The Ultimate Labor and Delivery Hospital Bag Checklist

It’s time, mama! You are almost at the finish line and it is time to start thinking about what to pack in your hospital bag for labor and delivery! I know you must be thinking, “What do I NEED to take to the hospital with me?” “What do I need to take for my baby?” Don’t worry mama, I’m here to help you out! I’ll tell you exactly what to pack in your hospital bag for labor and delivery (and postpartum)!

There are a lot of check lists available on the internet that are just excessive! You’ll most likely be in the hospital for 24-72 hours if there are no complications with your delivery. You don’t need a massive suitcase filled to the brim (which is exactly how I showed up for my labor with my first baby!)

Don’t make my same mistake! You actually only need TWO bags when going into the hospital. One for you mama and one for dad and baby. Everything you bring should be able to fit in these two bags!

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What To Pack in Your Hospital Bag For Labor and Delivery

Let’s get started! We will go over what to pack in your hospital bag for your partner and your baby as well!

What to Pack in Your Labor and Delivery Hospital Bag For Mama

• A large duffel bag– Make sure the bag you pack is large enough to fit everything you need to bring, but not large enough to over pack. You want to be able to find your items quickly and easily.
• Identification and Insurance cards- Don’t forget to grab this when you leave the house! If you can it is always a great idea to pre-register at the hospital you decide to deliver at.
• 2-3 nursing bras– I recommend these sleep nursing bras. They are so comfortable, easy to pull down, and not tight/restricting. You don’t want a bra that is too tight as your milk supply is coming in and regulating.
• 1 hands free pumping bra-you never know if baby will latch right away and there’s nothing worse than sitting in the hospital bed having to physically hold your pump to your breasts. I start pumping/hand expressing right away if baby does not latch. Consult with your RN or lactation consultant in the hospital about what you should do! Kindred bravely is my favorite brand of hands free pumping bras! They are so comfortable.
• slippers– I recommend a cheap pair of slippers you can just throw away when you leave the hospital. I would not walk around in the hospital with slippers then wear them in my house. But you definitely don’t want to be barefoot in the hospital either.
• flip flops for showering-NEVER shower barefoot in a public bathroom!
• loose pajamas– (2-3 pairs) button down pajamas are perfect if you are nursing! Then you have great access for nursing. To be completely honest, I personally just stay in a hospital gown when postpartum. It’s easier for the nurses to do their checks and then blood isn’t getting on my personal clothes.
• Adult diapers– Let me be honest with you, mesh panties with large pads are NOT comfortable. These depends are 100% more comfortable!
• Makeup- If you are going to bring makeup I recommend the bare minimum. Some tinted moisturizer, mascara, tinted lip moisturizer. Just things to make you feel more like yourself, but there isn’t a whole lot of room for a major makeup routine.
• Hair ties/claw clips– You are bound to get hot during labor or your postpartum stay. I recommend keeping these on hand so you can get your hair off your neck.
• Skin care- Bring your face wash, toner, and moisturizer. You don’t want to forget to wash your face while in the hospital.
• Toothbrush/toothpaste- If you forget this, it isn’t the end of the world because the hospital will have some. I just like using my soft bristle toothbrush and my preferred toothpaste.
• Deoderant– this is my favorite deodorant! It is perfect for postpartum when your hormones are regulating and you feel like you stink.
• Nipple cream– I personally recommend coconut oil! It’s a favorite of mine and something a lot of people already have on hand at home! The hospital will probably have lanolin ointment, I personally do not like lanolin ointment.
• Hair brush– The hospital will probably not have a hair brush. My hospital has combs, but they are not great for brushing through naughty hair.
• Body wash- Especially if you like a certain scent!
• Shampoo/conditioner- The hospital will not have the kind of shampoo and conditioner you use at home. If you are only in the hospital for 24 hours, then you may not have to wash your hair. But if there is a complication and you are there for days, then you may need this!
• Dry shampoo- This is a postpartum favorite of mine! I love dry shampoo and use it regularly. Especially in the hospital to avoid having to wash my hair in the hospital shower.
• Extra long phone charger– You obviously want to make sure you have a phone charger so you can stay in touch with family and take pictures of your bundle of joy. But it is very hard to find an outlet close enough to your hospital bed that the standard 3ft cord will reach. Grab that extra long one from amazon prior to delivery!
• Washable breast pads– if you have been leaking colostrum during your pregnancy this will be a must. I highly recommend the washable ones, the disposable ones are itchy and uncomfortable.
• Fan– not all hospitals carry fans. And you can get hot during labor or postpartum. A portable fan to attach to the bed is a great extra to have!
• Nursing Pillow– I don’t go anywhere in the newborn phase without my favorite nursing pillow. The My Brest Friend pillow is great when your newborn does not have head control and needs extra support. It also gives you lumbar support and makes nursing more comfortable for you!
• Coming home outfit- you want to make sure this is not too tight, especially the pants! No leggings or yoga pants. You’ll be wearing a large pad or adult diapers. Maybe some joggers, loose fitting sweat pants, or maternity jeans would work nice. You can add a sweater, henley (love these for nursing), or t shirt to head home in!

