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A great resourse for helping you choose the best place for your baby to be born

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Video showing the movements of a baby during SVB

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What do you need to pack in a birth bag whether your planning a hospital or home birth.

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If you're feeling totally clueless about what you need to pack in your bag for labour, try not to worry.

Your midwife can steer you in the right direction. The Which? Birth Choice guide can let you know what will already be available at the hospital you'll be giving birth in.

You might also be able to book a tour of the hospital where you'll be having your baby. That way you can ask more about what you need to bring from home and what's available at the hospital.

Here are your other questions answered on all things hospital kit related.

When should I pack my hospital bag for birth?

You can start packing whenever you want to. But it's a good idea to have your bag ready at least two weeks ahead of your due date (NHS, 2018).

What type of hospital bag do I need?

You can use whichever of your bags that'll do the job. You definitely don't have to spend money on a special bag to take into hospital. Why not save the cash for an extra cute babygrow or three instead.

Packing two bags might also work for you - one for during labour and one for afterwards. Or you could go for a small suitcase; it might sound crazy but the stuff you will need adds up. And, after all, you are packing for a possible overnight stay (for at least two people).

When your bag is packed, leave it by the front door so you don't forget it. Then let your birth partner or whoever is driving you to the hospital know where it is and what's in it. That way they can be ready to help as soon as you need them to.

What essentials shall I pack in my hospital bag for labour?

Here's a starting point for what you'll need in labour:

Maternity notes.

Birth plan, if you've made one.

A comfy, loose outfit for labour that you can move around in and that won't make you too hot. A cosy nighty or a big t-shirt is perfect.

Chill-out kit including books, magazines, music or podcasts (more for the early stages).

A fan or water spray to cool you down.

A phone and charger - with good storage.

Healthy snacks and drinks.

Your own pillow, possibly a giant pregnancy one.

A TENS machine and batteries if you want to use one and if your hospital doesn't provide one.

Any medication you're taking.

Your wash bag with your toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, soap, hair ties and other toiletries (NHS, 2018).

Aromatherapy oils, especially if you have been using them during pregnancy, e.g. for hypnobirthing.

You might also want to bring your birth ball but check on your tour or with your midwife whether the hospital has its own.

What essentials shall I pack in my hospital bag for after the birth?

When you're chilling out with your new arrival, you'll need a whole host of other things.

Bring these in your bag:

large sanitary or maternity pads

large comfy knickers (or disposable ones)

towels

dressing gown

slippers or flip-flops

comfy, maternity-sized outfit to wear home

cash - you might need it for parking or to grab a magazine or emergency chocolate bar

iPad or tablet.

And if you're planning to breastfeed, add:

nursing bras

breast pads

front-opening nighties or pyjama tops.

What should I pack in my hospital bag for my new baby?

Yep, it's not just you you're packing for. For the baby, add in:

bodysuits or vests

sleep suits (including one you want them to go home in)

a hat

scratch mittens

socks or booties

nappies

cotton wool balls or pads

blankets

muslin squares

a snowsuit if it's cold.

You'll also need to make sure you have a car seat that's correctly fitted. If you're getting a taxi home, check you know how to fit the car seat yourself (NHS, 2018).

What should my birth partner pack in their hospital bag?

Your birth partner may be at hospital with you for a long time, and even overnight, so they will definitely need to have a bag packed too.

They should think about packing:

snacks

cash

a change of clothes

a wash bag

a camping mattress if there is room for them to stay over

a book or something to distract the mum to be if you're relaxing in the early stages.

Important numbers

Wherever you're planning to give birth, keep a list of important numbers in your purse or in your phone. You'll need to include:

the hospital, midwife or doula's phone number

your partner or birth partner's phone number

your hospital reference number (on your card or notes).

This page was last reviewed in September 2018.
Further information

Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: 0300 330 0700.

We also offer antenatal courses which are a great way to find out more about birth, labour and life with a new baby.

Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby.

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Hospital bag checklist: what do I need to take? | Labour & birth, Deciding where to give birth articles & support | NCT

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Snuggly PJs, babygrows and a whole buffet of snacks. Here's what you should think about adding to your bag when you go into labour.

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Care of healthy women and their babies

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This guideline covers the care of women and their babies during labour and immediately after birth. It focuses on women who give birth between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy ('term'). The guideline helps women to make informed choices about where to have their baby and about their care in labour. It also aims to reduce variation in aspects of care.

Using inclusive language in healthcare is important for safety, and to promote equity, respect and effective communication with everyone. This guideline does not use inclusive language because it was developed before NICE's style change to use gender-inclusive language.

Healthcare professionals should use their clinical judgement when implementing recommendations, taking into account the individual's circumstances, needs and preferences, and ensuring all people are treated with dignity and respect throughout their care.

NICE has also produced guidelines on intrapartum care for women with existing medical conditions or obstetric complications and their babies, fetal monitoring in labour and caesarean birth. For information on other related topics, see our women's and reproductive health summary page.

Recommendations

This guideline includes recommendations on:

Who is it for?

Healthcare professionals

Commissioners and providers

Healthy women who have had a straightforward pregnancy and give birth between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy

Is this guideline up to date?

Monitoring decision: Water birth: we will reconsider the evidence when the POOL study has published (expected 2024). For more information, see the May 2023 surveillance decision.

Portfolio review in May 2023: We have reviewed our guidelines portfolio to identify topics that we think will add the most value to the health and care system and have agreed that the updates on angle of episiotomy and rectal examination recommended in the 2022 surveillance report will not proceed as planned.

Guideline development process
How we develop NICE guidelines
This guideline updates and replaces NICE guideline CG190 (December 2014).

This guideline was previously called intrapartum care for healthy women and babies.

Your responsibility

The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.

All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.

Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.

Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.

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This guideline covers the care of women and their babies during labour and immediately after birth. It focuses on women who give birth between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy ('term'). The guideline helps women to make informed choices about where to have their baby and about their care in labour.

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How does birth work?

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What can help during the second stage of labour

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Why is it important? What decisions will you need to make?

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A place for you to explore different ways of managing the sensations of labour

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After your baby is born

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Video showing good positions for labour and birth

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Video showing good positions for labour and birth

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Scroll to the bottom for some great examples of positions that will help make your labour shorter and less painful.

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What positions are best for giving birth?

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Watch this video to find out which positions are best for giving birth.

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A section to help you explore more complex pregnancy and how it will effect decision making