Packing your Labor Bag
What is a labor bag?
If you are birthing away from home, a labor bag is an important birth companion. It’s a great idea to have it completely packed by the time you are term at 37 weeks, but don’t panic if you don’t. It can be a useful distraction in early labor.
A labor bag usually encompasses everything you will take to your hospital/birth center, but I like to split them into two separate categories: a birth bag & a postpartum bag.
What goes in the birth bag?
The focus of the birth bag is comfort items for labor. You will need practical items like identification, hospital paperwork & your birth plan, but you also need personal items to help promote comfort in labor.
Since everyone has different desires for birth, your comfort items will be very individualized. Consider what is available to you in your birth space to avoid packing duplicates, and also consider what is special to you that you need to bring yourself.
Birth Bag Breakdown
Massage Ideas
- massage oil/lotion
- simple, hand held massager
- scalp massager
- tennis ball (maybe a sock filled with tennis balls)
- massage gun
Hydration/Energy
- electrolyte drinks or hydration amplifiers
- flexible straws for easy drinking in any position
- quick foods like honey sticks or energy gels
- energy bars & caffeine sources for partners
Personal Items
- birth gown or other comfy clothes (if you don’t fancy the hospital gown)
- socks, robe (if you venture out of your birth room)
- toothbrush/toothpaste
- hairbrush/ponytail holders for long hair
- face wipes can be refreshing
- lip balm
Birth Space
- fairy lights or flameless candles
- birth playlist
- essential oils (maybe a diffuser if your space allows them)
- focal point (if you have a special picture or item)
What goes in the after birth bag?
If you give birth in a hospital, you automatically receive a hospital door prize filled with hemorrhoid pads, sexy mesh undies & massive pads.
Your birth place has you covered with everything you need for your stay of 2-3 days. Regardless of a vaginal or cesarean birth, everything needed for physical recovery in the immediate postpartum period is provided.
I recommend your postpartum bag resemble an overnight bag for a weekend getaway. Possibly pack a pair of comfy jammies & a breastfeeding bra, but in truth, the hospital gown is loose, doesn’t mind getting bled on and has easy access to your chest for constant feeding. You could complete the ensemble with a robe and comfy socks, and don’t forget cheap flip flops for the shower. Your basic toiletries, which you might have already packed but not used for the laboring part, usually help you feel human again.
Nobody really wants to brush their hair or teeth in the middle of labor unless you are doing the full face makeup challenge!
Finally, make sure you have a set of maternity clothes to wear home from the hospital; don’t pack the skinny jeans! It takes over a month for your uterus to shrink back down to it’s pre-pregnant size so you will still look a bit pregnant for a while.
What about a diaper bag?
Same rules apply for the diaper bag as they do for your postpartum-weekend getaway bag. All of your baby’s diapers, onesies, hats & swaddles are provided during your stay. They need an outfit to head home in, and most babies fit into newborn size clothes. Pack a small diaper bag with a change of clothes, extra diapers & a receiving blanket. I hope you make it home without a full blowout, but I’m not making any promises.
More important than their fashion choices is their safety – install their infant car seat properly ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about installation before discharge.
