The Perfectly Prepared Hospital Bag

It’s pretty easy to find lists of what to bring in your hospital bag. When I was researching what to bring when I had my first baby, I found some pretty extensive recommendations. Not really sure what I would need and wanting to be as prepared as possible, I got all the things everyone suggested.

I ended up bringing an entire wagon full of supplies to the hospital.

While I can say I was certainly prepared, I did not end up using 90% of the things that I brought. When it came time to pack by bag for my second baby, I was not bringing another wagon. I knew what I needed, and also what I didn’t.

One reasonable sized bag for me and a diaper bag for baby, packed with only the things we would actually use. After lots of research and two rounds of trial and error, I have put together a list of all the things I recommend for you to bring in your hospital bag. 

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Packing List For Your Hospital Bag

Items For Labor & Delivery

Labor & Delivery Gown –

The hospital will provide you with a gown, but its typically itchy and uncomfortable and you know someone else has worn it while getting their body fluids on it – yuck! I highly recommend bringing your own gown so you can feel as clean and comfortable as possible for this very uncomfortable experience you’re about to have.

While there are many good options, I absolutely LOVED my Kindred Bravely Labor & Delivery Gown. I used a different brand for my first baby, and it was ok, but this one was a huge upgrade. It was so soft and functional and comfortable, with openings in front for nursing and monitors, and in the  back for epidural placement. I also liked the way it looked in the photos that I will cherish forever. 

Portable Speaker & Birth Playlist- 

I highly recommend making a playlist for birth, and bringing a speaker with you to play it on during labor & delivery. Having a playlist we spent months curating set the perfect vibe for our little one’s big debut. It also helps keep the atmosphere in the labor and delivery room calm and familiar. I love the JBL Clip On Speaker, but any portable speaker will do. 

Water Bottle – 

You’re going to be working hard and will want to stay as hydrated as possible. The hospital will provide you with as much water as you want, but I found it helpful to have my own giant, ice cold bottle of water so I didn’t have to constantly be asking the nurses for refills and ice. I love my Stanley 40oz Tumbler. It will leak if you tip it over, but the size, the easy access with the straw, and the fact that my ice stays frozen makes it the one for me. 

Granny Panties –

For the early stages of labor, there are lots of people in and out of your room. They’re strapping monitors to your belly and lifting your gown for various reasons, so I really liked have a pair of granny panties with my gown.  Once things really get going, you’ll have to ditch the panties, but they were great to have while things were just getting started. Intimate Portal Maternity Underwear were my go to throughout my pregnancies, so I just brought a few of those with me. They are designed to sit under the bump and have a cloth waist so they don’t dig into your belly or your sides at all. They’re the most comfortable grannies on the market. 

Birth Plan Wish List – 

When you arrive to the hospital, your care team at the hospital is going to want to know what your wishes are in regards to a few birth related items, such as giving your baby Vitamin K, whether or not you want an epidural, delayed cord clamping, etc. At the recommendation of my incredible Doula (Shoutout Lisa Waldo with Balanced Beginnings Doulas), I brought with me a printout of my Birth Plan.  I recommend bringing three copies with you that way if there is a shift change and you want to communicate your wishes directly to your new care team, you have a copy to give to them.

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Items For Your Hospital Stay

Nursing Pajamas- 

After the baby arrives, you’re probably going to want to put on your nursing pajamas and wear them for the rest of your stay at the hospital. My favorite, can’t stop buying them, never sleep in anything else nursing pajamas are the Ekouaer Nursing Nightgown.  It’s loose and comfortable, easily un-buttons for nursing, doesn’t touch the midsection at all, and is sooo soft. This is one of my go-to-gifts for expectant mamas because I know anyone who tries it will be as obsessed as I am. I brought two to the hospital with me in case I had to stay an extra day, which is what I recommend. 

Robe- 

It’s nice to have a robe to throw on on top of your nursing gown while you are still recovering at the hospital. People are going to be coming in and out of your room, and if you want to go for a walk it’s nice to be able to put a robe on. I didn’t bring a robe when I had my first baby and I regretted it. With second baby, I brought my Skims Soft Lounge Robe. Simple, soft, stretchy, comfy, packs small, and I still use it every single day. 

Nonslip Slippers – 

You’re going to need something to wear around the hospital and to shower in. I brought my Geweo Cloud Slippers. They’re cute, comfy, affordable, and very versatile. You can wear them in the shower, around the hospital, and outside when you leave, so they’ll be the only shoe you’ll need to bring with you. Now they’re my go-to slides for going to and from yoga. 

Sound Machine & Night Light-

You will be waking up throughout the night for nurse checks, and to feed and change your baby. Overhead lighting in the hospital is ultra bright and harsh, so it’s really nice to have a soft bedside light to use instead. It also stays pretty noisy in the hospital, so you’re going to want to bring a sound machine. With both babies, I brought my Hatch Rest Sound Machine & Light. It serves as both your sound machine to drown out the noise of the hospital and a your soft light to turn on for night feedings and nurse checks. It also has a time display which is helpful when tracking those first feedings. Once you get home, you can use this bedside while baby is in their bassinet, and in the nursery once baby starts sleeping in there. I have one for each baby, and I still use them both daily. It also has an app so you can control both the light and sound from your phone. I highly recommend this product not only for your hospital bag, but for use throughout your baby’s first few years. 

