Are you unsure about what to pack in your hospital bag? Do you need to pack nappies? What clothes will the baby need? Will you want anything specific for when you’re in labour?
Firstly, check with your hospital. Some may provide things like nappies and wipes, but many don’t. They may have a birth ball in all of the birth suites – but if they don’t you might want to bring your own. Each hospital should have a suggested list of what to pack, so make sure you ask about this.
Other than that, the best thing is to ask other mums what they packed and what helped them through labour. We’ve asked our Bub Hub forum members to help create this suggested hospital packing list for labour, mum and baby.
You can also consider keeping some additional supplies in a handy bag at home for your partner or family to bring in the day after the birth rather than trying to lug a really heavy bag in with you while you are in labour!
What to pack for labour and hospital – a checklist
For Labour
- Hospital paperwork – registration card/health record or similar
- Medicare card and/or private health insurance company card
- Lip Balm/paw paw ointment
- Hair bands
- Water bottle
- Phone/charger/credit
- Camera/charger
- Facewashers
- Gatorade/Powerade/Lemonade
- Snacks, drinks and spare clothes/swimmers/towel for your birthing partner – in case they want to get in the shower with you.
- Snack food/jelly beans
- Thongs
- Music and some way to play it
- Heat pack
- Socks
- Baggy shirts/singlets
- Mints
- Birth plan
- Stress balls
- Massage oil
- Spare change
For Mum
- Shampoo/conditioner/shower gel/hairdryer
- Shower puff
- Towel
- Clothes
- A book to read (maybe a baby care or breastfeeding book)
- A pen/notebook
- Your own pillow
- Nice clothes to wear home/wear in photos
- Moisturiser
- Posh toilet paper (hospital toilet paper can be rough, post-birth)
- Maternity pads
- Cheap pack of black undies/men’s undies
- Pyjamas/nighties – with easy access for breastfeeding
- Ural – will help take the sting out of your pee
- Ear plugs
- Hairbrush
- Maternity bras
- Snacks/lollies/chocolate/fruit drink, muesli bars
- Dressing gown
- Slippers
- Nursing pads
- Spare change
- Nice clothes that make you feel good, don’t dig around your waist and are easy to breastfeed in
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Makeup
- Deodorant
- Plastic bags for dirty clothes (for you and bub)
- Maternity shirts (you wont shrink back down to your old size overnight!)
For Caesareans specifically
- Big underwear “granny undies” that don’t sit on your wound
- Big pants that don’t irritate your wound
- Sanitary pads – good to put over the wound as padding
- Metamucil/stool softeners – your first bowel movement can be bad
- Tights that you can lift above the wound
- Comfy dresses if it’s warm enough for them – won’t irritate wound
- Comfort food – whatever makes you feel good
- Yoghurt – to get good bacteria into your stomach afterwards
- Mouthwash – if you want to freshen up your mouth but can’t get out of bed yet
- Hair dryer to dry your wound
For baby
Check what your hospital provides before you pack for baby …
- Nappies
- Singlets x 3
- Grosuits x 3 (at least) – in at least two sizes! Take some 0000 clothes and some 000 even a 00000 if you like, that way whatever size bub is they will have something to wear
- Beanies
- Mittens
- Blankets/bunny rugs
- Nice going-home outfit for bub
- Muslin wrap
- Socks
- A dummy (just in case, washed and sterilised)
- Big tub of wipes
Hospital bag packing tips from our forum members
“The best thing I had, which I thought was stupid but my Mum insisted on getting me, was men’s undies. They were so much more comfy than ladies when you have those horrible pads to wear and if you get stiches there is enough room in them for the icepack to sooth your privates.”
“Take a spray bottle – good for spraying your bits when you wee as it diluted the urine and makes it sting less!”
“I found ear plugs were great! The nurses took bub during the night for me (after five days of labour I was exhausted!) and the ear plugs allowed me to sleep.”
“My own pillow … I hate the plasticy types of pillows in the hospital! My own pillow made me feel like I was more at home.”
“My mum bought me in my nail kit so I could repaint and file my toe and fingernails … and also my facial mask. I felt a million bucks after doing this!”
“I took my own towel too, their towels are white and when bleeding so much I felt “odd” using a white towel after a shower. Mum would take my towel home Every second day and wash and bring me a new one.”
“A tennis ball. Best advice I got was to take one for my husband to roll around my back during labour, saved his hand getting sore!”
“I took lovely smelling bathroom products purchased JUST for this occasion to make me feel special afterwards. Like shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, perfume, lip balm, soap. Now whenever I use the same brand, it makes me think of that special time.”
“Dry shampoo. (You may end up with a c-section or be bed ridden after a vaginal birth gone wrong. Both of these mean you can at least freshen up from your bed.)”
“Pack a nappy bag like you would to go out, who knows what will happen on the drive home.
DON’T FORGET!!“
A massive thanks to Bub Hub memers ilovelucy, bingo, meeka2k, mybump2010, MummysYellowCar, MyFourCubs, elleandsam, and all our wonderful Facebook friends who shared their best tips with us!
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Print our Hospital Bag Checklist ›
We’ve made a simple checklist so you can pack your hospital bag with ease.