Your hospital bag: what to pack for the maternity hospital

Packing the hospital bag is one of the small jobs that makes the last weeks feel real. Aim to have it ready by 35–36 weeks and keep it by the door, so that whoever drives you can simply pick it up. Below is a checklist built for maternity hospitals in Uzbekistan, where what you need to bring varies from one tug'ruqxona to another.

First, find out your hospital's rules

Maternity hospitals in Uzbekistan do not all work the same way. Some provide gowns, bed linen and baby linen; others expect you to bring your own. Some allow a partner or your mother to stay through labour, others restrict partners and visitors to set hours or to paid wards. Before you pack:

Call the hospital or ask at your 36-week visit what they provide and what you must bring.
Ask whether a partner or relative may be present during labour and after the birth, and what they need (a change of clothes, shoe covers, a recent test result or a medical certificate are sometimes requested).
Check the rules on food, phones and photos in the delivery room.
If you have a contract for a paid ward, confirm what is included so you do not pack twice.

A good approach is two bags: a small one for labour and the first hours, and a larger one for the postnatal stay, which your partner can bring later. Put the list inside the bag so nothing is left behind.

Documents and essentials

Passport (and your partner's, if they will be with you).
Exchange card (obmen kartasi) with all test results, scans and your blood group. Without it the hospital has to repeat tests, so keep it with your passport from 30 weeks.
Any contract or receipt for a paid ward, and insurance details if you have them.
A short note with your birth preferences, allergies and emergency contacts, in case you cannot speak for yourself.
Phone, charger and a long cable or a power bank.
A small amount of cash and a bank card.

For labour

Choose things that are comfortable, easy to wash and that you would not mind getting stained.

A loose nightdress or T-shirt, plus a dressing gown if the hospital does not provide one.
Slippers, and separate rubber slippers for the shower.
Warm socks: feet often get cold during labour.
Hair ties and a hairband.
Lip balm: breathing through contractions dries the lips.
A water bottle with a straw or sports cap, so you can drink lying down.
Light snacks for early labour if your hospital allows them: dried fruit, crackers, a banana.
Headphones and a playlist, or something to listen to; a small fan or a water spray in summer.
Massage oil or a tennis ball for pressure on the lower back, if your partner will be there.

For you after the birth

Two nursing bras (a size larger than now) and breast pads.
Maternity pads: several packs. Bleeding is heavy in the first days and ordinary pads are not enough.
Disposable or soft, high-waisted cotton underwear, 5–7 pairs.
Loose clothes that open at the front for feeding, and comfortable trousers with a waistband that sits above a possible caesarean scar.
Toiletries: toothbrush and paste, soap or shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, face cream, a hairbrush.
Your own towel and a hand towel.
Nipple cream (lanolin-based), which also soothes dry lips.
Toilet paper, wet wipes and a bag for laundry.
Any medicines you take regularly, in their packaging.
Glasses or contact lens supplies.
A notebook and pen: feeding times and questions for the doctor.

For the baby

Nappies for newborns (size 1), around 8–10 a day, so one pack is enough for a short stay.
Fragrance-free wet wipes and cotton pads.
Cotton bodysuits and sleepsuits, 3–4 of each, washed and ironed; the hospital may also provide swaddles.
A thin hat and two pairs of socks.
Scratch mittens or sleepsuits with fold-over cuffs.
A light blanket for the ward.
A going-home outfit for the season: in summer a thin bodysuit and a sun hat; in winter a warm suit, a hat and a blanket or footmuff, but no thick coat inside the car seat.
A car seat for the journey home, fitted in the car beforehand. A newborn should not travel in someone's arms.

For your birth partner

Documents and anything the hospital asked for (a change of clothes, slippers, shoe covers).
Snacks and water: labour can last many hours.
Phone, charger and the list of people to call.
Something to read or do during the quiet stretches.
Car keys, fuel in the tank and the route to the hospital planned, including at night.

Finally, keep the bag where everyone in the house knows where it is, and agree with your partner which things go into the car first. If labour starts and you forget something, relatives can bring it later; the exchange card and passport are the only things that cannot wait.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your own situation.