6 Must-Haves for Your Birth Bag
- Brainz Magazine
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
Lamar Greene is a passionate full-spectrum doula, spiritual life coach, and budding community herbalist with a meaningful background in reproductive health advocacy both in the U.S. and globally. They are the founder of Doula Alchemist Healing, a Black and Queer-owned healing practice centered around reproductive justice and spirituality.
Giving birth is a significant life event that can be unpredictable in some ways. Writing a birth plan has become a popular practice to create a sense of ease, be prepared, and aim for the desired outcomes as much as possible. An essential part of birth planning is identifying the items for your birth bag. A birth bag can be important for ensuring you have the comfort and support measures you desire during your birthing experience. Yet, people may not always know where to start when packing one. This article provides insight into six must-have items for your birth bag that are arguably universal.
What is a birth bag?
A birth bag, also often called a labor or hospital bag, is prepared with the things you need for labor, delivery, and early postpartum. A helpful guideline for packing one is to think about your desired labor experience and comfort measures, and then pack items around those intentions. Also, be sure to check what the hospital or birth center allows you to bring, if either of those is your intended birth location. That will have some impact on what you pack in your birth bag. Regardless of your intended birth setting, however, having a birth bag packed is highly recommended. You may see the immediate benefit of this for a birth center or hospital birth, but it is also important for a planned home birth. Having everything you need in one place, or being prepared in case you need to transfer to the hospital for any reason, can be incredibly helpful.
Another practical tip is to put your birth bag near your front door, in your car, or somewhere else easily accessible as your due range approaches. This is also a good time to think about your travel plan to and from your intended birth location. Installing a rear-facing car seat and making other preparations may be necessary for bringing your baby home. It’s also a good idea to coordinate your birth bag planning with your doula, care team, or loved ones. If, for any reason, you are not able to bring your birth bag to your intended birth setting, you’ll want someone to be able to retrieve it for you quickly, or have a backup bag.
Logistics aside, it is vital to remember that birth bags are highly customizable, and you pack them to meet your birthing needs. Similarly, there are also postpartum bags that people pack for the extended postpartum period. This can be something you pack with or separately from your birth bag. It can all be tailored to your specific needs. The following six birth bag must-haves are not an exhaustive list by any means. These are items you will likely find essential, to be packed in addition to whatever else you would like to include to honour your birth intentions.
6 must-have items for your birth bag
1. Your birth plan
If you have drafted a birth plan, it is an absolute must-have for your birth bag. Having more than one copy also doesn’t hurt. This can be a part of contingency planning. It is not uncommon for a different doctor or midwife to attend your birth than the one who supported you during prenatal care. This can be due to schedule conflicts, shift changes, or many other reasons. While this is more likely in hospital settings, it can also be a possibility for birth centers and planned home births. Your birth plan, a one- to two-page document of your deeply held intentions for birthing, can come in handy to remind or inform your care team, including clinicians, doulas, and loved ones. This can help greatly in having your birth preferences honored as much as possible and for you to have the experience you deserve.
2. Hydration and electrolytes
Birth is a marathon for the body, mind, and spirit. To support sustainable progress through the birth and the regulation of uterine blood flow, the birthing person needs to stay well hydrated. This can be achieved by consistently consuming plenty of fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes are important for birthing people, particularly during active labor, because they are minerals that not only help with hydration but also support muscle and nerve functions, as well as other body processes. Water, coconut water, Gatorade, isotonic drinks, caffeine-free electrolyte tablets, and other beverages can help greatly with hydration. Having one or a combination of these in your birth bag is a must.
3. Food and snacks
Medical professionals commonly restrict food and drink during labor and delivery for hospital births. The medical term for this practice is “NPO,” which means nothing by mouth. According to UT Southwestern Medical Center, these restrictions began in the mid-1900s when pregnant people put under general anesthesia had an increased risk of aspiration. Aspiration occurs when food, liquid, or vomit is unintentionally inhaled into the lungs, which can have lethal outcomes. Today, regional anesthesia such as epidurals is more commonly used instead of general anesthesia. Due to this and other general improvements in modern medicine, aspiration during labor is now considered very rare.
