24 Things You Actually Need in Your Hospital Bag (Plus a Free Printable Checklist)
Let’s set the scene: I was 38 weeks pregnant, uncomfortable in all the ways a heavily pregnant person can be, and despite my husband gently (and not-so-gently) reminding me daily for two weeks to pack my hospital bag… I didn’t. Not because I didn’t think it was important—I mean, I’d Googled “hospital bag checklist” at least a dozen times. I’d read blog posts, browsed through Pinterest graphics, and even added a few items to an online cart. But actually zipping up a bag and stashing it by the front door? That never quite happened.

Why? Honestly… part procrastination, part denial. Maybe a pinch of superstition.
I think I wasn’t quite ready to admit to myself that birth was imminentand let’s be real, I was terrified. The idea of labor pain, the infamous "ring of fire," and the sheer unknown of it all had me emotionally tiptoeing around the whole situation. So instead, I kept myself “busy” reorganizing the baby’s onesies and googling swaddling techniques like it was an Olympic sport.
Then labor hit. Like, actually hit. And in the brief, surreal window the hospital gives you to “go home and get your things,” I found myself waddling around our house in full contraction-mode, throwing random items into a duffle bag. I genuinely thought, “What might I need while literally pushing a human out of my body?” Turns out, not the $90 scented candle I grabbed in a haze of wishful thinking.
In hindsight, I should have packed that bag at around 34–36 weeks calmly, intentionally,
and with a proper checklist in hand. Because in labor, your brain is mush and your body is busy doing, well… miracles. You don’t want to be rummaging through your bathroom drawer wondering if you packed nipple balm or your favorite lip gloss (spoiler: both are weirdly important).
So, here’s what I learned and what I actually used in the hospital.
Not the fluff, not the five different nursing bras everyone told me to bring. Just the things that made a real difference during those wild, beautiful, hazy hours of labor, delivery, and recovery. Oh, and I’ve made a free printable checklist too because if you’re anything like me, you’re going to need it.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
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