Hospital Bag Checklist
Preparing your hospital bag ahead of time can help you feel more calm and ready as your baby's arrival gets closer. Having everything in one place means you can focus on the moment, not the packing.
This checklist is here to guide you through what many families find helpful to bring, from comfort items during labour to essentials for your hospital stay and heading home. Browse our hospital bag essentials to get prepared.
For the Delivery Room
☐ Comfortable clothes
☐ Mobile phone
☐ Long phone charging cable or power bank
☐ Birth plan
☐ Headphones
☐ Book or magazine
☐ Speaker or playlist
☐ Notebook and pen
☐ Eye mask and ear plugs
☐ Soft lighting
☐ Heat pack
☐ Ice pack
☐ Snacks
☐ Water bottle
☐ Hydration powder
☐ Personal pillow
☐ Birthing ball (if preferred)
☐ TENS machine
☐ Small fan
☐ Massager
☐ Birth affirmations
For Your Hospital Stay
☐ Lightweight robe
☐ Slippers or warm socks
☐ Jandals for showering
☐ Pyjamas or nighties
☐ Nursing bras
☐ Hairbrush and hair ties
☐ Soft wipes and soft toilet paper
☐ Towel
☐ Comfortable clothes
☐ Cash or coins
☐ Shampoo, conditioner and body wash
☐ Deodorant
☐ Toothbrush and toothpaste
☐ Moisturiser and lip balm (the wards commonly have warm dry air)
☐ Makeup (if desired)
☐ Unscented massage oil
☐ Nipple cream and breast pads
☐ Ural
☐ Maternity pads
☐ Breast pump
☐ Milk collector
☐ Hair dryer (for drying stitches)
☐ Medications and vitamins
☐ Peri bottle
☐ Sitz bath
☐ Hand sanitiser
☐ Compression socks
☐ Laundry bag
☐ Comfortable shoes
☐ Postpartum underwear
☐ Breastfeeding pillow
☐ Night light
☐ Milestone card (Day 1)
☐ Going-home outfit
For Your Birthing Partner
☐ Change of clothes
☐ Toiletries
☐ Mobile phone
☐ Long phone charging cable or power bank
☐ Contact list for updates
☐ Snacks and drinks
☐ Books or entertainment
☐ Cash or coins
For Baby
☐ Capsule and base installed before leaving hospital
☐ Baby socks or booties
☐ Warm hat (even in summer)
☐ Sleepsack
☐ Baby mittens
☐ Going-home outfit
☐ Baby wipes
☐ Newborn nappies
☐ Baby swaddle or wrap
☐ Muslin cloths (at least 3)
☐ Baby singlets
☐ Baby bodysuits
☐ Baby onesies or sleepsuits
☐ Pacifier (if using)
☐ Portable white noise machine
☐ Baby nail clippers
A Gentle Reminder
All items are suggestions. Every birth experience is different, so choose what will help you feel comfortable, supported, and prepared.
