Hospital Bag Checklist: What to Pack for You, Baby & Partner

Packing your hospital bag is one of those moments when it suddenly feels real. A little preparation means you can grab your bag and go, without a last-minute scramble. Here's a simple checklist to get you started.

Every hospital and birth center is different. Ask yours what they provide and what they recommend you bring, and follow the advice of your doctor or midwife. This list is for getting organized only - it isn't medical advice.

When should I pack?

Many parents like to have their bag ready a few weeks before their due date, so it's waiting by the door just in case. Keep a short "last-minute" list on top for things you use every day, like your phone charger and glasses.

Documents & essentials

• Photo ID and insurance card

• Any hospital paperwork you've been given

• A few copies of your birth plan, if you have one

• Phone and a long charging cable

• Glasses or contact lenses

• A list of phone numbers you may need

For you

• A comfortable robe or loose, dark-colored clothes

• Non-slip socks or slippers

• Nursing bras or soft, comfortable bras

• Comfortable underwear

• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, hair ties, lip balm and face wipes

• Your own pillow, in a colored pillowcase so it doesn't get mixed up

• Snacks and a water bottle with a straw

• A loose, comfortable outfit to wear home

For baby

• An installed car seat - you'll need it to drive home

• A going-home outfit (pack two sizes, just in case)

• A soft hat and socks or booties

• A swaddle or receiving blanket

• A season-appropriate outer layer or blanket for the trip home

For your partner or support person

• A change of clothes and comfortable shoes

• Toiletries

• Snacks and drinks

• Phone charger

• A pillow and a light blanket

• Coins or cards for parking and vending machines

Nice to have

• A playlist and headphones

• A book or downloaded shows

• A small notebook to write down questions, and your first memories

Probably leave at home

• Jewelry and valuables

• Lots of baby clothes - one or two outfits is plenty

• Anything you'd be sad to lose

Plan it, feel it, keep it forever

The Happiness Journal - Pregnancy Planner & Keepsake includes a full hospital bag checklist for you, baby and partner, a birth plan page, a "when it's time" plan and a help schedule, plus week-by-week pages and keepsake pages to fill in when your little one arrives. It comes as a printable edition plus digital editions for your iPad and phone.

Echo Bloom

Plan it. Live it. Keep it forever.

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