Hospital Bag Checklist — Complete Packing List for Mom, Baby & Partner
Hospital Bag Checklist — Complete Packing List for Mom, Baby & Partner
The ultimate interactive hospital bag checklist — tick items off as you pack, track your progress for mom, baby and partner separately, add your own custom items, and print your personalised list. Includes a C-section toggle for extra items you need after a surgical birth.
Hospital Bag Checklist — The Complete Packing Guide for Mom, Baby & Partner
Getting ready for labour and birth? This interactive hospital bag checklist covers everything you need to know about what to pack for labor — from mom’s documents to your newborn hospital bag essentials and your partner’s kit. Tick items as you pack them, track your progress, and print your personalised list. You can also calculate your due date and take our gestational diabetes risk quiz while you’re here.
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🏥 Note: This checklist is a general guide. Your hospital or midwife may have specific requirements — always check with your healthcare provider for personalised advice.
Planning a C-section? Toggle to add extra items
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📅 When Should You Pack Your Hospital Bag?
The golden rule: have your hospital bag packed by 36 weeks pregnant — earlier if you’re expecting twins or have had any complications. You don’t want to be scrambling at 3am when contractions start!
A good approach is to start gathering items around 32-34 weeks and aim to have everything packed and by the door by week 36-37. Keep the bag somewhere easy to grab — not buried in a wardrobe.
If you go into labour early (before 37 weeks), don’t panic — grab the most critical items first: documents, phone charger, maternity notes, and a change of clothes for you and baby. The rest can be brought later by your partner or family.
👩⚕️ C-Section vs Vaginal Birth — What’s Different in Your Bag?
Most items on this checklist apply to both types of birth. But if you’re having a planned or emergency C-section, there are a few extra things that will make your recovery much more comfortable.
Vaginal Birth
Standard nightgown or hospital gown
Regular comfortable underwear
Going-home jeans or leggings are usually fine
TENS machine if using one
C-Section Extras
High-waisted underwear (avoid the incision line)
Loose maxi dress or skirt — no waistbands
Pillow to protect incision in the car home
Extra maternity pads (heavier bleeding post-op)
Prescribed medications list
Use the C-Section toggle at the top of the Mom’s Bag tab to add these extra items to your checklist automatically.
The standard advice is to have your hospital bag packed by 36 weeks pregnant. If you’re carrying twins or have had any pregnancy complications, aim for 34 weeks. Labour can start earlier than expected — you really don’t want to be rushing around mid-contraction trying to find a charger or your maternity notes. A good strategy is to start gathering items from around 32-34 weeks, so by 36-37 weeks everything is packed, labeled, and sitting by the door ready to grab. Keep a short "last minute to add" list (like your phone) on top of the bag.
If you had to pick the absolute essentials for mom’s hospital bag, they are: your maternity notes and ID, phone charger, comfortable nightgown (front-opening if breastfeeding), maternity pads (pack more than you think you need — at least 20), a reusable water bottle, snacks for labour, going-home outfit, and nipple cream if you plan to breastfeed. Everything else is a bonus. Many hospitals provide basic toiletries and gowns, but having your own makes the stay much more comfortable.
For your newborn hospital bag, the essentials are: sleepsuits in both newborn and 0-3 months size (babies vary wildly!), a warm hat, scratch mittens, a blanket or two, nappies in newborn size (pack 20+), fragrance-free baby wipes, nappy cream, and most importantly — an installed car seat (you legally cannot leave without one). Bring a going-home outfit that’s easy to put on — newborns hate having clothes pulled over their heads, so opt for kimono-style or envelope-neck tops. Muslins are lifesavers: pack at least 4.
Your partner’s hospital bag is often forgotten but really matters — they need to be comfortable and prepared to support you for potentially 24-48 hours. Key items: change of clothes (x2), toiletries, phone charger and power bank, plenty of snacks (they won’t want to leave you to find food), water bottle, cash for parking and vending machines, a copy of your birth plan, and any massage tools or TENS machine you’re planning to use. If there’s a possibility of staying overnight, a small pillow and blanket can make a huge difference. They should also have a fully charged phone and a list of who to notify after the birth.
A c-section hospital bag needs a few additional items to make your recovery more comfortable. The most important: high-waisted underwear that sits well above the incision line — regular bikini-cut briefs will sit right on the wound and be very uncomfortable. For going home, pack a loose maxi dress or skirt with no waistband. A small pillow to press against your abdomen in the car is a godsend (also known as a "c-section pillow"). Bring your list of prescribed medications and extra maternity pads as blood loss can be heavier after a surgical birth. You’ll also typically have a longer hospital stay (3-5 days), so pack accordingly.
Pack at least 3-4 outfits for baby, and importantly, bring both newborn AND 0-3 months sizes. You have no idea how big or small your baby will be until they arrive — a 9lb baby will swim in newborn size while a 6lb baby might need newborn for several weeks. Babies go through multiple outfits in the hospital due to nappy leaks and spit-up, so having several is essential. If you only have room for one size, many parents play it safe with 0-3 months and use a folded blanket to make them more comfortable. Keep the tags on any unopened outfits so you can return unused sizes.
Yes! Use the "Print Checklist" button on this page to generate a clean, printable hospital bag checklist that shows only your unchecked items with empty boxes ready to tick. It automatically hides the digital tool elements and gives you a simple list you can hang on your wardrobe, share with your partner, or keep in your bag. You can also print it at different stages — print once now to use as a shopping guide, then print again when you’re packing to check things off physically. Some parents find a physical list easier to use in the rush of packing.
Snacks for labour are seriously underrated — this is not the time to go hungry. Good options include: energy bars, nuts, dried fruit, crackers, and cereal bars. For drinks, coconut water and sports drinks are popular because they replace electrolytes (labour is physically intense). Bring straws — drinking lying down from a bottle is tricky. Many hospitals don’t allow you to eat during active labour, so eat well beforehand and save the snacks for early labour and recovery. For after birth — pack something more substantial. You will be absolutely ravenous. Soup, sandwiches, biscuits — bring it all. Your partner should also have plenty of snacks so they don’t have to leave the room.
