What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
Preparing for birth
What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
The complete checklist for labour, recovery and bringing your bub home. Written by the mums at Preggi Central, who have packed a few of these ourselves.
Supporting mums every step
Packing your hospital bag is one of those jobs that sits on the list for weeks, then suddenly feels urgent at 3am when you cannot sleep. It is also one of the loveliest things you can do for yourself, because the version of you who is in labour will be so glad the thinking is already done.
There is no perfect bag. Some mums are in and out in 24 hours, others stay for the better part of a week. What we can tell you, after years of chatting with mums across the counter in Frankston, is that the things people wish they had packed are almost always the small comforts rather than the big items.
Here is everything worth considering, grouped so you can pack it in one calm afternoon.
When should you pack it?
A gentle timeline
Aim to have your bag ready by 35 to 36 weeks. Bubs arrive on their own schedule, and having it packed early takes one worry off the list. If you are expecting twins or have been told you may deliver earlier, bring that forward to around 32 weeks.
Keep it somewhere obvious. By the front door, in the boot of the car, or at the end of your bed. Tell your partner or support person exactly where it is, because in the moment nobody thinks clearly.
A small thing that helps: pack two bags rather than one. A smaller bag for labour that stays with you in the birth suite, and a larger one for your ward stay that can wait in the car. It saves your support person digging through everything while you are mid contraction.
For labour and birth
The bag that stays with you in the room
Comfort and practical
Labour is warm, long and unpredictable. Think loose, cool and easy to move in.
- ☐Loose nightie or oversized tee you do not mind never wearing again
- ☐Comfortable robe or dressing gown
- ☐Socks with grip on the soleHospital floors are cold and slippery, and feet get freezing during labour
- ☐Slippers or thongs for the shower
- ☐Hair ties, clips and a soft headband
- ☐Lip balmThe single most requested item we hear about. Gas and deep breathing dry your lips out fast
- ☐Hand fan or small battery fan
- ☐Water bottle with a straw or sports lid
- ☐Heat pack or wheat bag
- ☐Massage oil or lotion, if you would like back pressure
- ☐Your own pillow in a coloured pillowcase so it does not get lost
Comfort for the mind
- ☐Phone and a long charging cableStandard cables never reach hospital power points. Go for two metres or more
- ☐Headphones or a small speaker
- ☐A playlist, podcast or audiobook already downloaded
- ☐Battery pack, fully charged
- ☐Snacks that keep well: muesli bars, dried fruit, lollies, electrolyte sachets
- ☐Anything from your birth preferences that matters to you, such as affirmation cards or a small light
For after the birth
Your recovery bag, and the part most mums underpack
The days after birth are tender. Your body is doing an enormous amount of work, you are learning to feed a brand new person, and you are running on very little sleep. Everything in this section is about making those days softer.
Clothing
- ☐Two or three nursing nighties or pyjama sets that open at the frontButtons or a drop panel make night feeds far easier in the dark
- ☐Two nursing bras or comfortable crop style brasYour size will change as your milk comes in, so soft and stretchy beats structured
- ☐Five to seven pairs of high rise briefs in a size upEspecially important after a caesarean, so nothing sits on the wound
- ☐Loose leggings or track pants
- ☐A comfortable outfit to come home inSomething that fit you around six months pregnant is usually about right
- ☐Robe or cardigan for wandering the ward
- ☐Extra socks
Recovery essentials
This is where the Mumasil range earns its place. Gentle, practical and made for exactly these few days.
- ☐Maternity pads, two packsHospitals provide some, but not enough, and yours will be nicer
- ☐Disposable postpartum briefs
- ☐Mumasil nipple balmApply from the very first feed rather than waiting until you are sore
- ☐Mumasil breast padsPack more than you think. Leaking is unpredictable in the early days
- ☐Postpartum recovery shorts or a support garment, if you plan to use one
- ☐Mumasil peri bottleOne of the kindest things you can pack for yourself
- ☐Any medication you take regularly, in its original packaging
- ☐Lactation tea or cookies, if you would like them on hand
We stock the Mumasil Nurture and Recover range in store and online, so you can pick up your nipple balm, breast pads and recovery essentials in one go. And if you are not sure what size nursing bra to pack, our team fits hundreds of mums a year. The sweet spot is a fitting at around 36 weeks, no appointment needed.
Toiletries
A hot shower after birth is a genuinely wonderful thing. Make it a good one.
- ☐Shampoo, conditioner and body wash in travel sizes
- ☐Toothbrush and toothpaste
- ☐Deodorant
- ☐Face wipes and moisturiser
- ☐Hairbrush and dry shampoo
- ☐Your own towel, dark coloured
- ☐Tinted moisturiser or a little makeup, if it makes you feel human
- ☐Glasses, contacts and solution
For your baby
Less than you think, but the right things
Most Australian hospitals provide nappies, wipes and a bassinet for the ward. Check with yours first, because it changes what you need to bring. Everything below assumes a short stay.
