The Ultimate Labor and Delivery Hospital Bag Checklist!

Hey there mamas! So glad you found this ultimate labor and delivery packing checklist. If you are expecting your first baby you are probably in the same boat I was in – scouring the internet at all hours of the night trying to find details on what to pack in my hospital bag.

I didn’t just want a list – I wanted details on which nursing bra to pack and why! I wanted a one stop shop. So that’s what I am going to give you. Everything I packed in my hospital bag as a first time mom and why!

Now if you’re not looking for all of the nitty gritty details then you can find the short checklist here.

Now let’s dive into the details, shall we.

• A Water Bottle

Now you might be thinking that this is a no brainer but trust me, you are going to want this! My hot pink water bottle stayed very close to me during all 33 hours of labor and I’m happy to report that a year later I still don’t leave the house without that same water bottle.

I opted for a bottle that had a lid that was spill proof and also had a straw because I just prefer that. This water bottle met all of my criteria and it comes in a ton of fun colours and a few different sizes.

• Hair Ties or a Claw Clip

Let’s be honest, your hair will likely get annoying at some point during your hospital visit. Mine was a combination of up and down and by the end of it all it was a complete mess but that’s ok!

I personally prefer to use a scrunchie when I tie my hair up. This is probably one of my favourite ones to use but there are so many to choose from. A claw clip would have been ok for some of the time for me but I spent a lot of my time with my head rested against the bed so I feel like a clip would have gotten in the way.

• Comfy Clothes

You are going to want to pack comfortable clothes even if you only end up wearing them for the drive home. Everyone has different preferences here. I started out labouring in my baggy sweater and lulu’s and when things got real I made the switch over to the lovely blue hospital gown.

After delivery, I had a shower and put on a pair of comfy pyjama pants and a nursing tank top and a cardigan. This was most comfortable for when visitors stopped by to meet my precious boy and the nursing tank top was very easy to learn how to breastfeed in.

This was my go-to outfit until I got discharged and then I think I put on a pair of sweats and a sweater to go home. I made sure to pack things that I knew I would feel most comfortable in with my new postpartum body.

• Slippers

I am the type of girl who wears slippers 24/7 in the house, even in the summer so this was a must for me! They are my comfort zone. The point here is to bring comfortable footwear to walk around in and something that is easy to slip in and out of.

• Shower Sandals

I packed a pair of shower sandals but I don’t think I actually used them. I think I was too disoriented during and after labor to care about wearing them but the hospital where I gave birth has private rooms only so I knew that I was the only one in and out of the shower for my whole stay.

Had I been in a shared room I probably would have found time to put the sandals on.

• Nursing Bra

Ok so this one is big! If you are a first time mom breastfeeding will be brand new to you like it was to me. You are going to want a comfortable nursing bra. One that is supportive and easy to clasp.

I originally purchased 2 mediocre nursing bras when I was pregnant and those are the ones that I brought to the hospital with me. They worked but they weren’t the greatest.

Once I got home and settled in to my new mom life I realized I was going to need a better bra!

I ended up buying this bra and it has been nothing short of amazing! I have worn it every single day since I bought it (aside from the days that it needs washing). Do yourself a favour and buy 2 of them. It was a little pricey but it has been worth every penny! So supportive and comfortable.

These more causal nursing bras were great to wear during the night. I needed just a little bit of support during the night but I didn’t want the discomfort of hooks and clasps. I also needed something to hold in the nursing pads because I would often leak milk during the night.

The point here is to invest in a nursing bra that’s comfortable and supportive because you are going to be wearing it for your whole breastfeeding journey.

• Nursing Tank Top

I really enjoyed having this nursing tank top for my hospital stay. It was comfortable and easy to learn how to breastfeed in.

• Robe or Cardigan

I am not much of a robe person so I packed a comfy cardigan to toss on over my tank top, but I would suggest to pack either or. If you are accepting visitors this would be an easy thing to cover up with.

• Button Front PJ’s

I packed button front PJ’s to have easy nursing access as I was learning and it was all new to me.

• Nursing Pads

Now this isn’t something that you will necessarily need in the hospital, it all depends on when your milk comes in. My milk only fully came in once I got home, but I still brought some nursing pads to the hospital just in case. I had them packed in my diaper bag because I knew that I would likely need them in there going forward anyways.

• Toiletries

Now this list of toiletries will look different for everyone. Pack your regular day to day toiletries. For me this looked like face lotion, deodorant, body wash, shampoo & conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste.

I am not a makeup girl so I didn’t pack any but make sure to pack yours if you like to wear it everyday.

• Socks

This is just one of those comfort items. You are going to want to wear your own socks instead of the hospital socks. These socks are my personal faves!

• Nipple Cream

Ok so this is an absolute must! Breastfeeding was brand new to me as a first time mom and it was a little uncomfortable at first. Ok maybe it was a LOT uncomfortable if I am being honest but this was because my sweet boy had a tongue and a lip tie that I didn’t learn about until weeks later.

My Lanolin cream didn’t get too far out of my sight. I lathered it on after every feed and it definitely helped. I had to end up getting a prescription cream from a local pharmacy because my pain was pretty intense but as soon as my boy got his tongue and lip tie snipped things got so much better for me! Like night and day difference. I am so thankful for the amazing lactation consultants who helped me out.

