Hospital bag checklist

Pack it by around 36 weeks. Two bags is easier than one enormous one — a labour bag you can grab, and a stay bag that can live in the car.

Your hospital or midwifery team may have their own list — check it, and follow theirs where it differs. If you are planning a home birth, ask your midwife what to have ready instead.

All printables

Paperwork & essentials

Maternity notesOr how to access them on your phone — check before you need to
Birth preferences, if you have written any
Phone and a long charging cable
Snacks and drinksIsotonic drinks and things you can eat one-handed
Change and a card for parking and vending machines

For labour

Something loose to labour in that you do not mind ruining
Flip-flops or old slippers for the shower
Hair band, lip balm, hand fan
A pillow from homeHospital pillows are famously thin. Use a coloured pillowcase so it comes home
Music or headphones
TENS machine, if you are using one

For you afterwards

Maternity padsMore than you think. Two packs
Disposable or old dark underwearSeveral pairs
Nursing bras and breast pads
A loose going-home outfit, still bump-sized
Two nighties or pyjamas that open at the frontFor skin-to-skin and feeding
Toiletries, towel, and a hairbrush
Any regular medication

For the baby

NappiesA pack of newborn size
Cotton wool or water wipes
Vests and sleepsuitsTwo or three each — more if you can
A hat, scent-free
Muslins
A blanket and a coming-home outfitWeather-appropriate
Car seatFitted and practised in advance — you cannot leave without it

For your birth partner

Their own snacks and drink — genuinely, this gets forgotten
Change of clothes and a toothbrush
Phone charger
Pillow and something to sleep on if they can stay

The things people forget

A towelNot always provided
Glasses, and contact lens things
A notebook and pen
A list of who to ringYou will not remember numbers
Something to read or watch for a long early labour

Written by a practising, registered childminder who runs The Kids Hub — Childcare of Kings Langley.

Independent review: this sheet has not yet been checked by a midwife. It was written by a practising, registered childminder and fact-checked against the sources named on it. Always follow advice from your own midwife, health visitor, GP or other clinician over anything you read here. If you spot an error, tell us — we would rather know.

Last checked: August 2026.

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