Clothing and wrapping
- ☐Four to six bodysuits or onesies in newborn and 0000Pack both sizes. Nobody knows how big bub will be
- ☐Two or three singlets
- ☐Two or three pairs of socks or booties
- ☐Two beanies or soft hats
- ☐Two muslin wraps and one warmer wrap
- ☐Scratch mittens
- ☐A special outfit to come home in
- ☐A warm layer suited to the season
Practical
- ☐Nappies, one small pack, in case the hospital runs low
- ☐Water wipes or cotton pads for the first few days
- ☐Nappy cream
- ☐Two bibs and two burp cloths
- ☐A capsule or car seat, correctly fitted and installed before you goYou will not be discharged without one, so book the fitting well ahead of your due date
- ☐A pram, if you would like it at the hospital
- ☐Formula and bottles, if that is part of your plan
- ☐A dummy, if you plan to use one
For your partner or support person
Because a hungry, uncomfortable support person helps nobody
- ☐Change of clothes and a jumper
- ☐Swimmers or board shorts, if they might get in the shower with you
- ☐Toiletries and a towel
- ☐Snacks and a drink bottle
- ☐Coins or a card for the car park and the vending machine
- ☐Their own phone charger
- ☐Pillow and a light blanket, if they are staying overnight
- ☐A book or something to do during the quiet stretches
- ☐A list of who to message, agreed on beforehand
Documents and admin
Keep these together in one folder or pouch
- ☐Medicare card
- ☐Private health insurance details, if you have cover
- ☐Your pregnancy record or handheld notes
- ☐Hospital admission paperwork
- ☐Photo identification
- ☐Birth preferences, printed, a few copies
- ☐Any referrals, ultrasound reports or test results
- ☐Emergency contacts written on paper, not only in your phone
The things mums tell us they forgot
Over the years, the same few items come up again and again in conversation. None of them are expensive. All of them make a difference.
- A long phone charger. Hospital power points are rarely near the bed.
- Their own pillow. Hospital pillows are flat and plastic backed.
- Snacks for the middle of the night. The cafeteria closes, and you will be ravenous after feeding.
- Dark coloured towels and underwear. Everything is easier when you are not worried about stains.
- A hand fan. Labour rooms run warm and you cannot always open a window.
- Loose clothes to go home in. You will still look around five or six months pregnant, and that is completely normal.
Please leave at home: jewellery, large amounts of cash, anything valuable, scented candles and heavy perfume. Newborns are sensitive to strong smells, and most hospitals do not allow open flames.
A few final thoughts
You will not get this perfect, and you do not need to. Somebody can bring you the thing you forgot. What matters far more is that you walk in feeling looked after, and that you have a few small comforts that are yours in a room full of things that are not.
If you are standing in front of a half packed bag feeling a bit overwhelmed, that is very normal too. Come and see us. We have four comfy chairs, cold water, and a team who have all done this themselves and are happy to talk it through.
The quick checklist
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Labour bag
- ☐Loose nightie or tee
- ☐Robe
- ☐Grip socks and thongs
- ☐Hair ties
- ☐Lip balm
- ☐Hand fan
- ☐Water bottle with straw
- ☐Heat pack
- ☐Own pillow
- ☐Long phone charger
- ☐Battery pack
- ☐Headphones and playlist
- ☐Snacks
Recovery
- ☐Nursing nighties or pyjamas
- ☐Nursing bras
- ☐High rise briefs, size up
- ☐Loose leggings
- ☐Outfit to come home in
- ☐Maternity pads
- ☐Disposable briefs
- ☐Mumasil nipple balm
- ☐Mumasil breast pads
- ☐Recovery shorts
- ☐Mumasil peri bottle
- ☐Regular medication
Toiletries
- ☐Shampoo, conditioner, body wash
- ☐Toothbrush and toothpaste
- ☐Deodorant
- ☐Moisturiser and face wipes
- ☐Hairbrush and dry shampoo
- ☐Dark towel
- ☐Glasses or contacts
For bub
- ☐Bodysuits, newborn and 0000
- ☐Singlets
- ☐Socks and booties
- ☐Beanies
- ☐Muslin and warm wraps
- ☐Scratch mittens
- ☐Outfit to come home in
- ☐Nappies and wipes
- ☐Nappy cream
- ☐Bibs and burp cloths
- ☐Car seat, fitted
Support person
- ☐Change of clothes
- ☐Toiletries and towel
- ☐Snacks and drink bottle
- ☐Car park money
- ☐Phone charger
- ☐Pillow and blanket
Documents
- ☐Medicare card
- ☐Health insurance details
- ☐Pregnancy record
- ☐Admission paperwork
- ☐Photo identification
- ☐Birth preferences, printed
- ☐Emergency contacts
Everything for your hospital bag, in one place
Nursing bras and professional fittings, nursing sleepwear, the Mumasil Nurture and Recover range, maternity pads and the small comforts that make those first few days easier. Visit us in Frankston or shop online.
Shop hospital bag essentialsThis article is general information and is not a substitute for advice from your midwife, obstetrician or GP. Always check your own hospital's guidelines, as what they provide can vary.
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