What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag: A Complete Checklist

16 January 2025| Updated 8 October 2026|Accessories & Care|Guide|Tips and Tricks

Quick Answer

A hospital bag should cover the essentials for labour, recovery, your newborn and your birth partner. For you, prioritise maternity notes, comfortable clothing, toiletries, maternity pads, underwear, bras, snacks, drinks, medication and a phone charger. For your baby, pack sleepsuits, vests, nappies, wipes or cotton wool, muslins, a blanket, a hat and the clothes they will wear home. It is sensible to have your bag ready around three weeks before your due date, or earlier if your maternity team advises you to.

✓

Expert-led and source-backed This guide is based on the original checklist created with practising NHS Midwifery Sister Midwife Pip and has been updated with reference to the NHS hospital bag checklist. Always check what your own maternity unit provides or asks you to bring.

As you reach the third trimester, packing your hospital bag is one of those jobs that can make the arrival of your baby suddenly feel very real.

The good news is that you do not need to pack for every possible scenario. The most useful hospital bag is one that covers the essentials and makes them easy to find when you need them.

To take away some of the second guessing, this complete hospital bag checklist brings together practical advice for you, your baby and your birth partner, alongside organisation tips from experienced NHS Midwifery Sister, author and mum Midwife Pip.

When to pack Around three weeks before your due date

For labour Comfort, hydration and the things that help you feel settled

For baby Clothing, nappies and everything needed for going home

Best packing tip Make sure your birth partner knows where everything is

iCandy pram bag suitable for organising hospital and baby essentials

Choosing your bag

What type of bag should you use as a hospital bag?

There is no specific type of hospital bag you need. A weekend bag, small suitcase, holdall or spacious changing bag can all work well.

Compartments can be particularly helpful because they let you separate toiletries, clothing, baby items and smaller essentials rather than searching through one large space during labour.

It can also be useful for your birth partner to bring a separate rucksack containing their own food, clothes, toiletries and charger. This keeps their things out of your main bag and gives you more space.

Whichever bag you choose, prioritise organisation over size. A smaller, well-organised bag is often more useful than one packed with things you are unlikely to use.

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When to get organised

When should you pack your hospital bag?

The NHS recommends having your hospital bag ready at least three weeks before your due date. Some maternity units advise being packed by around 35 weeks, so follow any specific guidance from your own midwife or hospital.

First Make the checklist Start gathering the things you already own and identify anything you still need to buy, wash or prepare.

Around 35–37 weeks Have the main bag ready Pack the items you can live without day to day and leave only a short list of last-minute essentials to add.

Before you need it Put it somewhere obvious Keep the bag, maternity notes and your final checklist somewhere easy for you or your birth partner to grab.

Hospital bag checklist for mum

What should you pack in your hospital bag for labour and after birth?

Think about three stages: labour itself, the first hours after birth and the journey home. These are the essentials most likely to earn their place in the bag.

For you

Labour, recovery and everyday essentials

Labour & comfort

Your maternity notes and birth preferences or birth plan
Loose, comfortable clothing to wear during labour
A dressing gown
Slippers or flip-flops
Socks
A comfortable pillow if you would like your own
A TENS machine if you plan to use one
Music, podcasts, books or another form of entertainment
A fan or water spray if you would find it helpful
A water bottle
Snacks and drinks

Clothing & recovery

Comfortable nightwear
Three changes of comfortable clothing
Five or six pairs of comfortable knickers
Two or three comfortable bras, including nursing bras if required
Breast pads
Two packs of super-absorbent maternity or sanitary pads
A comfortable outfit to travel home in
A spare bag for dirty washing

Toiletries & personal items

Toothbrush and toothpaste
Hairbrush and hair ties
Soap or shower products
Deodorant
Lip balm
Flannel
Towels
Hand sanitiser
Glasses or contact lenses if you wear them
An eye mask if you find it easier to sleep with one

Things that are easy to forget

Any medicines you normally take
Your phone
An extra-long charging cable
Headphones if required
Your bank card or usual payment method
Parking information if you're travelling by car
A written list of important phone numbers as a backup

Check your maternity unit before packing Hospitals and birth centres vary in what they provide, and your own maternity team may recommend additional items based on your birth plan or individual circumstances.

Hospital bag checklist for baby

What should you pack in a hospital bag for your newborn?

A newborn does not need a huge wardrobe in hospital. A small number of simple layers, changing essentials and an appropriate outfit for going home will cover most stays.

If you are unsure which clothing size your baby will need, you may wish to take a small selection and label each size clearly. This makes it much easier for someone else to find the right outfit.

