Hospital bag checklist: what you actually need (UK)

Hospital bag checklist for you

Documents and essentials

• Your maternity notes (or app login) and birth preferences
• Any medicines you take
• Phone, plus an extra-long charging cable or a power bank

Clothes

• Something loose and comfortable to labour in, such as an old oversized T-shirt or nightie
• Dressing gown and slippers or flip-flops (which also work in the shower)
• Front-opening or loose nightwear if you’re planning to breastfeed
• Three changes of comfortable clothes, plus socks
• Five or six pairs of big, comfortable knickers (disposable ones save on washing)
• Two or three supportive bras, nursing bras if you’re breastfeeding

For after the birth

• Two packs of maternity pads. These are thicker than normal sanitary pads, and you’ll need more than you expect.
• Breast pads
• A towel, or two
• A spare bag for dirty laundry

Toiletries and comfort

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush and hair ties
• Lip balm (hospital air is dry, and gas and air dries your lips)
• An eye mask and earplugs for the ward
• Your own pillow, in a coloured pillowcase so it doesn’t get mixed up with the hospital’s
• A handheld fan or water spray
• A TENS machine and spare batteries, if you’re planning to use one

Food and entertainment

• Snacks and drinks, plus a water bottle with a straw so you can drink lying down
• Headphones and a playlist, podcasts or a book

Hospital bag checklist for your birth partner

• A change of clothes and a toothbrush
• Snacks and drinks, as labour can be long
• Phone and charger
• Change or a card for the car park and vending machines
• Swimwear, if you’re planning a water birth and want them in the pool with you

Hospital bag checklist for your baby

• A car seat, fitted in the car before you go into labour
• Four or five vests and sleepsuits, in newborn size and 0 to 3 months in case your baby is bigger than expected
• A going-home outfit
• A hat, scratch mittens and socks
• A snowsuit or pramsuit if it’s cold (take it off once your baby is in the car seat, as bulky clothes make harnesses less safe)
• Around 10 to 12 newborn nappies
• Cotton wool or water wipes
• A few muslin squares
• A blanket or shawl

What can you leave at home?

• Lots of baby outfits. Your baby will mostly be in vests and sleepsuits.
• Valuables and jewellery. Your rings may not fit if your fingers are swollen, so leave them at home.
• Formula and bottles, if you’re planning to formula feed and your hospital supplies them. Many do, so check with your maternity unit first.

Quick tips

• Pack in two bags, one for labour and one for after, so your partner isn’t hunting through everything at 3am.
• Put the essentials at the top: notes, phone charger and snacks.
• Check what your unit provides. Some maternity units provide things like pillows or maternity pads, and some don’t. Ask at your antenatal appointments.

Want reminders like this at the right moment? Our daily email tells you when it’s time to pack, matched to your due date.