Hospital Bag Checklist
What to pack for giving birth: documents, things for labour, for after the birth, for the baby, for your partner and for going home.
Details
hospital bag checklistRed highlights mark what is still blank. Everything stays on this device.
Documents
| Item | Packed |
|---|---|
| Photo ID and insurance card | ☐ |
| Hospital pre-registration papers | ☐ |
| Birth plan — two copies | ☐ |
| List of medicines you take | ☐ |
For labor
| Item | Packed |
|---|---|
| Loose nightgown or large T-shirt | ☐ |
| Robe and slippers | ☐ |
| Warm socks | ☐ |
| Lip balm | ☐ |
| Hair ties | ☐ |
| Water bottle with a straw | ☐ |
| Snacks — check what the hospital allows | ☐ |
| Phone, charger and a long cable | ☐ |
| Music and headphones | ☐ |
| Glasses, if you wear contact lenses | ☐ |
For after the birth
| Item | Packed |
|---|---|
| Maternity pads | ☐ |
| High-waisted, comfortable underwear | ☐ |
| Item | Packed |
| Nursing bras and breast pads | ☐ |
| Nipple cream | ☐ |
| Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant | ☐ |
| Towel | ☐ |
| Loose clothes to go home in | ☐ |
| Your own pillow in a bright pillowcase | ☐ |
For the baby
| Item | Packed |
|---|---|
| Sleepers or onesies, two or three | ☐ |
| Bodysuits | ☐ |
| Hat, socks and scratch mitts | ☐ |
| Diapers in newborn size, and wipes | ☐ |
| Burp cloths | ☐ |
| Blanket | ☐ |
| A going-home outfit suited to the weather | ☐ |
For your birth partner
| Item | Packed |
|---|---|
| Change of clothes | ☐ |
| Snacks and drinks | ☐ |
| Phone charger | ☐ |
| Toothbrush and toiletries | ☐ |
| Coins or an app for parking | ☐ |
| Item | Packed |
| Pillow | ☐ |
Going home
| Item | Packed |
|---|---|
| Rear-facing infant car seat, fitted before the day | ☐ |
| A blanket to tuck over the harness, not under it | ☐ |
What is a Hospital Bag Checklist?
A hospital bag checklist is the list of what to pack for giving birth: documents, things for labor, things for after the birth, clothes and supplies for the baby, and what your partner needs. It matters because labor seldom starts at a convenient moment. A bag packed from a list a few weeks early means nobody is hunting for the insurance card, a phone charger or the car seat when it is time to leave.
Expectant parents use it in the last weeks of pregnancy, and a copy on the fridge lets a partner, parent or friend finish packing or fetch the bag if plans change. It works whether you are going to a hospital or a birth center, and whether this is a first baby or a second, when arrangements for an older child, and that child’s own overnight bag, belong on the same list. Anyone minding pets or older children while you are away can check the arrangements on it too.
What to bring depends on your hospital or birth center. Many publish their own list of what they provide, such as pads, diapers and formula, and what you should bring, along with rules on visitors and on what you may bring in. Documents vary by country: in the US, photo ID and your insurance card; in the UK, your maternity notes; in Australia, your Medicare card; in India, your hospital file. In the US, UK, Canada and Australia, child restraint laws require a suitable car seat for a newborn traveling by car.
A packing list is not a birth plan, and it is not medical guidance. It does not tell you when to go in, which pain relief to choose or how to feed your baby; those are conversations with your doctor, midwife or care team, and your hospital’s instructions come first. It also cannot confirm that the car seat is installed correctly. Follow the seat’s instructions and your vehicle manual, and expect many US hospitals to check that a rear-facing seat is fitted before discharge.
What to put in a Hospital Bag Checklist
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Name optional | For example: Emily Carter |
| Due date optional | Free text |
| Hospital or birth centre optional | For example: Riverside Methodist Hospital, Labor & Delivery, 3rd floor |
| Your own items optional | One per line |
How to write a Hospital Bag Checklist
Write your name and due date
Write your name as it appears on your ID and hospital records, then the due date. Count back and set a target a few weeks earlier to have the bag packed and by the door, because babies do not always wait for their due date. Keep the list somewhere visible, so anyone helping can see what is packed and what still needs adding.
Check what your hospital provides
Write the name of your hospital or birth center, then find its own list — on its website, at a prenatal class or from your care team. Many provide pads, diapers and some baby supplies, and some provide formula; others ask you to bring your own. Knowing this before you pack stops the bag bulging with things you will not need and catches the ones you will.
Put the documents in one folder
Keep the paperwork where it can be handed over in one movement: photo ID and insurance card in the US, maternity notes in the UK, Medicare card in Australia, hospital file in India, and your birth plan if you have one. Add important phone numbers written on paper, because a phone battery can die before the call you most need to make.
Split labor, after-birth and baby bags
Separate bags, or separate packing cubes in one bag, make things easy to find when someone else is doing the fetching. The labor bag holds what you want within reach: phone and a long charging cable, lip balm, hair ties, socks and a robe. After the birth: loose, comfortable clothes, underwear and toiletries. The baby’s bag: outfits in two sizes, a hat, a blanket and a going-home outfit.
Add your own items and the car seat
Add anything personal: glasses or a contact lens case, snacks if your hospital allows them, a pillow from home in a colored case so it is not mistaken for hospital linen, and your partner’s change of clothes. Then install the car seat before the due date, following the seat’s instructions and your vehicle manual, so it is ready on the day you go home.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the packing until the last days before the due date, which leaves the bag half-done if the baby comes early and a partner packing it from memory.
- Leaving the insurance card or maternity notes in a wallet or drawer at home, which slows admission while someone goes back for them.
- Buying the car seat but not installing it until discharge day, which means fitting it for the first time in a hospital parking lot with a newborn waiting.
- Packing only newborn-size baby clothes, which leaves nothing that fits if the baby is bigger than expected.
- Filling the bag with things the hospital already supplies, such as pads, diapers or formula, which makes it heavy and buries what you do need.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pack in my hospital bag for labor?
Pack for comfort and for waiting: a phone with a long charging cable, lip balm, hair ties, glasses if you wear them, socks or slippers, a robe, and something to pass the time. Add snacks and drinks if your hospital allows them, and keep documents in one folder on top. Check the hospital’s own list, or ask your care team, about anything else, such as clothes to labor in.
When should I pack my hospital bag?
A few weeks before your due date is a sensible target, because babies do not always arrive on schedule. If your care team has told you to plan for an early birth, or you live a long way from the hospital, pack sooner. Keep the bag by the door or in the car, and leave the list where a partner can add last-minute items such as phone chargers.
What does the baby need in the hospital bag?
A few outfits in newborn size and the next size up, socks or booties, a hat, a soft blanket and a going-home outfit suited to the weather. Ask the hospital whether diapers, wipes and formula are provided. The most important item is not in the bag at all: in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, the law requires a suitable car seat for a newborn traveling by car.
What should my partner pack?
A change of clothes and toiletries in case the stay runs longer than planned, a phone charger, snacks and a refillable water bottle, cards or cash for parking and vending machines, and any medicines they take themselves. A list of people to call with news saves scrolling. If your partner is driving, the car keys, a full tank of gas and the route to the right entrance belong on the list too.
What does the hospital provide?
It varies, so ask your own hospital or birth center, or check its website. Many provide pads, diapers and some baby supplies during your stay, and some provide formula; others ask you to bring your own. Many also supply gowns, so ask whether you may wear your own clothes. Knowing the list stops you packing duplicates and tells you exactly what you are expected to bring.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.