Check your maternity unit’s list first
Hospitals differ in what they provide, the documents they request and the space available. Check the current guidance for your chosen unit. Adjust quantities to the expected stay and the season.
When should the bag be ready?
NHS suggests having your hospital bag packed at least three weeks before your due date. Use this as a planning guide. If your care team has given you different timing, follow their advice.
Documents within easy reach
Keep the folder near the top of the bag, rather than under clothes.
- Pregnancy notes and birth preferences, if you have them.
- Identification and admission documents requested by your hospital.
- The maternity unit’s contact details, route and parking information.
For you: comfort and everyday essentials
Check what the unit supplies before buying extras.
- Loose, comfortable clothes or nightwear and an outfit for going home.
- Underwear, maternity pads and any other personal items the unit recommends.
- Toiletries, a towel if needed, slippers and shower footwear.
- Phone charger, glasses if you use them, and prescribed medicines to discuss with the care team.
For your baby
Keep your baby’s first change of clothes together so it is easy to find.
- Bodysuits and sleepsuits in quantities suited to the stay.
- Nappies, muslin cloths and cotton wool or baby wipes, according to the unit’s list.
- An outfit and suitable layers for the journey home, according to the weather.
For your companion and the journey home
A companion may need their own charger, clothes and permitted food or drinks. Agree who can bring extra supplies if the stay changes. If travelling home by car, prepare a suitable baby car seat and learn how to fit and use it according to its instructions.
Leave a short last-minute list
Your phone or charger may still be in use. Write these items separately, group smaller things in labelled pouches and show your companion where they are. HSE advises packing lightly and leaving valuables at home; extra items can be brought later where the unit allows it.
Example: packed now, added before leaving
An example organised into three groups: packed, added before leaving and needed for going home.
- 01In the bag: nightwear, underwear and toiletries.
- 02Before leaving: phone, charger and document folder.
- 03For going home: baby’s outfit and a car seat if travelling by car.
Watch the hospital bag video
A SweetWonder video on this topic. Opens on YouTube.
English narration · Bulgarian subtitles
Keep your checklist in SweetWonder
In the pregnancy section, the birth preparation checklist lets you tick packed items, add your own, rename or remove entries and see your progress. Tick each item as you pack it so your list reflects what is ready.
Check the hospital’s list, pack by category and keep a separate note of last-minute items. The goal is a bag you can find things in, not the longest checklist.
Your preparation, in one place
Explore SweetWonder for iPhone and Android, including the hospital bag checklist in the pregnancy section.
All articles
- Baby Tracker Guide for Parents: Sleep, Feeds & Nappies
- Baby Wake Windows: A Sleep Tracking Guide for Parents
- Baby bedtime routine: Mum and Dad as a team
- First tastes: how to keep a starting-solids diary
- Baby care reminders: less to remember, more peace of mind
- Care for mum after birth: small steps for a gentler day
- First days with a newborn at home: organising daily care
- Breastfeeding diary: what to record in the first weeks
SweetWonder helps you keep records and follow everyday routines. It is not a medical device and does not make diagnoses. If you are concerned about yourself or your baby, contact a healthcare professional.