This is it! You are in the home stretch! Now that you are close to your due date it is important that you begin to prepare for your hospital stay. In most cases, new mommy’s will stay in the hospital for up to three days. Three days may not seem like a long time, but it could feel like a long time if you don’t have everything that you may need while staying at the hospital. So, it is important to pack your bag at least six weeks before your due date to ensure that you are ready on the big day.
I’ve put together a list of the things that we could not have survived our hospital stay without!
Mommy Must Haves:
- Long Robe
- Slippers
- Socks
- Nursing Bras
- Nursing Pads
- Large Underwear (For when you are discharged)
- Comfortable Sweat Pants or Leggings (For when you are discharged)
- Tank Tops, T-Shirts
- Pajama Pants, Pajama Shorts
- Sweater(For when you are discharged)
- Shoes, Shower Shoes
- Tooth Brush, Toothpaste, Floss
- Towels
- Scent Free Body Wash
- Chap Stick
- Quarters For The Vending Machine, Snacks (bagged in sandwich bags)
- Pillows, Nursing Pillows
- Chargers
That’s not bad right? It is important that you don’t over pack because it will take you longer to get out of there on day three. The hospital rooms are usually a decent size, but they are not huge. I recommend that you take a hospital tour because hospitals usually vary in size and sometimes they have different protocols. My hospital room had everything that I needed to feel comfortable. The room had a TV, sofa, recliner chair , rollaway bed and a full bathroom with a walk in shower.
I used almost everything that I brought with me. The robe and slippers were used quit often. We needed to take frequent walks around the hospital because my body felt stiff. Most hospitals will even allow you to walk your baby around in the bassinet. I walked my second baby around quite often because I couldn’t get her to stop crying. Trust me the robes and slippers will come in very handy!
Baby Bag Must Haves:
- Hospital Photo Outfit, Props (get creative!!)
- Going Home Outfit
- Baby Onesies (pack enough for the entire hospital stay)
- Socks, Booties
- Burp Rags
- Receiving Blankets
- Newborn Hats
- Bottles
- Diapers (newborn size)
- Wipes
- Pacifiers
- Car Seat
- Base (buckle it in the car)
Babies are so precious in their cute little clothes and booties. You may have the urge to pack a bunch of things you think you may need. Don’t waste your time! Plan to keep baby in tiny soft hats, onesies and booties/socks for a few days. The only real outfits you should bring is the outfit for when baby takes the hospital photo and the full outfit that baby will wear when he/she goes home.

Baby hospital photos can be really fun to plan. Think of some cute ideas to add on a onesie with matching booties and a cute hat! There are so many options, a quick Etsy search will give you plenty cute ideas.
Daddy Must Have
- T-Shirts
- Sweat Pants, Shorts
- Underwear (Boxers, Socks)
- Pajama Pants, Pajama Shorts
- Tooth Brush, ToothPaste, Floss
- Body Wash
- Chargers
- Pillow, Blanket
If you have anything to add, please leave it in the comment section. I want to read your hospital/labor and delivery stories! Please send me an email about your labor story and/or write about it in the comment section below.
You have a comprehensive list and i agree there are just so many things to pack so better start packing before the day come.
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Such a great list.. I wish I had thought of all these things when I was having children.. I love that you added a daddy bag as well.. We often forget about the dads, when getting ready for hospital…
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It’s so important to have a well packed hospital bag! This is a great list!
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Oh, look at those sweet, tiny baby feet! I miss my babies. My first hospital bag had so much I didn’t need and was lacking in some of the things I wish I had brought. Great insight.
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These are such great tips! When you don’t pack carefully, already stressed out dad ends up running around to fill in the gaps!
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Glad you included the dad bag because many times people leave them out .
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This is a great list!! I remember not using a lot of the things I packed. Lol but it’s better to be prepared than to wish you had something!!
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These are some great stuff to bring in the hospital.It is really important to prepared hospital bag and dad’s bag.
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I am not a mum but my best friend is soon to be one. Such a helpful post.Thank you .
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I brought so many things to the hospital! I thought I’d be bored (ha!!) so I brought things to do. But my kids were all born really quickly, so I was way overprepared. It’s always good to have a guide to help make sure you don’t forget anything though.
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Good info. We didn’t have a clue what to bring with us or need when we had our kids.
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This is a great post. This is great advice, when I was pregnant I had a lot of these arms length. Thanks for sharing!
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