, you won’t have to pack them. Unless of course, you want to use a very specific product that you own.

 

• • Clothes

You’ll have to bring a change of clothes for all the days you are planning on being at the hospital. Bring things in which you’ll be comfortable. Nothing too tight, your body pre and post-labor will be pretty similar in terms of size. Also if you have a scar from a C-section, you won’t want to have anything putting pressure on it. I went for another bathrobe, loose nightgowns, and big flowy dresses.

My hospital will not provide disposable maternity underwear, so I’ll bring my own. This will be one less thing to clean when I get back home.

​Your doctor might recommend you have compression stockings to help with blood circulation. I had to use a pair for traveling earlier in my pregnancy, so I’m going to bring those.

 

• • Toiletries and hygiene products

For toiletries, I’m going to bring my usual skincare routine and some key items of makeup (like mascara, some under-eye concealer, and tinted lip oil). This will help me look more alive in pictures. I’m also going to bring my shampoo, feminine body wash, and body wash. Feel free to take all your favorite products that you cannot live without like dry shampoo could be a good choice and your favorite face wash.

I’m also going to bring some face wipes for me, in case I need a quick fresh up in the middle of the night. My hospital will not provide towels, so I’m bringing my own, which will be softer and more comfortable.

 

• • Breastfeeding related products

I’m planning on breastfeeding the baby, so I’ll be bringing some nursing bras and washable nursing pads.

From the various feedback I’ve been getting from friends and my own research, it would seem that silverettes are the way to go in terms of nipple care. So I’ll bring a pair of those. I haven’t even bought any nipple cream. Let’s see if this was a smart choice or not.

I’m not sure I’m going to need it, but I prefer to have it on hand: my breast pump will be coming to the hospital with me. It’s a portable one, so it will easily fit in my suitcase.

 

• • Products to help you in your recovery journey

After having roamed the internet and watched many many youtube videos on this topic, there seem to be some key elements that can really make your life easier. There are not mandatory, but more a comfort thing.

I’ll be packing a Peri bottle, some reusable ice packs, and a cooling spray. The great thing about ice packs is that they can be used hot or cold depending on the desired effect. They could also be used on the breast to help with any clogging pains.

 

• • Comfort things

Just because a hospital stay can sometimes feel quite uncomfortable, I’ll be bringing some additional things to try and make it as cozy as possible (without packing my whole house up).

I’m going to bring my nursing pillow, which when not used to nurse, will be a great comfortable pillow for me.

You could also bring your favorite snacks. I’ve gone for some quite healthy snacks to help support my recovery and give me energy. A trail mix or bone broths could be some good options too.

Another great tip I got, was to bring a nightlight. Hospital lights can be very bright and harsh and you definitely don’t want to be turning that on in the middle of the night to feed your baby or go to the bathroom. The nightlight can be right by your bed and will much easier on yours and your baby’s eyes for those night feeds.

Here is the exact list of things of the must-have items I am bringing with me in my hospital stay bag:

• Comfortable clothes: bathrobes, loose nightgowns, maxi dresses
• Disposable maternity underwear
• Favorite skincare items
• Extra hair ties
• Key makeup items (mascara, concealer, tinted lip oil)
• Wipes
• Shampoo, feminine body wash, soap
• Towel
• Reusable nursing pads
• Nursing bras
• Compression stockings
• Silverettes
• Breast pump
• Reusable water bottle
• Soft toilet paper
• Nursing pillow
• Peri bottle
• Reusable ice packs
• Cooling spray
• Nightlight

 

Hospital bag for baby

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Baby’s bag for the delivery room

​Same as for you, this is going to be the smaller of the two bags you’ll need for the baby.

This little new baby will need a first outfit. The hospital asked that I bring a long sleeves body, pajamas, a cardigan, a hat, and some socks.

Additionally, I’m going to bring a swaddle blanket and a baby sleeping bag. If I don’t use them right after the delivery, they are both going to be useful for the hospital stay.

The difficulty here is to bring things that your baby will fit in. To best estimate which size they are going to be at birth, ask your doctor during your scan. They should be able to provide some valuable information on height and weight. In France, if your baby is on the smaller side, take the size newborn for clothes. On the other hand, if your baby is going to be bigger, take a size up (one month).

If you really do not know, you could take both sizes and the midwives will know exactly when looking at your baby which size will fit the best.

Here is the exact list of things of the must-have items I am bringing for the baby in the delivery room bag:

• Long sleeve body
• Pajama
• Cotton cardigan
• Pair of socks
• A hat
• Swaddle blanket
• A baby sleeping bag

 

Baby’s bag for the hospital stay

Your baby will need mostly changes of clothes, so bring lots of long or short sleeves body (depending on the weather conditions you’ll be giving birth in), pajamas, cardigans, socks, and hats. You should bring at least one of each (except a hat and socks which you could reuse) for each day you’re going to stay in the hospital.

Since I’ll be staying 5 to 7 days in the hospital, I brought 5-7 body/pajamas…

I brought several swaddle blankets and 2 towels for the baby because the hospital won’t be providing those. They will however provide all the toiletries, soaps, wet wipes, and others that the baby will need.

I’m also going to bring a baby’s hairbrush and a body and bath thermometer at the request of the hospital.

The one thing that you might have put lots of effort into is the going home outfit. Again, if you are not sure of the size or the exact outfit, you could bring one or two alternatives.

Here is the exact list of things of the must-have items I am bringing for the baby in the hospital stay bag:

• Long sleeve bodies
• Short sleeve bodies
• Pajamas
• Cardigans
• A hat
• Socks
• Swaddle blankets
• A second baby sleeping bag
• A going-home outfit
• Baby towels
• Toiletries not provided by the hospital (hair brush, thermometer for body and bath)

​

​Hospital bag for dad

This one will depend on whether or not the dad will be staying in the hospital with you or not.

If he is staying, then he should bring a change of clothes and his own toiletries. Considering the focus is more on you and the baby, the bed on which dad will sleep might not be the most comfortable one. Bringing your own pillow or a cozy blanket could be a great enhancement of the experience.

For the delivery room, you might want to consider putting Dad in charge of the playlist and the taking of pictures (when the time is right of course). So things like memory cards, a cell phone, a charger, a small speaker might be things to consider bringing with you.

He might also bring some drinks and snacks because he will be able to eat (contrary to mom), and if you have a long labor, you don’t need a hangry entourage!

A good tip I got from the midwives was to bring some change for the hospital vending machine.

Here is the exact list of things of the must-have items for dad’s hospital bag:

• Change of clothes and toiletries if he staying in the hospital with you
• Snacks and drinks
• Money
• Video camera or phone and charger
• A speaker and a great Spotify playlist

 

This post was the ultimate hospital bag checklist for mom, dad, and baby!

 

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