Hospital Bag Checklist

Congrats, you’re having a baby! 

This likely means your heading to the hospital for a few days. Reminder: you are not moving in! 

Absolutely no judgement if you want to give birth in a gown and have an outfit for your baby every day you are in the hospital, you do you! This list is for the minimalists among us 😉 

Everything you bring to the hospital, also has to either come home with you OR get thrown out. 

This is my no-nonsense hospital bag list. 

For you – Toiletries:

This will seem like a long list, but everything should be travel size, sample size, or 1x use. This is also the longest list because you will want to feel human again. 

1. Toothbrush 
2. Toothpaste
3. Floss
4. Shampoo
5. Conditioner
6. Body wash
7. Face wash/cleanser
8. Face lotion
9. Body lotion
10. Hair brush/comb
11. Hair elastics/scruccis/headbands
12. Medications 
13. Makeup – if need be, this is not necessary, but you might want some for your post-birth photos or going home photos. 

For you – comprehensive list of attire for your bag:

1. Slip-on shoes
2. Grippy socks or slippers
3. Postpartum underwear (3-4 pairs)
4. Bra(s) (1-3) – nursing, sport, regular, whatever your preference
5. Robe
6. Belly band
7. Leggings (2-3 pairs) – length of your choice 😉
8. Shirt/Top to go home in

How are you going to wear these items?

The only thing I was going to wear that was my own during labor (aside from a sports bra) was a cute pair of grippy socks. The nurse asked if I liked my socks, and I said yes and I would just wash them. She smiled and said I would not want to wash them after and gave me the hospital grippy socks.

• To the hospital (if you have time to change and this obviously won’t be in your bag, but just an idea because these items need to be packed back into your bag or tossed out)
  • Slip on shoes you can also wear home (boots if it’s winter).
  • Undies you don’t care about
  • Maternity leggings/sweatpants you don’t care about
  • Bra – nursing bra or sports bra, whatever you are most comfortable with
  • Shirt/top
• After delivery (2-3ish days on average) – you could go super minimalist and skip a lot of this by borrowing scrubs and grippy socks from the hospital, they will give you fresh ones daily, or more often if you request. Adjust your list accordingly.
  • Robe
  • Grippy socks or slippers (again you can borrow from the hospital)
  • Nursing bra, regular bra, sports bra (your preference)
  • Belly band
  • Leggings 
  • Postpartum underwear
• Going home
  • The shoes you wore in 
  • Leggings
  • Postpartum Underwear
  • Belly band
  • Bra
  • Shirt 

For Baby: 

The hospital will put onesies, hats, and swaddle blankets on your baby the entire time they’re in the maternity ward with you. I also had a fear my first delivery if I brought clothes with me for the baby they would get lost if they were taken off for a change (irrational? probably). 

1. Going home outfit – you have to have a car seat with you when you take your baby home regardless if you have a car. You will want the baby’s legs covered from the straps, so get an outfit with pants and feeties or include socks in your outfit. That’s it.

For Partner:

If your partner is allowed to leave the hospital and plans on doing so, this can borderline be omitted completely. My first delivery (pre-COVID) my husband went home the day of or after delivery (I forget, it was a blur, lol) to walk the dogs and bring them a receiving blanket to smell the new baby. He went to work one day (despite MA having great benefits for parental leave, he is a plumber in the union, so it’s not the same) and came back that night. He stayed the night prior to my discharge so we could leave together in the morning. 

1. Comfy clothes – sweatpants, sweat shorts
2. Change of undergarments & socks
3. Any toiletries they cannot share with you
4. Medications – even OTC medicines they are used to taking. Some hospitals won’t even give the partner aspirin since they are not the patient. 

Other: 

1. Extra pillow(s) – while this might seem superfluous, the hospital pillows are not fantastic and you will want a comfy one. This is optional of course. 
2. Phone charger, extra long cord. 
3. Car seat – see above
4. Stroller – we made the mistake the first time of just bringing the car seat carrier to bring the baby home, and we had to walk all the way through the hospital carrying it. Brigham & Women’s is not a small hospital, so it felt like a trek. Your car seat carrier hopefully clicks into your stroller. You also want the stroller because the nurses will give you as much free things as they can (formula, diapers, postpartum care products, etc). These will be MUCH easier to transport if you have a stroller, else they will provide a cart for you, which you then have to return to some location (likely valet or reception).

There’s a printable of this list available at my shop, check it out!

Congrats, and happy packing! Hope this made your life a bit easier 😉