When should you prepare your hospital bag?
In the third trimester. France's Assurance maladie lists packing the bag among the tasks for the final months of pregnancy. Ideally, it should be ready around the start of the 8th month, as a baby may arrive a few weeks before the due date.
Start by asking your maternity unit for its checklist, often given at registration or during a tour. Some provide nappies, baby linen or towels during your stay, while others do not.
Once packed, leave the bag near the door or in the car boot. Keep a short list beside it of things to add at the last minute, such as your phone, charger or glasses.
Two bags instead of one suitcase
Space is limited in the delivery room and you will not need much. Take a light bag with you; the suitcase for your stay can wait in the car until you are settled in your room.
The delivery-room bag
Documents, a bottle of water, a water spray, a snack for your birth partner, warm socks, a loose T-shirt or cardigan, and baby's first outfit: a bodysuit, sleepsuit, hat, socks and a sleeping bag or small blanket.
The bag for your stay
Your things and baby's for a few days, generally three to five, depending on the birth and your maternity unit's usual practice.
The papers to take to the maternity ward
Keep them in a folder at the top of the delivery-room bag.
The birth must be registered at the town hall of the birthplace within five days of delivery. Some maternity units have a civil registry service on site or forward the declaration; ask locally.
- Identity document, up-to-date carte Vitale and supplementary health insurance card.
- Pregnancy records: ultrasound scans, test results, blood group card and letters from the maternity unit.
- Birth plan, if you have written one, in two copies.
- French family record book if you are married, or the prenatal acknowledgement of parentage drawn up at the town hall if you are not. It is used to register the birth.
- Useful contact details: the midwife who will care for you after you return home, and baby's paediatrician or doctor.
Hospital bag for mum: the checklist
Pack loose, practical clothes that open easily if you are breastfeeding, along with things to help you feel comfortable after birth.
- For sleeping: two or three nightdresses or loose T-shirts, front-opening if you are breastfeeding, and a cardigan or dressing gown.
- For daytime: two comfortable outfits, socks and slippers, plus flip-flops for the shower.
- After birth: disposable or mesh pants and highly absorbent maternity pads designed for postpartum use.
- If you are breastfeeding: two nursing bras, breast pads and, if you have one, your feeding pillow.
- Toiletry bag: toothbrush, shampoo, gentle shower gel, deodorant, brush or comb, hair ties, lip balm, and a towel if the maternity unit does not provide one.
- Little comforts: earplugs, sleep mask, book, earphones, charger with a long cable, a bottle of water and some snacks.
- For going home: loose clothing, like what you wore around six months into your pregnancy.
Hospital bag for baby: the checklist
Allow one outfit per day plus one or two spare sets, in newborn and 1-month sizes, as you do not know baby's size before birth.
Wash the clothes with a gentle detergent before packing them, and cut off any scratchy labels.
| For baby | Quantity | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bodysuits | 6 | Wrapover or front-fastening styles with poppers are easier to put on. |
| Pyjamas or sleepsuits | 6 | With feet, or with socks to go with them. |
| Baby wrapover tops or small cardigans | 2 à 3 | Cotton or fine wool depending on the season. |
| Hats | 2 | Useful in the first days, especially in winter. |
| Socks or slippers | 3 to 4 pairs | They get lost quickly, plan enough. |
| Baby sleeping bag | 1 à 2 | In newborn size; the maternity unit sometimes lends one. |
| Cotton muslin cloths | 3 à 4 | For your shoulder, nappy changes or little spills. |
| Bibs | 2 à 3 | Useful from the very first breastfeeds or bottle feeds. |
| Nappies and cotton wool | Depending on the maternity unit | Some units provide them: ask before buying. |
| Blanket or baby nest wrap | 1 | For going home, depending on the season. |
Going-home day: the car seat
For the drive home, baby must travel in a car seat suitable for a newborn: a rear-facing infant seat or a carrycot approved for car use. Install it before the big day and check that it fits your vehicle.
Avoid a second-hand car seat whose history you do not know: a seat that has been in a collision must be replaced. That makes it a good gift to request on your baby registry.
Also pack baby's going-home outfit to suit the weather, and a blanket for the journey.
From the suitcase to the baby registry
Some items in the bag are bought once and then used for months. They make good gifts to request from loved ones rather than buying everything yourself.
- The car seat and a baby sleeping bag suitable for the season.
- The feeding pillow and nursing bras.
- The changing bag, which replaces the suitcase after you leave hospital.
- Clothes in sizes 3 and 6 months, which you will soon need.
1. Create your list
On Listopia, your baby registry is free and requires no registration. Paste a product link from any shop: the title, image and price are filled in when the website allows it.
2. Share a single link
With the birth announcement, by message or by email. Your loved ones open the list on a phone or computer without creating an account.
3. Each one reserves his gift
A reserved gift appears as taken for other relatives. By default, you don't see who reserved what, to keep the surprise.