Hospital Bag Essentials
Download printable packing lists for your hospital stay or home birth backup plan, organized so you’re ready by 37 weeks.
Packing your bag for birth is where the excitement gets real—your baby will be here before you know it! You’ve got the coming-home outfit and diapers covered, but what about the rest? We’ve rounded up our top essentials for labor and your postpartum stay, plus a few comfort items to make your room feel like home.
Planning a home birth? Jump to the section below to pack your backup "go bag."
Hospital Bag Essentials
For Planned Hospital Birth
Packing your bag for birth is a super exciting time! The delivery of your baby is close, and everything begins to feel real. You know you need a coming-home outfit for your baby and some diapers, but what else? Here is a list of essential items for labor and your postpartum hospital stay, including items to make your room feel more like home.
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ID and Insurance Cards
Snacks: think easy to eat, little to no smell, easy to digest
Phone charger
Ear plugs- hospitals can be loud
Toiletries
Comfy grippy socks
Your favorite pillow and maybe some extra
A comfortable blanket
Your favorite essential oils
Portable speaker (if you have one)/ headphones
Big bottle for water
Bone broth- great source of protein without chewing
Birth ball
Book, cards, entertainment
Battery powered twinkly lights- if you know you want to set a certain mood
Copy of your birth preferences
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Nursing tank top
Robe
Comfy non slip socks- they give you some, but fuzzy ones are better
Loose outfit for riding home
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Clothes- bring at least one 0-3m outfit for those with bigger babies
Car seat
Diapers- the hospital supplies Huggies/Pampers
Wipes- the hospital supplies Huggies/Pampers
Coconut oil- coat their bottom in it
Swaddles if you want to use them
Soap and lotion if you have a special kind and plan to bathe them there
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We find it most helpful to have your bag packed by 37 weeks.
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Go Bag Essentials
For Planned Home Birth
When you choose to give birth at home, you may not have considered a backup option for those rare circumstances when it is no longer the best option to give birth at home. Although it can feel taxing to put thought into a backup plan, we find that clients feel much more at ease and comfortable when they have spent some time preparing for the unexpected.
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One thing you may not have considered is packing a backup hospital bag. The likelihood of needing a hospital transfer is small, so there is no need to overpack. Having this bag ready provides peace of mind so you can focus entirely on your birth.
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ID and Insurance Cards
Medical records from midwife
Notes regarding last menstrual cycle
Copy of birth preferences
Phone charger
Ear plugs- hospitals can be loud
Toiletries & lip balm
Comfy grippy socks
Your favorite essential oils
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Nursing tank top
Robe
Comfy non slip socks- they give you some, but fuzzy ones are better
Loose outfit for riding home
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Outfits: Newborn & 0-3M size
Car seat: Installed in vehicle
Swaddles/receiving blanket
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We find it most helpful to have your bag packed by 37 weeks.
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Bag Placement: Keep handy when labor begins, or pack directly into the car trunk.
Partner Awareness: Ensure your partner knows where it is stored and what is inside.
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Resource Links
A Reassuring Note Before You Go
Packing your bag is a fun, exciting milestone in your pregnancy, but remember: these are just things. If you were to walk into the hospital with absolutely nothing in your hands, you would still be completely capable of having your baby. The standard supplies will be there, but more importantly, everything you truly need is already within you.
Your body, your wisdom, and your intuition are your greatest and most valuable tools—no suitcase required.