Your hospital bag - a packing checklist for mum

One bag, a few simple sections

Dividing your luggage by when you will use it is helpful: documents, labour, the postnatal stay and going home. You will not need to search through all your clothes for one small item. Use compartments or simple reusable bags. The most important thing is that your birth partner can recognise where things are too.

Your hospital’s list comes first

Maternity units differ in what they provide and how they arrange admissions. We compared the NHS list with information from Szpital Praski in Poland. Documents, comfortable clothes and toiletries are common categories, but the details are not universal. Our PDF leaves space for notes from your own hospital.

Sources: Szpital Praski NHS

Prepare documents separately

Maternity records, results and information about treatment should be easy to reach. Ask which test results to bring and in what form. Do not assume that one hospital’s list of referrals or results applies to every situation. For a planned admission, check directly with the hospital. Record the ward’s telephone number too.

Sources: HSE, Irlandia Healthdirect Australia / Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

Mum’s comfort is part of preparing

Things you use every day are useful: glasses, a hair tie, a charger and a washbag. After birth, you may need absorbent hygiene products and clothes that are easy to change. Leave room for individual advice. Wound-care and feeding aids are best chosen when the kind of support needed is clear.

Sources: NHS

Do a quick check before leaving

Check when the ward’s list was last updated, that your documents are complete and that your phone is charged. Agree who can bring extra items if needed and show them what is in your bag. Tell staff about your own medicines on admission and discuss eating and drinking in your circumstances. The checklist reduces what you need to remember when it is time to leave.

Frequently asked questions