Today, we have more knowledge. Some hospitals are changing their restrictive food and drink policies to allow birthing people to eat during labor. The truth is that just as you need hydration for the marathon that is birth, nutrients are also necessary to fuel your body with the energy it needs. The research supports this. A meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials in tertiary hospitals demonstrates that allowing less restrictive diets during labor for low-risk patients planning vaginal births does not seem to increase the risk of aspiration, may shorten labor, and may make patients happier. There were 3,982 patients included in the study. None of them experienced aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis, and regurgitation during general anesthesia did not occur.
Regardless of your intended birthing location, having snacks and light meals in your birth bag is important. Some examples include fruits, vegetables, honey sticks, soup, toast with jam, biscuits, and more. You can include cultural food and snacks in your birth bag as well. Don’t forget to pack a few extra snacks for a partner or loved one who will be supporting you. For those who have pregestational diabetes or gestational diabetes, you should consider talking with your care team about eating during labor if it is your preference to manage your blood sugar levels via nutrition. Evidence Based Birth is a great resource to get more detailed information about the research and evidence on eating and drinking during labor.
4. Extra sets of comfortable clothes
Extra sets of comfortable clothes are a must-have for any birth bag. Wearing comfortable clothes in a birth center or hospital during birth or early postpartum can be soothing. It is nice to have something familiar in an environment with potentially unfamiliar aspects and people. You will also want something comfortable to wear when you are being discharged and heading home. During planned home births, having comfortable clothes already chosen and packed can save time from having to look for them. For the possibility of hospital transfer, if it becomes medically necessary, having comfortable clothes can be nice, especially since you didn’t intend to be there. Don’t forget to pack extra clothes for a partner or loved one who may be supporting you, and, of course, don’t forget to pack comfortable clothes for your baby when you bring them home.
5. Towels and blankets
Towels and blankets are also a must-have for your birth bag. Towels and blankets from home can provide a sense of familiarity, especially for hospital and birth center births. With qualities of warmth and sentimentality, blankets are the epitome of comfort. Even if not used for comfort during labor, a blanket can keep partners or loved ones warm during longer births. Blankets can also be used to start bonding with your baby and keep them warm when you bring them home. Towels can also be used for birth support. They can serve as hot or cold compresses for comfort or for drying the birthing person if they are sweating. Having a mix of hand towels and larger bath towels can ensure your bases are covered. Hospitals and birth centers may provide towels and blankets, but bringing your own can address concerns around comfort, hygiene, and quality.
6. Toiletries and personal care products
Toiletries and personal care products are a must-have for your birth bag. This can include your preferred toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush, hair ties, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and sanitary pads. Sanitary pads are essential for supporting you as you experience lochia after giving birth. Lochia is the spotting, light bleeding, and vaginal discharge that happens after birth. It is a normal part of the postpartum healing process and can last for several weeks, gradually decreasing over time. You can pack the other personal care products in labeled travel-size containers to conserve space and minimize spills. Typically, hospitals and birth centers provide basic hygiene products. You can confirm what is offered at your intended birth location and see if it meets your needs and standards. However, having personal care products that you use regularly can provide a profound sense of comfort.
Let’s connect you to empowering reproductive care support
Are you ready to experience transformative guidance and support during your birth or reproductive care experience? Whether you are juggling all the changes that come with being postpartum, seeking non-judgmental support alongside abortion care, or ready to set your intentions for an affirming birth experience, I am here to be a grounding and compassionate support person for you and your loved ones. Check out my service offerings and book a free 30-minute consultation call to take the first steps toward a more empowering reproductive care journey.
Read more from Lamar Greene
Lamar Greene, Full-Spectrum Doula and Spiritual Coach
Lamar Greene is a passionate reproductive justice advocate who has answered their calling as a healer. Greene is a full-spectrum doula, spiritual life coach, and budding community herbalist motivated by their mother’s birthing narrative and their own life’s journey. They earned their Full Spectrum Doula Certification with Birthing Advocacy Doula Training and completed their Spiritual Life Coach Certification with Transformation Academy™. Their interest in spirituality was sparked in 2017 by a summer study abroad trip, where they lived and learned amongst Tibetan monastic communities in India. They are the founder of Doula Alchemist Healing, a Black and Queer-owned healing practice centered around reproductive justice and spirituality.
