When you’re in your third trimester and preparing for a natural labor and delivery, you have plenty of things to focus your mind on. Knowing what to pack in your moms hospital bag shouldn’t be one of them. This guide has everything you’ll actually use and need in your hospital bag so you can worry about more important things.
Moms Hospital Bag
If you’re a first time mom, deciding what should be included on your hospital bag checklist, it can be overwhelming.
Remember that you want to be as comfortable as possible during labor and postpartum. During labor, you need comfort for relaxation to focus on your body and your contractions. For postpartum, you’ve gone through a huge life-changing and physical marathon. You need comfort for that too!
But also remember, what you take to the hospital, you take with you. Plus, add a newborn, any gifts you get, hospital items you take and more!
Most natural mamas like to keep it simple. Moms hospital bag essentials are included in this list. Plus, some items that might just be nice to have.
Essential Items for Moms Hospital Bag
Paperwork
If you deliver in a hospital, you can preregister your insurance, ID information and health history. Typically, by doing this, you don’t have to worry about bringing these items in your moms hospital bag. It’s good to have them just in case!
- Insurance cards/ID – Not to worry, if you forget these, the hospital will still admit you!
- Credit cards – In case you want to order food in or grab extras from the hospital cafeteria.
- Birth plan – Hopefully by this point, you’ve discussed your birth plan with your health care providers. BUT it’s still good to bring it just in case. Doctors and nurses rotate shifts. Have your birth plan on hand for easy reference for them and your husband or birth partner.
Labor
Your labor needs will drastically change as you move through the stages of labor.
Most natural mamas find themselves not needing much as they work with their bodies to find comfort, focus and relaxation. The most important things to focus on during labor are staying hydrated (see the snacks section!) and communicating your birth environment needs.
Otherwise mamas will find themselves turning inward to themselves not needing much and drowning out the rest of the world as they focus on their body’s needs. These basics get you started.
- Hair bands/clips – To keep your hair out of your face!
- Chapstick – Lips get super dry during labor.
- Tennis ball – Your husband, doula or birth partner can use this as counter pressure on your lower back if you have back labor.
- Birth ball/peanut – Typically, hospitals will have a birth ball for you to labor on. They’re great for bringing baby down the birth canal. Ask your provider ahead of time before packing one in your hospital bag.
Birth Environment
As you transition through the different stages of labor, your labor environment changes with you. Your needs change as you work with your body to get comfortable. Having a safe, calm environment also allows you to focus on your needs and be able to listen to your body.
- Essential oils – Lavender and chamomile are calming essential oils that promote peace and meditation. This blend is really nice for labor. Diffuse it or use it as a roller ball to put on your body. Avoid lotions and perfumes that can’t easily be removed if your needs change.
- Birth affirmations – Print out birth affirmations or write some down to focus on. It’s encouraging and helps provide focus during contractions.
- Noise machine – The labor floor can be noisy. Drown out distractions with a noise machine. You can even create a birth playlist of calm music and white noise before labor.
Related – How to Create Your Ideal Natural Birth Environment
Postpartum Items for Moms Hospital Bag
The hospital will have practically everything you need for postpartum. They even have hospital clothing you can wear, which is kind of nice so your real clothes don’t get too messy. (Plus, less laundry!)
A hospital will also have all of your recovery needs. Pads, oversized undies, and witch hazel will be plenty. Don’t forget to ask for more of everything before you leave. And take it all with you!
- Phone charger – Keep your phone charged for baby and mama updates during labor and postpartum.
- Nipple cream – Nipples can get sore as you and baby navigating breastfeeding. This nipple cream helps a ton and is safe for baby.
- Toiletries – Hospitals and birth centers typically don’t provide and toiletries. A birth center, you may only stay a few hours after birth and not need toiletries. A hospital stay is anywhere from 2-4 days. Bring whatever will make you comfortable. For some mamas, that means a curling iron and makeup. For some, that just means a toothbrush and body wash.