Let’s not forget to pack a bag for the real MVP’s! My husband was my biggest support through every single hour of labor. He was steady as a rock. It was actually impressive. We didn’t pack a huge bag for him but we obviously had to bring some essentials so here they are:

• Change of Clothes

This is probably pretty obvious but a change of clothes is a must to pack. My husband is a sweats guy so we just packed an extra pair of comfy clothes for him. We didn’t know how long our hospital stay would be but we just figured one change of clothes would be fine and if not we have family close by to drop off things if we forgot them.

• Toiletries

This was pretty basic. Just deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste. I already had the shampoo and conditioner packed in my bag so he didn’t need much more than this.

If you or your husband wears glasses / contacts don’t forget to pack these things as well.

• Pillow

Your husband is taking one for the team by sleeping on the hospital chair or couch so he might like to enjoy his own pillow from home. It’s the little things that count!

So the hospital will have pretty much everything you need for baby for the duration of your stay but I packed things anyways just in case. Plus most of it was in my diaper bag for the way home so it wasn’t too much extra to pack it all.

Here’s what you will need:

• Wipes

So you most likely won’t need these at the hospital but may want to have them on hand just in case. My hospital provided wash cloths for wiping and I used these for the most part. A warm water wash cloth did wonders to clean up the newborn baby poop and at home I use this homemade laundry soap recipe that also does wonders on baby poop.

I packed these wipes anyways because I knew I would need them in my diaper bag for the way home.

• Diapers

This is another one of those things that the hospital will provide for you. They actually let you take everything in your room home with you at the end of your stay so make sure to take all of the leftover diapers in the room.

I packed my own just to have them handy in my diaper bag for the way home. These are the diapers that I use and I love them. They are so soft and unscented which is important to me!

• Take-home Outfit

Babies take home outfit can be whatever you want it to be! For us that looked like a sleeper with firetrucks on it (my husband’s choice). Haha. I packed a cute green ribbed sleeper from The Gap but it was actually too big on Tate when he was born so the firetruck sleeper won and honestly it didn’t matter. The important thing is that Tate was warm and clothed to finally come home.

• Swaddle Blanket

We packed a swaddle blanket for the way home. During our hospital stay we just used the receiving blankets that the hospital provided. I am thankful for this because Tate pee’d on quite a few of them.

These are my absolute favourite swaddle blankets! They come in so many different colours and they are so big and stretchy! I used them on repeat until my baby didn’t want to be swaddled anymore.

• Pacifier

Pack a couple of pacifiers if you are planning on using them for baby. This is the brand that I bought and used for Tate. There are so many different brands and shapes and sizes to choose from so get one that you feel is best for your baby. And if you don’t plan to use one then this is one less thing you have to pack.

• Diaper Bag

I have mentioned the diaper bag several times already. Get a bag that you are going to love for at least a year because you will be lugging this thing around with you everywhere for at least that long and let’s be honest, probably longer.

This is the exact diaper bag that I have and I love it. It has so many pockets and compartments. Perfect for packing all of things that babies need.

Now you won’t actually use your diaper bag at the hospital but you will need it for the way home to have all of the essentials on hand.

• Car Seat

Don’t forget to pack this! You will need it to take your sweet baby home. This is the car seat that we have and it served us really well. It easily clicked into our stroller which came with me everywhere.

Alright, if you have made it this far you are doing amazing! This is the last of it so you are almost done and ready to pack your own hospital bag. This last part is all of the little extras that don’t fit nicely into the other categories.

Here we go:

• SNACKS

Yes! This is in all capital letters because I think this is the most important thing to pack! Haha ok, maybe I’m being a little bit dramatic but you are going to want to pack snacks.

Our hospital doesn’t have a cafeteria and we knew that going into it so maybe that’s why I am putting so much emphasis on this point. They served me meals because I was the patient but they didn’t provide anything for my husband.

We packed all sorts of snacks – healthy and unhealthy – this is really up to you to pick your favourites and your comfort foods.

After Tate was born we had a lot of family stopping by to visit and they would bring us food which was amazing! We really appreciated that.

• Long Phone Chargers

You never know where the plug in is going to be in the room so do yourself a favour and get yourself an extra long phone charging cord like this one. After your baby is born you are probably going to be on your phone a lot to tell everyone the good news and you don’t want your battery to run dead. That would not be ideal! So even if you don’t have time to get a long cord just remember to pack any charging cord.

• Card Game / Entertainment

So I was in labor for 33 hours. That’s a long time! And honestly for the first while I was feeling pretty good and the hospital room was a little boring so my husband and I played crib in between my contractions. Yes, the Dr did laugh at me. He said he had never seen anyone play a card game while in labor. I had to pass the time somehow and it was also a good distraction for my pain.

Bring any sort of entertainment for yourself for before or after baby. That’s going to look different for everyone. Maybe a book, an iPad, a colouring book and so on. Just something to have on hand in case you have some time to kill.

And that wraps up the ultimate Labor and Delivery hospital packing guide. Let me know in the comments if this was helpful. I look forward to hearing from you and if you are reading this as you anticipate the arrival of your first baby – congratulations! Babies truly are the greatest gift.

Thanks for reading!