17 Hospital Bag Essentials You Don’t Want to Forget

Here are all the items you’ll want to bring with you in your hospital bag before and after baby is born. Plus, the items you don’t need to bring and something you’d never think to take advantage of at the hospital.

I scoured the internet to come up with the hospital bag essentials every mom needs in their hospital bag. This list comes directly from my own experience and other moms as well. After you read through the list, there’s a FREE download that you can print and check off while packing!

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When to Start Packing

Since there is no magic way to know when baby is coming, it’s best to be prepared and have your things packed and ready to go based on your pregnancy. If you have a scheduled c-section or induction, have your things ready the week before just in case the baby makes a surprise entrance. If you’ve had a pretty normal pregnancy, it’s best to have your bag ready around week 37. At 37 weeks you are now considered full term and baby can come at any time.

Hospital Bag Checklist

1. Nipple Cream. If there was one thing I wish I would have brought with me to the hospital, it’s nipple cream. Make sure it’s safe for baby but effective for mom. I wanted to breastfeed so bad that I pushed through the pain and bleeding (yah, no one tells you that could happen, huh?), but had no cream until we stopped on our way home. It was literally the first thing I wanted to get after we left the hospital and is the one thing I regret not bringing. If you end up not needing it, consider yourself lucky. I used Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter.

2. Dry Shampoo. In general, a small bag of toiletries is nice to have so you can bring the brands/items you prefer. If you have a C-section as I did with Nora, you’ll be in the hospital a bit longer than those that have vaginal births with no complications so you’ll likely take a few showers at the hospital. The most important item by far is dry shampoo. This allows you to take quicker showers by skipping your hair and is also nice to have right after baby is born and you’re not ready for a shower yet, but want to freshen up. My favorite brand that doesn’t break the bank is Not Your Mother’s.

3. Hospital Paperwork. If you are set on your birthing plan, be sure to bring that along with all your insurance information/cards, any hospital forms provided to you and IDs for both you and your partner.
4. Slippers/Flip Flops. The hospital should provide you with thicker non-skid socks, but they may not provide you with slippers or flip-flops. Slippers are good for walking down the halls when you need to keep busy or need to move after a c-section (Hubby had me up and walking as soon as the spinal tap wore off. He’s a Physical Therapist so he knows moving as soon as you can is best for recovery). Flip flops are nice to have for the shower so your feet are protected.
5. An Extra-Long Cell Phone Charging Cord. This is super helpful to have because oftentimes the machines in the hospital are using the outlets that are closest to your bed. Outlets are usually on the outskirts of the room so if you have a cord that is long enough to reach your bed, it’s a lifesaver.

6. Glasses or Contacts. You definitely don’t want to be in a situation where you forget one of these options if you need them.

7. Essential Oils & Diffuser. If you’re into essential oils to help calm you, this is something I highly recommend. If you diffuse oils at home this can help make you feel a bit more at ease and can help mask that notorious “hospital smell”. I have all my oils in one convenient and CUTE bag. I got mine from HoneyHiveFive on Etsy and I take it everywhere with me.

8. Diaper Bag. This seems so obvious, but can you imagine leaving it behind? It literally contains all the necessary items so if there’s one thing you can’t forget it’s this. I made sure that everything we needed to take with us was in one central location in the house and most of my items for baby were in my diaper bag. I am all about the diaper backpacks and I just got this stylish one from Freshly Picked in Butterscotch.

9. Nursing Bras. A comfortable nursing bra is key while you’re trying to get used to your new ginormous, leaky boobs. Most nursing bras are total crap though, to be honest. They make your boobs look like pancakes because most of them typically don’t have great support. I love the Kindred Bravely Sublime bra because it looks and feels more like a sports bra so you get that extra support, but is functional for mom and baby. Bring two just in case one gets soaked.

10. Disposable Nursing Pads. Please don’t even waste your money on reusable nursing pads. I am sorry, but whoever thought those were a good idea must have had the smallest boobs ever that never leaked or better yet, sprayed their baby in the face. Disposable is the only way to go. With reusable pads, you’re always worried about keeping up with the laundry because this is one item you can not be without. You can get a pack of 200 on Amazon for a reasonable price.

11. Phone Charger. If you have an extra charger, be sure to pack that in the hospital bag so you don’t have to remember it on the way out the door. If your birth is not planned it’s easy to be in panic mode and rush out the door while forgetting essentials like this.
12. Snacks/Meals. We all know that hospital food is not the most popular. If hospitals could be rated on Yelp!, they would all have one star. Bringing non-perishable snacks from home is a good idea and ensures your partner has something to eat as well. Asking a friend or family member to swing by and bring you and your partner a meal is also a good idea.

13. Pillows. If you had any back pain or discomfort while sleeping prior to birth, you may want to consider bringing the pillows that worked for you at home with you to the hospital. If you’re planning on breastfeeding you may also want to consider bringing a nursing pillow. Holding a baby while trying to breastfeed for the first time feels very foreign to most new mamas so having the support of a nursing pillow can make things a lot easier on both mama and baby. I found that the “football hold” was easiest using the Boppy which is a favorite among all mamas.

14. Granny Panties. I am warning you now. Do not bring your favorite panties to the hospital unless you plan on throwing them out. I specifically went to Target and bought some clearance panties to take with me to the hospital. I didn’t even care that they were a size bigger than normal because you’ll also be wearing the largest pads in existence so the extra fabric makes it comfortable. The hospital will provide you with pads and mesh panties. Ask for extra to take home with you.

15. Going Home Outfits. This includes an outfit for you and for baby. You’ll probably still be in maternity clothes so don’t think you’re fancy and bring a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans and stilettos. I swear by the Align Style Leggings from Lululemon. I know they are pricey, but it’s the best present I ever received from the hubby and they were the only leggings I preferred to wear all through pregnancy. Baby will need a few onesies and most likely a blanket, mittens, booties and a cap depending on the weather.

16. Car Seat. Uh, duh. But also, easy to forget so I am reminding you now. Even more important than bringing the car seat…learn how to use it ahead of time! Luckily car seats are getting easier to use as the years pass, but some are still a bit tricky if you’ve never had any experience before. Safety.com is a great resource for research on the safest car seats of 2019.
17. Distractions. This can be an iPad, a book, playing cards, board games, knitting projects, etc. Whatever helps mama get through those rough contractions and keeps her mind on something she enjoys is perfect.

What You Don’t Need

1. Diapers & Wipes. The hospital will be sure to provide you with a plethora of these while you’re there and they will load you up on your way out. These take up so much space that it’s an added bonus you don’t need to worry about them. Plus, who knows if your kid will be in preemie, newborn, or size 1 when they’re born.
2. Nipple Shield. If you do end up needing these, your hospital should have these for you (ask ahead of time). No need to buy them if you won’t need them at all.
3. Bottles/Pump. Only pack these if you plan on bottle feeding from the get-go. We decided to use donor milk for one feeding (since I was having a hard time) and they provided the bottle at the hospital. I got my pump after my hospital stay as well through our insurance.

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