- Nursing bras – Your milk won’t come in for a few days, but you might enjoy the support of a nursing bra as your boobs adjust. It’s also easier to wear no bra and give baby faster boob access. This is total preference.
- Comfortable clothes – Even though you delivered, your body will still be recovering and your belly won’t go away for awhile. Comfort is key right now. Stretchy pants or leggings and shirts or even your maternity clothes are perfect.
- Bobby/breastfeeding pillow – Breastfeeding moms either love or hate the Bobby. It provides support for you and baby while nursing. Bring it with you to the hospital if you think you might need it.
Snacks for Hospital Bag
Labor and delivery is a physically exhausting task. It takes a ton of energy and depletes your body. You also will go for a long time without eating. Snacks are an absolute must!
During early labor, it’s really smart for you to keep up your energy by eating small, nutritious snacks and meals. Labor contractions won’t require much effort or concentration, and you’ll still feel good. Keep up your energy and build stamina by eating lots of small, nutritious snacks. This is really important because as you get closer to active labor, your appetite will diminish, and some mamas even report feeling nauseous.
Whether or not you are allowed to eat during labor will depend on your health care provider, birthplace, and where you choose to labor. If you choose a hospital as your birthplace, health care providers typically won’t let you eat during any stage of labor. They’re worried about choking or having your belly full if you need to have an emergency cesarean section. Birth centers and midwives are more accomodating and understand the need for energy and nutrients.
Staying home during early labor proves to be beneficial for shorter labor time and less interventions. Plus, if you stay home, you have the ability to do what you want to make you comfortable – including eating and hydrating!
Packing snacks in your hospital bag isn’t just good for early labor, it’s also good for after! Even if you’re partaking in light bites in early labor, active labor and pushing lasts for hours. By the time you feel ready to eat again AND consider the fact you just went through a really intense physical feet, you’ll be STARVING.
Most birth centers don’t stock food for patients. Hospitals have cafeterias but they close at night (which is when most mamas give birth), the food isn’t great and/or you may need even more food than is being offered. Think about the hungriest you’ve ever been in you’re life and 10x it!
This is why you need tons of snacks put in moms hospital bag.
Remember that all snacks aren’t created equal. You don’t want snacks that are all sugar and junk food because it could cause a sugar crash. You also don’t want snacks that are super healthy, like carrots, that don’t provide any fat or satiety.
Nutrition is super important. And if you’re wanting to avoid an IV for fluid, you’ll need to stay well-hydrated.
Moms Hospital Bag Snacks
Drinks
- Red Raspberry Leaf Tea sweetened with Stevia – Red raspberry leaf is known for helping uterine strength and contractions. The sweetener (stevia, monk fruit, agave, etc.) is a sustainable energy to help with labor.
- Coconut water – Coconut water is a natural electrolyte that your body can quickly absorb. You also can buy pressed coconut water that contains some coconut chunks that are easily digested and sipped on for energy and nutrition.
- Electrolyte water – Plain water with added electrolytes. Smart water is a popular brand you can buy in multipacks.
- Gatorade – Not the healthiest drink option but it does do a good job at replenishing electrolytes and providing energy from sugar.
- Recharge – Does the same thing as Gatorade but doesn’t include the high fructose corn syrup.
- Labor Aid – This refreshing and hydrating drink combines tons of healthy ingredients that are perfect for labor. Get the recipe here to make ahead or Pink Stork sells a premade drink mix that you can easily pack in your hospital bag to make as needed.
- Liquid IV – These single packet drink mixes can easily be mixed into a bottle of water. With no artificial flavors, it contains electrolytes and 5 essential vitamins to deliver hydration faster.
- Nuun – Works similiary to liquid IV but has different flavors and less sugar.
