Girl, you do not need all that crap in your hospital bag. As a mom of four and labor and delivery nurse, I've packed a few hospital bags myself and seen hundreds more over the years.

Let's head to Walmart and grab the things you'll actually use for labor, birth, and postpartum—and skip all the garbage you don't need.

Want to Feel Even More Prepared?

This read is best combined with our Be Confident: Your Prenatal Essentials course

Girl. I've packed a hospital bag for four babies of my own, and as a labor and delivery nurse, I've seen hundreds more roll through the maternity ward.

Some of those bags looked like people were moving into the hospital permanently.

Trust me when I say this: you probably need way less than what social media is telling you.

The good news?

You don't need a fancy hospital bag, expensive gadgets, or a cart full of "must-have" products to feel prepared for birth.

So today, we're heading to Walmart and breaking your hospital bag down into simple categories so you can pack with confidence and save your money for the things that actually matter.

Let's do this.

First, Let's Break Your Hospital Bag Into Categories

Things to Freshen Up
Things to Wear
Boobs
Vagine
Tech
Treats

The Actual Bag

First things first: you do not need a special hospital bag.

No fancy maternity-branded duffel.

No designer weekender.

No overpriced "birth bag" because someone slapped the word mama on it.

Personally, I always preferred a carry-on roller suitcase. You'll likely go from labor and delivery triage to your birth room and then to your postpartum room. Rolling your stuff around is just easier.

But honestly? Any bag will do.

Things to Freshen Up

If you have a vaginal birth, you'll likely only be in the hospital for around 24 hours. If you're having a C-section, you'll probably stay a little longer.

Head to the travel section and grab:

Makeup remover wipes
Facial cleanser
Travel moisturizer
Travel sunscreen
Travel shampoo
Travel conditioner

If you're picky about your products, grab a few travel bottles and fill them yourself.

Don't forget:

Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Chapstick
Hairbrush
Ponytail holders or a headband

Trust me, you don't want your teeth feeling like they're wearing socks the whole time you're there.

And nobody wants their hair all up in their face while they're pushing out a baby or learning to breastfeed.

Things to Wear

Again, simple. Pack:

A nursing bra or supportive non-underwire bra
Comfortable pajamas with a loose waistband
A button-down top for skin-to-skin and breastfeeding
Fuzzy socks
Cheap flip-flops

Your breasts will probably feel heavy toward the end of pregnancy and once your milk transitions, so a supportive bra is worth having.

And postpartum night sweats?

They're a thing.

Trust me.

As for the flip-flops, they're easier to slide on with pregnancy and postpartum swelling, and they keep your feet off hospital shower floors.

Yuck.

Optional Extras

A robe can be nice if you want easy skin-to-skin access and something to throw on when visitors show up.

For me, I just wore my postpartum pajamas home. But if you're not into that, pack a going-home outfit—just make sure it's comfortable and easy to get into.

And if you're a labor gown girlie, bring one.

I love them.

Especially the good ones that make it easy to access all the things that need accessing—your belly, your boobs, all of it.

They're buttery soft, great for postpartum and breastfeeding, and yes... the stains usually come out.

Boobs

Okay. Your nipples are about to start a whole new job.

And they may feel a certain kind of way about it.

For nipple care, choose one:

Lanolin cream
Silver nursing cups

Not both.

One or the other.

If you're using lanolin, toss a couple nursing pads into your bag too.

Not because you'll be leaking milk everywhere—your milk typically takes 3–5 days to transition from colostrum to mature milk—but because lanolin can leave greasy spots on your bra.

What You Can Leave at Home

Your breast pump.

Seriously.

If you need one, the hospital has the Cadillac of breast pumps available for you to use.

You also don't need milk collectors. At this stage, you're likely producing colostrum, not ounces and ounces of milk.

And if you end up needing a nipple shield, the hospital can provide one and help make sure it's fitted properly and teach you how to use it.

Vagine

Okay. This is the main event. Let's treat your perineum like the queen she is.

You have two options:

Option 1: Mesh underwear and postpartum pads.

Option 2: Disposable postpartum diapers.

Personally?

I preferred the mesh underwear setup. It hugged my body better and felt softer, more secure, and more comfortable overall.

Whichever option you choose, pack a few changes.

For Postpartum Comfort

I recommend:

A numbing spray like Dermoplast
Witch hazel pads like Tucks
An angled peri bottle

The hospital will likely provide many of these things, but if you're particular, bring your own.

And yes, I'm a peri bottle snob.

The angled ones hold more water and make cleaning things off so much easier.

Tech

There is exactly one mandatory item here.

A ridiculously long phone charger.

No Longer than that. Hospital outlets are always in the worst possible location.

Get the jumbo cord. I promise you'll use it.

Treats

My favorite category.

Snacks

Bring all the snacks.

Sweet.

Salty.

Crunchy.

Chocolate.

Whatever makes your heart happy. Because I am telling you right now: those middle-of-the-night postpartum munchies are very, very real.

Especially if you're breastfeeding.

Water Bottle

Bring a large water bottle with a straw.

The bigger the better.

Staying hydrated postpartum is important, and having easy access to water makes life so much easier.

If you love water flavouring or electrolyte powders, toss those in too.

Gotta stay well-watered.

What You Don't Need

Let's save some room.

You can probably leave these at home:

Your breast pump
Milk collectors
A mountain of breastfeeding gadgets
Your entire skincare routine
Ten outfit changes
Every postpartum product TikTok told you to buy

Remember, most vaginal births mean you'll only be in the hospital for about 24 hours.

Keep it simple.

Before You Zip That Bag Up…

Mama, you are covered. Everything on this list earned its spot in your hospital bag.

No gimmicks. No unnecessary gadgets. Just practical things you'll actually use.

And the best part? You won't be unpacking your bag when you get home wondering why you brought half of it.

Now go ahead and check "pack hospital bag" off your to-do list. You've got bigger and more exciting things to focus on—like meeting your baby. Until next time, be happy, stay healthy, have fun.

Subscribe Now!

Girl, You Don't Need All That Stuff: A Budget-Friendly Hospital Bag from Walmart