Hospital bag checklist: what to pack for mom, baby and partner

Your hospital bag needs less than most lists suggest, because the hospital covers a lot. Hospitals commonly supply postpartum pads, mesh underwear, ice packs, peri bottles and gowns for you, and diapers and wipes for your baby ^[1][2][4]. What you need to bring is your paperwork, your phone, your own toiletries and comfort items, clothes to go home in, and a going-home outfit and installed car seat for the baby.

We built this checklist from the packing lists of five US hospitals and health systems and from federal car seat guidance. There are no product picks or affiliate links here.

Hospital bag checklist: the short version

These items show up again and again on hospital lists ^[1][2][3][4]. Everything else is optional.

What the hospital usually provides

Check with your own hospital, but here's what four of them say they supply:

Cleveland Clinic suggests leaving room in your bag, because you'll likely go home with extra peri bottles, diapers, wipes, mesh underwear and pads ^[4].

Hospital bag checklist for mom

For labor:

• Phone and charger ^[1][4]
• Lip balm and hair ties ^[1][4]
• Glasses or contact lenses ^[1][4]
• Music, with headphones or a small speaker ^[1]
• Your own pillow ^[1][2]
• Socks and slippers or shower shoes with grip ^[2][4]
• Snacks and drinks, plus snacks for your partner. Ask what your hospital lets you eat during labor ^[1][2]

For after the birth:

• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, lotion and a hairbrush ^[2][4]
• Two or three nursing bras if you're breastfeeding, or snug sports bras if you're formula-feeding ^[4]
• Nipple cream if you're breastfeeding ^[2]
• A robe and a nightgown or sleep clothes ^[2][4]
• Your breast pump and clean parts, if you plan to pump ^[4]
• A plastic bag for dirty clothes ^[2]

For going home:

• Loose, comfortable clothes. You'll probably still wear maternity sizes ^[4].

If you don't have a pump yet, most health plans have to cover one. See our guide to getting a breast pump through insurance.

What to pack for the baby

Your baby needs very little for the stay itself, since the hospital supplies diapers and wipes ^[1][4]. Pack for the trip home:

• A going-home outfit or two. Cleveland Clinic suggests a sleeper that isn't tight around the belly, so it doesn't rub the umbilical cord stump, and maybe one size up ^[4].
• A receiving blanket for warmth and swaddling ^[2][4].
• Sleep sacks if you'd like them ^[1].
• Nail file or clippers, since newborn nails can be sharp ^[2].
• Bottles if you're bottle-feeding and your hospital doesn't supply them ^[2].
• An installed car seat (see below).

Our newborn checklist covers what you'll need once you're home.

What to pack for your partner

Some hospitals provide a sleeping couch and bedding for a partner ^[1]. Hospital lists suggest a partner bring ^[2][4]:

• A change of clothes, or two
• Toiletries
• Slippers, socks and something comfortable to sleep in
• Phone, charger and something to read
• Cash or small bills for parking and vending machines
• Their own pillow and blanket, if they prefer

Paperwork and documents to bring

• Photo ID for you, and for both parents at some hospitals ^[1][5]
• Insurance card ^[1][3]
• Your birth plan, printed ^[1][3][4]. Our birth plan tool helps you write one.
• Pediatrician's name and contact details, including fax or email if you have them ^[1][2]
• A list of your medications ^[4]

Preregister if your hospital allows it. Baptist Health, for example, lets you preregister for delivery through its patient portal, which speeds things up when you arrive at labor and delivery ^[9]. Cleveland Clinic notes that if you didn't preregister, you'll be showing your ID and insurance card to a lot of people ^[4].

Not sure what your insurance will cover for the birth? Our guide to the cost of having a baby explains typical bills. If you're uninsured or your income is limited, check whether you qualify for Medicaid for pregnancy.

You need a car seat to drive your baby home

If you're driving home, you need a car seat. NHTSA says a child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat ^[6], and the American Academy of Pediatrics says all infants should ride rear-facing starting with their first ride home from the hospital ^[7].

Some hospitals make it a condition of discharge. UnityPoint Health says a car seat is a requirement at its hospitals before the baby can be discharged ^[5], and Spartanburg Regional says you must have an approved car seat installed before you bring your baby home ^[3]. Baptist Health asks you to install it before you even arrive ^[1].

Get it checked. Certified car seat technicians will inspect your seat free of charge in most cases and show you how to install it, and NHTSA's website has a locator for inspection stations near you ^[6]. The AAP suggests working with a technician before your baby is born ^[7]. If a car seat isn't in your budget, see our guide to getting a free car seat.

When to pack your hospital bag

Hospital advice varies a little:

• CHRISTUS Santa Rosa says to be packed before the 36th week of pregnancy ^[2].
• UnityPoint Health recommends having a bag packed about a month before your due date ^[5].
• Cleveland Clinic says to pack a month or two before your due date ^[4].

So aim to be packed by 36 weeks. If your doctor or midwife has told you to expect an early birth, pack sooner. Leave the bag by the door or in the car, and keep a short list on top of what you'll add at the last minute, like your phone charger and glasses.

What not to bring

• Jewelry, including rings and watches. Some hospitals require you to remove jewelry, especially for a cesarean ^[1][4].
• Large amounts of cash, gift cards or checkbooks ^[1].
• Clothes you care about, since stains are likely ^[4].
• Your medications. The hospital pharmacy supplies them, so bring a list instead ^[4].
• Candles. Open flames aren't allowed. Bring a flameless candle if you want one ^[4].

How long will you be in the hospital?

Pack for two to four days. Under federal law, group health plans that are subject to it can't limit your hospital stay after childbirth to less than 48 hours after a vaginal birth or 96 hours after a cesarean, counted from the time of delivery ^[8]. You can go home sooner if your doctor or midwife decides, with you, that it's safe ^[8]. Some states have their own version of this rule for insured plans ^[8].

Once you're home, our postpartum checklist covers the paperwork and appointments in the weeks after birth.