The Only 8 Things You Need in Your Hospital Bag for Baby (Free Printable)

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When I was getting ready to pack my hospital baby for baby boy, I received lots of helpful feedback from friends, family, and even my doctor on what to put in it.

I don’t know why I thought I was going to have to lug like all of my baby shower gifts into labor and delivery. But the general consensus – to my surprise and delight – was that there really wasn’t much I needed to bring. At least not for him.

While I personally needed quite a few things to feel comfortable at the hospital (see my mom to be hospital bag checklist for all that), everyone assured me that baby boy only needed like 8 things.

And even then, that’s a bit of a stretch given how much the hospital actually gives you!

So if you’re in the process of putting together your hospital bag for baby, you can breathe easy.

Here’s a list of what you really need, some insight on when to pack, and a free hospital bag for baby checklist you can print…

A picture of the items in my hospital bag for baby including blankets, sleepers, outfits, socks, hats, and booties.

What should I pack in my hospital bag for baby?

1. Car Seat

That includes the car seat base and a car seat cover if you’re going to need one.

So you know, the hospital will show you how to install the car seat and base if you ask! We took them up on it and thought it was super helpful. It definitely gave us peace of mind to know how to do it all properly.

2. Sleepers

Sure, the hospital will give you some onesies. But what’s the fun in that?

I packed 2 sleepers, 1 for each night we anticipated being admitted. It’s not like they take up a ton of space, and even if you use the same one multiple times, it’s never a bad idea to have a backup. Babies can be messy!

That being said, consider how long you’re likely to be staying at the hospital and use that to gauge how many sleepers to pack.

3. Outfits

Again, base this on the number of days you anticipate being at the hospital. You only need one outfit per day.

As far as the type of outfits to pack, it’ll make your life easier if you choose outfits that snap at the bottom vs. two-piece sets. Per my doctor, the medical staff will appreciate that, too.

4. Hats

Specifically hats that are nice and stretchy since newborn heads can be all sorts of shapes and sizes. I brought a few different ones to try out since they don’t take up a ton of space. Plus, I had to make sure we had matching options for all outfits. 😉

5. Mittens

These are not just to keep the babe’s hands warm, but to make sure they don’t scratch themselves. Pack two pair just in case one goes missing. They’re just so tiny and easy to misplace!

6. Socks and/or Booties

If your outfits or sleepers are not footies, you’ll definitely want to pack some socks or booties! Babies have poor circulation at first, so their feet are usually colder than ours are (The Bump).

7. Blanket

The type of blanket you bring will be dependent upon when and where you deliver. But even if you deliver in the heat of summer you’ll want to have baby covered up when you’re leaving the hospital. Blankets don’t just protect them from the elements, but they protect them from germs too (The Bump).

8. Muslins

Muslins are great because they can be used as a blanket, burp cloth, and even nursing cover for momma. Have at least one on hand to use for any of these purposes!

At how many weeks pregnant should I pack my hospital bag for baby?

I was told to have everything prepared by 36 weeks (including our nursery!), but I opted for 35 weeks just in case!

If premature labor runs in your family, that’s definitely something to think about. My sister delivered all of her kids early, so I figured I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’d recommend you do the same. I mean it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, you know?

Download my FREE hospital bag for baby checklist here!

I created this freebie to help parents prepare for their hospital stay with minimal effort.

This 2-page, printable PDF includes hospital bag checklists for moms, partners and babies.

I highly recommend keeping these on hand until you head to the hospital. That way you can give them one last look to ensure nothing is forgotten.

To snag the free hospitable bag checklist printable PDFs, simply subscribe below. They’ll be sent to your inbox once you hit “submit”.

(If you don’t see it within a few minutes, check your spam folder. From there, be sure to mark my emails as “safe”.)

I really hope this hospital bag for baby checklist saves you some time, energy, and effort!

If so, please feel free to share it with other expecting mommas you know. I’m going to bet they’ll appreciate it, and hopefully they’ll return the favor when they stumble upon a resource that could help you.

Speaking of resources, before you go be sure to check out these pregnancy related posts: