Which baby clothes to pack in your hospital bag

How many outfits for a hospital stay

Pack for more changes than you expect. In the first days a baby is checked, weighed, fed, burped and changed many times, and a leaky nappy or a mouthful of milk means a fresh outfit. One outfit a day is never enough. For a normal delivery with a one- or two-night stay, four bodysuits and four sleepsuits cover the hospital days comfortably, with a separate outfit for the trip home.

If you are booked for a C-section, or your doctor expects a longer stay, add two more of each.

The hospital bag list

• 3–4 bodysuits with poppers under the nappy. They are the first layer, and on a warm ward they may be all your baby needs under a light blanket.
• 3–4 sleepsuits, footed if possible, so there are no socks to hunt for. Snaps down the front let a nurse check the cord or change a nappy without taking everything off.
• 1 cardigan or light knit layer, for a cool ward or an air-conditioned private room.
• 1 soft hat. Some hospitals put one on a baby straight after birth; once your baby is warm and settled indoors, it comes off.
• 2 pairs of socks or booties, only if your sleepsuits are footless.
• 1–2 pairs of scratch mittens, in case their nails are long.
• 2 or 3 muslin cloths and a light blanket or wrap, with a warmer blanket for a winter birth.
• The going-home outfit, packed on its own so no one uses it by mistake.

Which size to pack

Pack 0–3M, the smallest size we make. On most newborns it is a little roomy at first, which is fine in hospital: roll the cuffs back, and tuck the loose feet of a footed sleepsuit gently under so they don’t flop. If your doctor expects a bigger baby, slip one 3–6M sleepsuit in as well. Our size guide gives the body measurements each size is made for.

A sleepsuit like our Sky Blue Teddy & Stars Footed Sleepsuit, with front snaps and covered feet, is the kind of piece that earns its place in a hospital bag. If you want something a little special for the first photos, the Ivory Pinstripe Baseball Footed Sleepsuit still opens with snaps, so it is just as easy to change.

Warm wards and cold rooms

Hospital rooms in Pakistan can be very different from each other. A shared ward in June can be warm and stuffy, while a private room with the AC running day and night can feel chilly by the early morning. Pack for both: a bodysuit alone may be right for one, a bodysuit, sleepsuit and cardigan for the other. Feel your baby’s chest or the back of their neck rather than their hands to judge; cool hands are normal. For a winter birth in Lahore, Islamabad or Peshawar, add a warmer blanket for the walk to the car.

What to leave at home

• Formal or heavily embroidered suits. Relatives often bring outfits as gifts, and a special suit is better saved for home than spat up on in the ward.
• Anything with buttons down the back, stiff collars or lots of decoration.
• Shoes. A newborn doesn’t need them.
• A thick quilt or razai for the cot. Wards are usually warm, and a light blanket tucked no higher than the shoulders is safer.
• Unwashed clothes. Wash everything once with a mild, fragrance-free detergent, as our washing guide explains.

Pack it so anyone can find it

In the first hours, the person reaching into the bag may be your husband, your mother or a nurse rather than you. Put each outfit together (bodysuit, sleepsuit, mittens) in its own pouch, and label the going-home set.

Everything else, the clothes that wait at home, can follow our guide to what clothes a newborn needs.

Sources

The advice on hats, layers and cot blankets follows general guidance from the NHS and The Lullaby Trust.

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