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What Should I Pack In My Hospital Bag?

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be obsessing about what goes in your hospital or birth centre labour bag for weeks. That’s why I’ve come up with this handy checklist. But…try not to worry too much about it, because if you forget something there’s always a way of getting it – maternity unit stock, 24 hour supermarkets, a friendly neighbour or Amazon Prime!

Many people leave packing their hospital bag til a week or two before their due date but remember that term is classed between 37-42 weeks so you may want to do it a little sooner than you had planned. And it’s not like you can’t add things to it once you’ve got the majority of it done. It’s also a good idea for those of you planning a home birth to have a think about what you might want to take with you if you transfer in, being able to put your hands on the items you want in a hurry will be helpful (especially for your birth partner who will likely be doing the packing!)

I always think that instead of a bag for you and a bag for baby, a bag for labour and the first hour or two and a bag for the rest of your stay is more useful. You don’t need going home outfits and car seats cluttering up your birthing space so they can stay in the car (assuming you’ve driven to hospital!) and your birth partner can pop out for them when you’ve given birth and are ready to think about clothes.

Don’t panic about packing too much. Yes it will feel like you’ve got enough stuff to last you’re a fortnight, no it doesn’t matter. You need to feel comfortable in your surroundings or the oxytocin won’t flow so pack what you need.

A FREE downloadable checklist is available for your own useDownload

  • Maternity notes
  • Birth plan (1 for you, at least 1 more for your care team)
  • Something cool to wear in labour; a baggy tshirt or nightie can be good
  • Something to wear in the birth pool if you’re hoping for a water birth, unless you plan on being naked
  • Snacks and drinks, for you and birth partner
  • Your oxytocin boosters
  • A way of playing your labour playlist (if you have one). Make sure you download it as wifi is often rubbish
  • Downloaded programme/podcasts for distraction
  • Phone and charger
  • Pillow/blanket
  • TENS machine and other pain relieving methods not supplied by the hospital (eg comb)
  • Maternity pads (LOADS, at least 2 packs)
  • Giant or disposable knickers
  • Toiletries (don’t forget lip balm and bobbles!)
  • Socks or flip flops if you don’t want your feet touching the floors
  • Comfy clothing for after baby’s born; stretchy to help facilitate skin to skin and with boob access if you’re planning to breastfeed
  • Dressing gown or similar
  • Soft bras, with space to accommodate the breast growth you’ll likely have
  • Breast pads
  • The National Breastfeeding Helpline number (0300 100 0212)
  • Spare clothes for birth partner
  • Nappies
  • A few outfits for baby in case they poop all over themselves
  • Muslins for milk, spit, sick and all sorts of things that need mopping up
  • Car seat

Everyone’s different so you might have lots of other things that you want to pack, and that’s cool. You need what you need to be comfy. Enjoy the checklist!

What Do I Do If My Labour Slows Down?

Sometimes labour slows down. This might also be called stalling or “failure to progress” (bleurgh, nobody should be using that phrase if they’re giving proper personalised care). When labour slows down, contractions aren’t as effective and as efficient as they could be. Your body might need a little help increasing the frequency, duration and intensity of contractions in order for your labour to progress.

This is a checklist of things for you or your birth partner to consider if labour has slowed. Trying some or all of these might help ‘unstick’ whatever’s made labour get stuck and take a holistic view of what’s happening during the birth experience. Depending on what’s happening in your individual circumstances you may be offered medical augmentation of labour – all of these methods can be used before or as well as medical methods.

Progress Ps

Position: Are you in your preferred position? Is your position giving space for your pelvis to open, and is it using gravity to help your cervix to dilate and baby to come down the birth canal? Would moving help maximise your physiology? Do you need help and support to move?

Preferences: Has your birth plan been read and understood? Are your preferences being actively listened to? Are you being supported to work towards your preferences? Have your preferences changed?

Personal: Are your physical needs taken care of? Have you eaten and drunk to make sure your birthing muscles work effectively? Are you breathing to ensure your muscles are well oxygenated? Is your jaw (and therefore your pelvis) clenched? Have you had a wee recently – full bladders can impede baby’s progress.

Place: Is the room you’re in promoting oxytocin? Is it too hot, too cold, too cluttered to mobilise?

People: Who is present in the room with you? What are they doing? Do they make you feel safe? Do they need to be there if they’re not? Are they giving unbiased evidence based information for you to make your decisions? Are they asking consent?

Prohibitors: Are there any inhibiting factors that might be slowing your labour progress? Fear, stress, energy levels, mobility…?

Partner Potential: Is your birth partner/s doing everything they can to help labour progress? If not, what’s stopping them? Are they hungry, tired, in need of a pep talk? Do they understand what’s happening in the labour? Are they being respected in the birth room?