Hospital bag: the complete checklist for mum

Mum's hospital bag is best packed around the seventh month, and should be ready by about 36 weeks at the latest. It holds your paperwork, loose clothes, and what you need to manage the bleeding and soothe your perineum.

We often think of the baby first: the bodysuits, the sleepsuit, the blanket. Your own bag comes second, and it is the one that is most missed once you are on the ward. This checklist is only about you. Keep it handy and compare it with the list your maternity unit gives you: every unit provides different things.

When should I pack my hospital bag?

Around the seventh month. Labour can start before your due date, and it is calmer to pack with a clear head than the night before. Aim to have the bag complete by about 36 weeks, by the front door or already in the car.

Tell the person who will be with you where it is and what is in it. On the day, they are often the one who goes to fetch it.

One bag or two?

Two is simpler. A small bag for the delivery room, with what you need during labour and the first hours. A bag or suitcase for the stay, which can stay in the car until you are settled on the ward. The baby's things can go in a third bag, or in the one for the stay.

What goes in the delivery room bag?

• Paperwork. Health insurance card, top-up insurance certificate, ID, pregnancy notes with your test results and blood group card, birth plan if you wrote one.
• A comfortable outfit. A long T-shirt or a shirt that opens at the front, handy for skin-to-skin, and warm socks.
• Small comforts. Face mist, lip balm, hair tie, glasses if you wear contact lenses.
• Drinks and snacks. A bottle of water and a few snacks, depending on what the team allows.
• Your phone. With a charger and a long cable: sockets are rarely near the bed.
• Baby's first outfit. Bodysuit, sleepsuit, hat, socks, in a separate bag.

What should mum pack for the stay?

For bleeding and the perineum

• Maternity pads. Long and highly absorbent: the bleeding, called lochia, is heavy in the first days. Allow two to three packs.
• Comfortable knickers. Five to eight, high-waisted, one size up, disposable, mesh or cotton. After a caesarean, choose them high enough not to rub the scar.
• A cold pack for the perineum. With its cover. Ask the team to put it in the freezer as soon as you arrive.
• A peri bottle. To rinse with lukewarm water after each trip to the toilet, without rubbing.
• A gentle intimate wash. Fragrance-free, for one wash a day.

For comfort

• Two to three pyjamas or nightdresses that open at the front, and a cardigan.
• Slippers and flip-flops for the shower.
• A toiletry bag: toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, moisturiser, and a bath towel if the unit does not provide one.
• Earplugs and an eye mask: nights on a maternity ward are rarely quiet.

If you are breastfeeding

• Two wire-free nursing bras.
• A box of breast pads, for leaks when your milk comes in.

For going home

• A loose, soft outfit: your tummy stays rounded for several weeks.
• Shoes you can slip on without bending down.
• The baby's car seat, already fitted in the car.

How much should I pack? The checklist at a glance

For mum	Suggested quantity	Why
Maternity pads	2 to 3 packs	Lochia is heavy in the first days
High-waisted knickers	5 to 8	You change them often; comfortable on the tummy and the scar
Cold pack and covers	1 pack, 2 covers	Soothes swelling and pain in the perineum
Peri bottle	1	Rinse without rubbing after each trip to the toilet
Gentle intimate wash	1 bottle	One wash a day, fragrance-free
Front-opening pyjamas or nightdresses	2 to 3	Skin-to-skin, breastfeeding, check-ups
Nursing bras	2	If you are breastfeeding
Breast pads	1 box	Milk leaks when your milk comes in
Slippers and flip-flops	1 pair of each	Corridors and shower
Loose going-home outfit	1	Your tummy stays rounded for a few weeks

For more detail on quantities, see our answers on

• how many postpartum pads to plan for
• the right time to pack your bag
• the essentials for after the birth

What does the maternity unit provide?

It varies a lot from one unit to another. Some give out pads and mesh knickers for the first days, others do not. Nappies for the baby are often provided, but not always. The list you receive when you register or visit is the reference: if in doubt, call the ward.

Even when the unit provides pads, bringing your own lets you choose what is gentle on your skin, and see you through the first days at home.

What should I pack after a caesarean?

The stay is a little longer: add a spare outfit. Knickers and pyjama bottoms should come up above the scar, with no elastic pressing on it. A small cushion helps you get up and cough while supporting your tummy. The rest of the list does not change: your perineum carried the pregnancy, and lochia occurs after a caesarean too.

And for coming home?

Bleeding usually lasts four to six weeks: keep a stock of pads at home. For what comes next, our article on how long lochia lasts gives you the key points, and the checklist for preparing your postpartum helps you organise the weeks that follow.

The beboon hospital bag

brings together the five first-days essentials from this list: a Maholi cold pack with its two covers, organic cotton pads, a peri bottle, postnatal knickers and an intimate wash. It comes with a tote bag to take them to the maternity unit.

Frequently asked questions

When should I pack my hospital bag?

Around the seventh month, so that it is ready by about 36 weeks at the latest. Labour can start before your due date: a bag packed too early is better than too late.

How many pads should I take to the maternity unit?

Two to three packs of maternity pads for the stay and the first week. In the first days, you change pads roughly every two to four hours.

Do I need disposable knickers?

It is not essential. Disposable or mesh knickers are handy in the first days; high-waisted cotton knickers work too. What matters: they should be comfortable and big enough to hold a thick pad.

Can I bring my own ice pack to the maternity unit?

Yes. Ask the team to keep it in the freezer. Always use it in its cover, 10 to 20 minutes at a time, and wait until the feeling has come back if you had an epidural.

What paperwork should I take to the maternity unit?

Health insurance card, top-up insurance certificate, ID, pregnancy notes with your test results and blood group card. Depending on your situation, add the advance acknowledgement of paternity or your family record book.

What should the birth partner bring?

A change of clothes, something to eat, a charger, and sometimes change for the car park. They can also keep the list of what needs to be brought from home.

A bag that thinks of you

The hospital bag is often the first act of care you do for yourself. It says something simple: you, too, will need looking after.