Food
- Gu – Packed with electrolytes and slow-releasing sugar to keep your energy going. Made for long-distance runners, it’s a small amount to eat and digest, so you aren’t eating a whole meal while focusing on contractions.
- Smoothies – Smoothies are an awesome food to have for early labor and after. Packed with nutrition, you can add fruit, nuts and seeds, collagen and other protein to fuel your body. You can also add extra water or milk to make drinking them easier during labor. Keep them premade and frozen to take with you to the hospital.
- Toast – Carbs have the energy you need during long, physical tasks like labor. Stick to hearty bread like a nut and seed variation or even Ezekiel to have long lasting energy. Toast is especially helpful if you can’t force anything else down.
- Eggs – Eggs are packed with vitamins and nutrients. They can also be prepared a variety of ways, depending on your mood.
- Oatmeal/steal oats – These are hearty and full of long lasting nutrition. Add some fruit, nuts, hemp hearts or flax for extra nutrition or stamina. Make overnight oats in a mason jar and keep them on hand for when you need them at the hospital.
- Fresh Fruit – Easy to travel with and contain compact energy that’s easily digested for energy.
- Larabars – Yummy and easy to take with you to the hospital. All natural ingredients with a pregnancy superfood – dates!
- Yogurt – Full fat yogurt will keep you full and give long-lasting energy for labor.
- Honey – Honey is a natural energy and sugar that provides stamina in labor. You can even buy honey sticks to easily eat.
- Applesauce – Applesauce pouches are easy to slurp down and a natural energy. Opt for applause without sugar added.
- Bone broth – Homemade is best but Kettle & Fire bone broth is also excellent for natural electrolytes, vitamins and minerals. You can also sip on it between contractions.
- Pasta – Just like toast, pasta carbs are as great for labor as it is for running. Eating extra carbs before endurance activities (carb-loading) increases glycogen stores in muscles for slow-releasing energy.
- Sweet potatoes – Another excellent carb that’s easy to east when in labor.
- Peanut butter or nut butter – Protein and nutrients that can be eaten alone or added to yogurt, smoothies, toast, etc.
- Trail mix – A great snack for dad, too!
- Lean meat/protein – You need protein for nutrients and muscle fatigue. Add a meat sauce to your pasta, have some plain grilled chicken or add protein to your smoothie. You can even get premade protein drinks to put in your hospital bag.
Other
- Gum/Mints – During labor, a lot of mamas experience dry mouth. Chewing gum or sucking on a mint helps. Keeping a mint in your mouth during transition also helps with contraction concentration. Lastly, when you get into active labor and transition, your birth environment will change and smells will really bother you. Gum and mints are good for your partner and support people too!
- Preggo pops – These were great for nausea during the first trimester and now they’re back for labor nausea too!
- Ginger candy – Reduce nausea and get a burst of sweet energy.
Items Not to Pack in Your Hospital Bag
If you search the internet, some hospital bag checklists include EVERYTHING. The truth is what you pack is totally up to you. For my first birth, I didn’t even need or wear any of the outfits I packed. Wearing a hospital gown that was easy for breastfeeding and I didn’t care got yucky was easier.
Same with baby! The hospital provides diapers, hats, wipes, outfits and blankets. An outfit to take baby home in is sweet. But you don’t have to bother changing baby into your own outfits if you don’t want to. It also makes skin-to-skin easier.
Lastly, no need to pack and postpartum items! The hospital gives you plenty of pads, mesh undies, witch hazel spray and ice packs. Use them instead of wasting your own. Plus, your insurance pays for them anyway. (Make sure to have some waiting at home, though or Amazon Prime some to your house before you leave). Before you leave the hospital, ask your nurse to give you more of everything to take home.
Conclusion
There are no right or wrong items to include on your hospital bag checklist. A moms hospital bag should have items that will make her feel the most comfortable during labor and postpartum. That looks different for everyone. This hospital bag checklist is an excellent place to start.
What hospital bag must haves are on your checklist?