If you're travelling home by car, have your infant car seat ready in advance and practise fitting and using it according to the manufacturer's instructions before your due date.

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For your baby

Newborn hospital bag essentials

Clothing & comfort

Three or four sleepsuits
Three or four bodysuits or vests
A hat
A cardigan or suitable additional layer if the weather is cold
An appropriate outfit for going home
A baby blanket or shawl
Several muslin squares

Changing & feeding

A supply of newborn nappies
Cotton wool or suitable fragrance-free wipes
Spare clothing for unexpected changes
Any feeding items your maternity unit has asked you to bring
An infant car seat if travelling home by car

Hospital bag checklist for your birth partner

What should a birth partner pack?

Your birth partner may be at the hospital for many hours, so packing their essentials separately means they can stay comfortable without using the space in your main hospital bag.

Essentials

Their own bag

Plenty of snacks and drinks
A change of comfortable clothes
Basic toiletries
Phone and charger
Any medication they need
Payment method and parking information if relevant

For the waiting

Things that make a long stay easier

A book, downloaded podcast or other entertainment
Headphones
A warm layer
Anything they need for an overnight stay if permitted

Most importantly, make sure they know where everything in your bag is packed.

Midwife Pip's practical packing advice

How can you make your hospital bag easier to use during labour?

During labour it may be your birth partner or midwife getting things from the bag rather than you, so organisation matters more than making the bag look perfectly packed.

Pack the bag together

If your birth partner helps pack, they'll already know what is in the bag and where to find it when you ask for something.

Use labelled packing cubes or clear bags

Group things such as nappies, your baby's first outfit, toiletries and post-birth clothing so they can be found immediately.

Separate different baby sizes

If you're packing newborn and 0–3 month clothes, label each set so nobody has to inspect clothing labels when you need an outfit.

Take a laundry bag

Keep dirty clothes and used muslins separate from everything clean. When you get home, the whole bag can go straight to the laundry.

Keep a last-minute checklist

Your phone, maternity notes, everyday medicines and other things you still need before labour can sit on a short checklist beside the packed bag.

Planning a home birth?

It is still worth packing a transfer bag

If you're planning to give birth at home, having a small hospital transfer bag ready can still be useful in case your maternity team recommends transferring to hospital before, during or after labour.

Keep it somewhere obvious alongside your maternity notes so it can be picked up quickly if plans change.

Expert contributor

Hospital bag advice from Midwife Pip

This guide was originally created with Midwife Pip, an experienced practising NHS Midwifery Sister, MSc, author of Midwife Pip's Guide to a Positive Birth, podcast founder, pelvic health specialist, pre and postnatal trainer and mum.

Her work focuses on giving families access to practical, high-quality information throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.

The checklist above has also been updated with reference to current NHS hospital bag guidance. For individual advice about your pregnancy or birth, speak to your own midwife or maternity team.

Common questions

Hospital Bag FAQs

When should I pack my hospital bag?

The NHS suggests having your hospital bag ready at least three weeks before your due date. Some maternity units recommend being packed by around 35 weeks. Follow any specific advice from your own maternity team.

How many hospital bags do I need?

You do not need a specific number. One main bag for you and baby can work well, although a separate rucksack for your birth partner is useful because it keeps their food, clothing and personal items separate.

Does my birth partner need their own hospital bag?

It is not essential, but it can make the stay much easier. Their own bag can contain snacks, drinks, a change of clothes, toiletries, medication, entertainment, a phone and charger.

What should I pack for my newborn baby?

Pack a small number of sleepsuits and vests, nappies, cotton wool or appropriate wipes, muslins, a hat, blanket and an outfit suitable for going home. If you are travelling home by car, have the correct infant car seat ready too.

Do I need to take formula or bottles to hospital?

What maternity units provide can vary. If you are planning to formula feed or combination feed, ask your own hospital or midwife what you should bring before packing bottles, formula or feeding equipment.

Do hospitals provide nappies and maternity pads?

Provision varies between maternity units, so it is safest to check directly with the hospital where you plan to give birth. The NHS hospital bag checklist recommends packing your own nappies and maternity pads.

Should I pack a hospital bag if I am planning a home birth?

Yes, a small transfer bag can be useful even when a home birth is planned. If you need to transfer to hospital, your essential items and baby's first clothes will already be ready to go.

Ready for the big day

Pack the essentials. Organise them well. Then forget about the bag.

The goal of a hospital bag is not to prepare for every imaginable situation. It is to make labour, birth and those first hours with your baby a little easier.

Once the essentials are packed and your birth partner knows where everything lives, keep the bag somewhere accessible alongside your maternity notes and enjoy having one less job on the list.

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