Hospital Bag Packing List
By the NanoPack team · Updated on · Checked against official sources
What to pack in your hospital bag: this checklist splits it into mom (labor and after the birth), the baby, and your partner, and it should be ready by about 36 weeks. Bring your ID and birth plan, a long phone charger, loose comfortable clothes and a going-home outfit, your own toiletries and nursing bras, and, for the baby, a going-home outfit and an approved rear-facing car seat, fitted in advance and required for the drive home. You can pack light on maternity pads, disposable underwear and newborn diapers, since the hospital usually provides those. Follow your own hospital or midwife's list too.
Hospital Bag essentials at a glance
- ID, paperwork and your birth plan
- A long phone charging cable
- Loose, comfortable clothes and a going-home outfit
- Nursing bras and your own toiletries
- A going-home outfit for the baby
- An approved rear-facing car seat, fitted
- Non-slip socks and slippers
- Snacks and a water bottle with a straw
A hospital bag turns a stressful, middle-of-the-night dash into a simple grab-and-go, but only if it is packed early and packed for the parts of the stay that actually catch people out. Two matter most: an approved car seat, which you cannot legally drive the baby home without, and the comfort items the ward does not provide. Nearly everything else is lighter than the internet suggests, because hospitals supply the basics, so pack this alongside your own hospital or midwife's list.
For mom: during labor
- ID, hospital paperwork and your birth plan
- Phone and a long charging cable · sockets are never near the bed
- A loose gown or nightdress you do not mind ruining
- Non-slip socks and slippers
- Lip balm and hair ties
- A water bottle with a straw
- Light snacks for the early hours
- A fan or cooling spray
For mom: after the birth
- A loose, comfortable going-home outfit
- Nursing bras and breast pads
- Dark, comfortable underwear
- Your own toiletries and a towel
- A few maternity pads · the hospital provides some
- A phone charger
For the baby
- A going-home outfit and a hat
- A few onesies or sleepsuits
- Scratch mitts
- A blanket or bunting for the car seat
- Burp cloths
- An approved rear-facing car seat · fitted in your car in advance
For your partner
- Snacks and a water bottle
- A change of clothes
- A phone charger
- Cash for parking and vending
- A pillow and something to sleep on
What not to pack
- Piles of newborn diapers and pads · the hospital supplies these; bring a small stash, not a fortnight's worth
- Anything valuable · leave jewelry and valuables at home; wards are busy places
- Tight or fussy clothes · loose, dark and comfortable wins for recovery and feeding
- Candles or your own equipment · open flames are not allowed and the ward has what it needs
What the hospital usually provides
Confirm with your own hospital: US hospitals usually supply these, but some UK NHS wards ask you to bring your own pads and diapers.
- Diapers and wipes for the baby
- Disposable underwear for you
- Maternity pads
- A perineal (peri) spray bottle
- Baby blankets and a hat
- Hospital gowns
Packing tips and mistakes to avoid
Pack it by 36 weeks
Have the bag ready by 36 to 37 weeks, or earlier if you are high-risk or expecting to go early, so the start of labor is a grab-and-go rather than a frantic search through drawers.
The car seat is non-negotiable
An approved rear-facing infant car seat, fitted in your car in advance, is required for the drive home, and most hospitals will not discharge the baby until they have seen one. Sort it out weeks ahead, not on the day.
Pack light on what the hospital provides
Diapers, wipes, maternity pads and disposable underwear are usually supplied on the ward, so bring only a small amount and save the space for the comfort items the hospital does not give you.
Loose, dark and comfortable
For your going-home outfit, dress for a few weeks postpartum, not your pre-pregnancy size. Loose clothes and dark colors are the comfortable, practical choice for recovery and feeding.
The things people forget
- An approved rear-facing car seat, fitted in advance
- A long phone charging cable
- Your own pillow from home
- Lip balm and hair ties
What people wish they had packed
- Non-slip socks and slippers for the ward
- Snacks for the small hours
- A water bottle with a straw
- A loose, comfortable going-home outfit
Frequently asked questions
When should you pack your hospital bag?
By around 36 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, and earlier, closer to 35 weeks, if you are high-risk or your doctor thinks you may go into labor early. Packing ahead means a sudden start to labor is not a scramble.
What should be on a hospital bag checklist for mom and baby?
For mom: your ID and birth plan, a long charger, loose comfortable clothes, a going-home outfit, toiletries and nursing bras. For the baby: a going-home outfit and hat, a few sleepsuits, and an approved rear-facing car seat fitted in advance. Pack light on the pads and diapers the hospital provides, and add anything on your own hospital's list.
What does the hospital provide?
Most hospitals supply diapers and wipes for the baby, disposable underwear and maternity pads for you, a perineal spray bottle, baby blankets and a hat, and hospital gowns. Provision varies, so confirm with yours and pack a small backup.
Do you need a car seat to leave the hospital?
Yes, and staff will check it before you go. Fit an approved rear-facing infant car seat in your car well before your due date, since it is the one thing on this list you cannot sort out at the last minute.
What do you actually need in a hospital bag?
Your ID and birth plan, a long charger, loose comfortable clothes and a going-home outfit, your own toiletries and nursing bras, a going-home outfit for the baby, and the fitted car seat. Pack light on the pads and diapers the hospital provides.