What I'd Actually Pack in a Hospital Bag

What I'd actually pack in a hospital bag gets buried under all the noise — because there is no shortage of advice when you're expecting a baby, and most of it overcomplicates something that should feel simple.

This isn't a comprehensive checklist. It's simply what we'd tell a friend sitting across the table from us.

Pack less than you think. You'll use less than you think. But the things that matter? They matter a lot.

What I'd tell my friends

Bring your skincare routine

Hospital lighting and recycled air is brutal on your skin. You don't need to pack light — bring the full routine. Cleanser, moisturiser, whatever makes you feel like yourself. You'll be grateful when you're running on two hours of sleep and still want to feel human.

Oversized pyjamas and high-waisted underwear

Go up a size. Seriously. Your body has just done something extraordinary and it needs room. Soft, loose pyjamas mean you're comfortable whether you're nursing, being examined, or shuffling to the bathroom. High-waisted underwear that sits above where a C-section incision might be (even if you're not planning one) is worth every cent. Pack more pairs than you think you'll need.

A book

Everyone tells you to sleep when the baby sleeps. Lovely advice, impossible to follow. Your mind races, the ward is noisy, and adrenaline doesn't have an off switch. A book — not a parenting book, just something you actually want to read — gives your brain somewhere to go when sleep won't come.

Fresh fruit and a big water bottle

Hospital food does its best. But there is nothing like fresh fruit when you're exhausted and starving at 3am. Pack a bag of whatever you love — grapes, strawberries, easy peel mandarins — and fill the biggest water bottle you own. Staying hydrated after birth is genuinely important, and having something cold and fresh to reach for makes it easier.