Planning out your packing strategy for your baby’s birthday? Today we’re sharing our top three tips for making the trek into labor and delivery a little easier for you (and, your birth team).

Then, read on for a handy list of what you really need to bring on your baby's birthing day. 

Pack in two bags

Separate your items into two categories: Things you’ll need in birth and Things you’ll need in postpartum. All the things you won’t need during your actual birth? Pack them into a separate bag from your birth room items. 

True Story: We’ve seen more than one birth partner nearly miss the birth of their baby because they’re going back for the fourth arm-load of stuff in the car. Only having to bring in the items you’ll need in birth will minimize that temptation for going back for allthethings. 

Once you move into your postpartum room, your partner or other visitors can run down to the car to grab the rest of your bags.

Make your birth bag a backpack

But what kind of bag should you put stuff into? We recommend a backpack. 

No, seriously. In fact, it’s what most of the Emerald Doulas use as a doula bag!  Why? Having a birth bag that you can quickly swing on your back, frees up hands to be able to support a birthing person on the way up into Labor and Delivery. 

Have the non-birthing partner pack the bags

After years of experience as birth doulas, let us tell you- the one of the most annoying things to a birthing person is needing a hair tie or chapstick in labor, and when asking their partner to retrieve it, having to say, “No, not that pocket! Not that one either. Maybe it's in the main bag. JUST FIND IT ALREADY!”. Why does this happen? Because often the birthing person will pack the Hospital Bags, and their partner understandably has no clue where in the bag that important-in-that-moment item is. 

Instead, we recommend that birthing people gather all their items and their partners to be the ones who actually pack the bags. 

Bonus Tip: Use packing cubes for your categories of items. 

Utilizing those colorful packing cubes that maybe you’ve taken on vacation before, and separating your items into categories (toiletries, labor clothes, phone and technology items, etc.) will help your partner or birth team locate your items faster. 

So, now that you know how to pack, what should you pack?

Click here for our FREE PRINTABLE with suggested hospital packing list, with space to fill in your own personal favorite items. 

Did we miss something? Tell us in the comments below!