Getting Induced? Here’s What to Pack In Your Hospital Bag
Our suggestions on what to pack in your bag if you’re being induced.
By now, you might have read our general hospital bag checklist (it’s online here and in our Hey Māmā publication as a checklist) which covers what to pack for labour, postpartum, baby, and your birthing partner. But if you’re being induced, you might want to pack a few extra things for your stay in hospital. Induction can be a different experience for everyone; some birthing people will have their baby within 24 hours while for others it may take up to two to three days.
Here are our recommendations for what to include in your hospital bag in this instance:
Labour bag for induction
- Phone and headphones
- Wallet
- Book/tablet/kindle for entertainment, in case it takes a while for labour to begin
- Up to a week’s worth of comfortable clothing, in case you need to stay in hospital postnatally too
- Cardigan, in case you get cold
- Button-up nighties or pyjamas
- Light robe
- Eye mask and ear plugs (optional)
- Warm socks
- At least a week’s worth of underwear, in case your induction takes a few days and you need to stay in hospital postnatally too
- Bikini, if you’re planning to use the shower for pain relief
- Laundry bag for dirty clothes
- Slippers
- Jandals or slides
- Hair ties and hairbrush
- Travel-sized toiletries – skincare, soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, dry shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste
- Hand sanitiser
- Charger cord
- Face cloth
- Portable fan
- Plenty of snacks – nuts, dried or fresh fruit, muesli bars
- Water bottle
- Reusable straw – makes it easy for your birthing partner to give you water
- Camera – make sure it’s charged!
- Portable speaker
- Lip balm
- Facial spray
- Massage oil – make sure it’s unscented so baby can smell you when they’re born
- Wheat pack – it’s easier to heat up in the microwave, rather than having a hot water bottle
- Your own pillow or pillow slip – it can be so much more comfortable having one which is familiar
- Towel from home – again, you may prefer to have your own from home in case you’re in for a few nights
- Diffuser and essential oils, if you’d like to use them
- Anything you’d like to bring to personalise your birth space, like LED candles, fairy lights, and affirmation cards
- Any medications you’re taking
- Glasses and/or contact lenses
- Paperwork you’ve been asked to bring
- A copy of your birth plan/preferences
Most inductions are usually planned in advance so you have some time to prepare. The Positive Induction Birth Facebook group is a great resource for talking about positive birth stories and improving your mindset for labour.
Things you might need postnatally
- Nursing bras
- Black cotton underwear – high-waisted ones are most comfortable
- Maternity pads/disposable underwear
- Nursing pads
- Antenatally-expressed colostrum in a cooler bag with ice, if you have it