Shower & Hygiene Necessities-

You may want to shower before leaving the hospital. If that’s your plan, you know what you need here. My only advice is to buy a travel size of all the things you need and keep them packed and ready in your hospital bag. Once you go into labor, the last thing you’ll want to be doing is gathering toothpaste and deodorant. Just get some minis, pack them ahead of time, and you’ll be ready to walk out the door when the time comes. 

Care Items For Your Lady Bits-

While the hospital will provide you with what you need, I found it helpful to bring a few of my own items. I preferred my Frida Mom Disposable Underwear over the ones the hospital provided  – they are much more structured and I felt like they did a much better job holding the giant pad in place so I could stay clean and dry. I also much preferred my Frida Mom Upside Down Peri Bottle. Unlike the bottle the hospital provides, it sprays while being held upside down, so it keeps your hands from getting wet and gross. Lastly, some hospitals will provide Dermoplast Spray but mine did not, so I was sure to bring it the second time around. It provides instant pain relief, in my opinion better than tucks pads or anything else they recommend. Everything else you’ll need – giant pads, tucks, ibuprofen, etc – the hospital will provide.

Going Home Outfit- 

You should plan on having nearly the same size belly when you leave as when you got to the hospital, so bring something large and baggy and comfortable to leave the hospital in. Keep in mind the possibility of having a c-section, in which case you will not want anything at all tight around the mid section. I brought the same thing I wore every single day of my pregnancy – the Free People Hot Shot Onesie. It has easy nursing access, doesn’t touch the midsection at all, and no one will be able to tell you’re wearing a diaper. I wore these onesies throughout both pregnancies, for postpartum, and still wear them everyday. I have it in six colors, and felt good about purchasing them knowing I was still going to wear them once I was done being pregnant. This is my favorite piece of maternity clothing, and my favorite thing to wear postpartum and while nursing.

Nursing Bra-

Your boobs are probably gonna be larger than normal, and may hurt a bit. Plus you’re gonna be pulling them out every two hours so you’ll probably want to wear a nursing bra. This is another item with thousands of options on the market. The best ones I have discovered are Hofish Nursing Bras. They are comfortable with very easy access for gettin the girls in and out. They also come with an extender clip so you can wear them when you’re 9 months pregnant, and they’ll still fit when you’re closer to pre-pregnancy size. As with most maternity undergarments, they’re not sexy, but they are highly functional and comfortable, which is what you’ll want. 

Other Items-

A few other things I was glad I brought – An iPad to watch movies, a portable battery so I didn’t have to be attached to the wall to use my electronics, and some snacks. Hospital food is usually not great, so we Door-Dashed most of our meals, but it’s still nice to have snacks. 

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Items For Your Baby

Going Home Outfit  –

Most people get a special outfit to take baby home in. You can think of this outfit mostly as a keepsake. The only thing to keep in mind is that they’ll need to be able to be buckled into a car seat, so don’t bring anything that restricts that.

Pajamas – 

For your stay at the hospital, you’re probably going to want to have your baby in pajamas. They’re the easiest for diaper changes and the most comfortable. My favorite newborn pajamas are knotted gowns from Moose And Whale. Knotted gowns are cute and functional and make changes quick and easy. I prefer Moose & Whale brand because they are handmade and sold by a creator on Etsy. They come in lots of colors, are soft and comfortable, photograph well, and come with matching newborn hats and headbands. They also have built in hand covers so you can flip them over your newborn’s hand to prevent them from scratching themselves. This prevents you from having to cut their nails immediately, and also from have to put them in those tiny mittens that never stay on their hands. For both babies, I kept them in these knotted gowns for most of their first six weeks of life. They’re great quality and stayed in perfect condition for both babies. Note that because knotted gowns tie on the bottom, you won’t be able to put baby in their carseat while wearing these, so you’ll need something else to transport baby home in.

Swaddles– 

Most newborns love to be swaddled. The sleep much better wrapped tight in their blankets, which means you’ll sleep better too. There are hundreds of different types of swaddles on the market. I have tried many different styles and I always come back to preferring to swaddle baby with a basic swaddle blanket. The best swaddle blankets I’ve come across are Copper Pearl Knit Swaddle Blankets. They’re stretchy so you can get a tight swaddle on baby, and the material is really high quality. This is another item that I’ve handed down to my second baby and still feel like they’re all in the same condition as when I purchased them years ago. I think the right swaddle is one of the most important things to help get baby to sleep well, so its important to get a high quality option. (More about the importance of the right swaddle in our Newborn Sleep Article.)

Burp Cloths- 

Newborns spit-up a lot, so you’ll want to have something to keep both you and baby clean and dry. Yoofoss Muslin Burp Cloths are the best I have found. I use them daily and seem to always have one draped over my shoulder. They’re soft and absorbent and last a long time. I truly never leave home without one. I recommend bringing at least four with you to the hospital. 

Other Items-

While the hospital does provide diapers and wipes, I wasn’t sure what quality was going to be available so I brought my own. I use Honest Brand for both Wipes & Diapers, but I believe there are many good options on the market. I also brought a little name sign I got from Etsy to use as a photo prop, but that’s obviously optional. 

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I hope you found this list helpful. I believe if you bring everything outlined above, you’ll be the most prepared for your birth experience. This list is a product of many, many hours of research, and everything on this list is something I personally own and love. If there’s anything you don’t see on this list and you consider it to be a must have, bring it! It never hurts to be over-prepared, just try not to end up with a full wagon. Wishing you a smooth and easy labor & delivery, and a peaceful birthing experience. 

-Cyn

PS- If you’d like to download a copy of this list, either with or without the links of recommended brands, you can do so below.

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