What to Pack in your Hospital Bag for Baby

• A cute blanket for pictures- the hospital will provide you with lots of swaddle blankets for baby. There is really no reason to bring too many. Bring a couple that you want birth announcement photos in and leave the rest at home. If you are delivering in the winter, make sure you have a blanket to drape over baby as you go from the hospital to the car. Never leave a blanket over a baby unattended in the car.
• Going Home Outfit- While in the hospital you will want to leave baby naked for most of the stay just swaddled in blankets. That way it is easy to do as much skin to skin as possible. But you will need an outfit to put on baby to go home in! I have always gotten a cute sleeper to bring baby home in, just because it is easier to get on. But there are tons of other options out there!
• Mittens/socks- Some babies do not need hand mittens. Other babies have really long nails and scratch their faces constantly. Mittens are a great option to have! It is not recommended to clip baby’s nails right after birth because they are still very soft and you don’t want to get their skin on accident.
• Car seat with the base installed- This is the biggest thing you will need. You cannot bring a baby home without a car seat! A lot of hospitals will even require you to bring the car seat inside prior to being discharged. Baby should be rear facing. I recommend installing the base prior to delivery and getting discharged. There’s nothing more stressful than trying to learn how to install a carseat base at the hospital. Most hospital staff are not allowed to install car seats either, so you cannot rely on them to help. Installing prior to arrival and having it checked by a certified car seat safety technician is the best option!
• Sound Machine– This is not a MUST HAVE, but was definitely something I loved having when I had my second baby. Just to get my baby in the habit of having the sound machine on during sleep. Also it helped me when I slept, because hospitals are not quiet places!

What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag For Your Partner

• A Medium duffle bag– dad won’t need anything large like you will need. He may even be able to go back and forth between home and the hospital if you have pets or other children.
• Toiletries- whatever toiletries your partner will need for the stay in the hospital to feel fresh and alive. Typically a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, body wash, etc.
• Sandals to shower in- Just in case he decides to shower he needs shoes to wear in the shower.
• Snacks- this is for both you and dad. Sometimes hospital snacks just don’t cut it. Especially if you are breastfeeding! Having a few of your favorite snacks on hand is a must.
• Phone charger- never hurts to have a back up phone charger with dad as a way to make sure your phone can be charged!

Extra Advice for Your Hospital Stay

Try to have your hospital bag for labor and delivery packed by 36 weeks pregnant! You never know when you will go into labor, and the last thing you want to do between contractions is pack a bag! I get my bag packed early and leave it by the door so when it is go time I can grab it and run!

Call your hospital to confirm they provide certain things for you and baby such as:

• demoplast spray
• tucks pads
• abdominal binder
• sitz bath
• diapers
• wipes
• pads
• formula (if you are planning on formula feeding)
• hospital grade pumps (or do you need to bring your pump from home?)

If your hospital provides these items then you won’t need to pack them in your labor and delivery hospital bag! It’s okay to leave things at home so you aren’t bringing so many things and having to keep up with them.

If you would like to bring your own pillow or blanket to make your stay more cozy that is a great option! Just make sure not to bring a pillow in a white pillow case because that is the color of the hospital pillow cases! That way you can easily identify your pillow case.

Check out my blog posts Breastfeeding Essentials for New Moms That You Can’t Live Without and Postpartum Essentials You’ll Regret Not Having for Mom and Baby.

Good Luck Packing Your Labor and Delivery Hospital Bag!

Here’s to hoping and praying everything goes well for your delivery and you have a healthy baby!

Is there anything else you would personally pack in your hospital bag for labor and delivery? Or would you leave any of this off your hospital bag checklist? Let me know in the comments!