Packing a suitcase for the hospital can be an overwhelming task. It is best to get some things ready before your due date just in case you go into labor a little earlier. This is a guide about things that many new moms have found useful during their labor and deliveries. We recommend having everything ready to go when you’re eight months pregnant, since you could go into labor at any time in the weeks before your due date.
Packing for the Hospital – For Mom
- A picture ID (driver’s license or other ID), your insurance card, and any hospital paperwork you need
- Robe
- Warm socks (to wear in the delivery room)
- Maternity underwear (for the trip home)
- Slippers
- Nightgown (one that opens in the front if you’re planning on breastfeeding)
- Nursing bra (if you’re planning on breastfeeding)
- Clothing for trip home (consider bringing 1st or 2nd trimester maternity clothes, which will be roomy and comfortable)
- Two pillows with pillowcases from home
- Cosmetics, hairbrush, hair dryer
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- Prescription medications from home (use only as advised by your doctor)
- Mints or breath strips (helpful if medications or anesthesia cause vomiting during labor)
- Lollipops (for a dry mouth)
- Lip balm
- Deodorant
- Body lotion
- Eyeglasses (contact lenses may need to be removed prior to a C-section)
- Contact lenses and accessories
Packing for the Hospital – For Dad or partner
- Change of clothes
- Pajamas or sweats (if he plans to spend the night)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, razor
- Snacks, sandwiches and beverages (keep food on hand so the “labor coach” won’t have to leave your bedside)
- Books, magazines, iPod or CD’s (to help Mom relax)
- Cell phone and charger
- Camera(s) and extra and memory card (or film or tape) if not using a digital camera
- Camcorder
- Batteries and/or chargers for cameras
- Phone list for friends and family
- Phone card for long distance calls if cell phones are prohibited in the hospital
Packing for the Hospital – For Baby
- An installed car seat. You can’t drive your baby home without one! Have the seat properly installed ahead of time and know how to buckle your baby in correctly.
- Newborn clothing
- Two receiving blankets
- Extra newborn-sized diapers
- Mittens or baby nail clippers (most babies are born with long fingernails and can scratch their face)
- Cans/bottles of infant formula if you intend to bottle-feed so your baby can start with the brand you prefer
- Bottles and nipples if you will be bottle-feeding
Disposable diapers, undershirts and receiving blankets are provided by the hospital for your baby until discharge.
Packing for the Hospital – For a Siblings
- Favorite books and toys
- Drawing paper and crayons/markers
- Snacks
- A gift from Mom and Baby (to help ease jealousies after Baby arrives)
- A gift from big brother or sister to Baby (perhaps chosen together prior to Baby’s arrival)
- A camera just for big brother or sister to take pictures of Baby
If you have received or purchased a baby book, be sure to bring it to the hospital. Oftentimes these books provide special pages for guests to sign when they come to visit the baby. In addition, there may be details related to the labor or birth that the hospital staff can provide you to complete your records.
