As your birth edges ever closer, getting packing your hospital bag becomes top of the list. This task is often described as one of those moments that makes the idea of birth and parenthood feel very “real”. When I worked as a midwife, one of the commonly asked questions at the 36 week appointment was, “what should I pack in my hospital bag? Do you have a hospital bag checklist?”.

Beyond that I also saw many birthing families come and go. Some would come armed with 3 or 4 ginormous cases of which the majority were never used. Others arrived with so little that it inevitably became someone’s job to “pop back” to collect whatever it was that they needed.

Almost like goldilocks in the tale of the three bears, you want be somewhere in the middle of these 2 stories. You want to be equipped with the right amount of stuff that is both relevant and useful. With these 3 top tips (and a bonus at the end) this article will help you on the way to feeling confident that you have the packed the best bag for your hospital stay.

 

Two suitcases standing in the middle of a walkway

1. Colour Code Your Bags

Typically, you will want to pack 2 bags. One for labour and birth and one for after birth. To make it really easy, using either nail varnish directly on the case or a piece of paper secured well (although in my experience these come off quite easily), label each bag.

Next, for each case, categorise and bag different items, for example toiletries in a blue bag, snacks and fluids in a yellow bag. This makes it really easy for someone who hasn’t packed the bag to retrieve the required item quickly and efficiently whilst leaving the rest of the bag untouched.

If you want to go the extra mile, make a key on a piece of paper, put it in a sleeve, show it to your birth partner, and lay it on top. This makes it easier to know which way up it needs to be opened and can save the “which colour bag are your pants in again?” question from being asked across the delivery room!

Bright, colourful flower in red, pink, blue, green, orange, and yellow

2. Be Ready to Move

You may need to transfer rooms or wards during your stay, and you may need to do so quickly. When you are packing your bags, aim to keep the things you know you will need during labour (e.g. flannels to cool you down) at the top so you can quickly pack up and move if required.

This top tip also applies to you if you are preparing to take things such as electric candles, music, and homely items to set up in the birthing room during labour. Make sure that you have a large bag that you can quickly collect these items into if you need as your room if often cleaned and made ready for the next family shortly after you leave.

Candles, fresh lavender tea, purple and blue stone plus a vase with green stems on a wooden table
3. Electronics

My third top tip is to make sure you pack a portable charging block. Many hospitals are not allowed to let you charge your phones, tablets, cameras etc as they are not PAT tested. This means that there is a risk your piece of equipment could cause issues with the hospitals electrics (for example causing it to trip or short circuit). Make sure that all of your charging blocks are fully powered up before you leave so that you get maximum charging capacity from them during your stay.

Brown leather suitcase lying down with camera on top

 

4. Bonus

And finally, a bonus to help you along a little further. Beneath this article you can get a free copy of the hospital bag checklist that is included in our Bump to Birth and Beyond course (the course that helps families feel empowered, confident, and prepared for labour, birth and early parenthood). To receive your free copy, sign up to the newsletter below, and we will send it directly to your inbox.

Happy packing!