Packing your hospital bag is one of the more satisfying jobs of late pregnancy, and one worth doing before you feel ready to. Here is a practical checklist for delivering at a Sri Lankan hospital.

When to pack

Have your bag ready between 32 and 35 weeks. Babies do sometimes arrive early, and packing in a hurry is how things get forgotten.

A useful tip: pack a small separate bag with just the things you will want during labour itself. It saves your birth partner rummaging through a large case at an inconvenient moment.

Hospitals differ in what they supply. It is worth asking at an antenatal visit what your hospital provides, so you neither over-pack nor arrive short.

Documents — pack these first

These are the items that cause genuine problems if forgotten. Keep them together in one envelope or folder:

  • Clinic card and pregnancy records
  • National Identity Card (NIC)
  • Birth certificate
  • Insurance cards and any pre-registration forms
  • Doctor's notes, referral letters and recent scan reports
  • A list of any medicines you take

For you

Clothing

  • Around four bed jackets or loose nightdresses that open at the front for feeding
  • Maternity underpants — several pairs, and more than you think
  • Two feeding bras
  • Chintz cloths
  • Rubber slippers, easy to slip on
  • A going-home outfit — loose, and roughly what fitted you at six months

Toiletries and personal items

  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo
  • Towel
  • Maternity sanitary pads — a generous supply
  • Hairband or clip
  • Lip balm, which is more useful in labour than it sounds

Food and drink

  • Your own plate, cup and spoon
  • Tea powder, milk powder and sugar
  • Water bottle
  • A flask or hot water bottle
  • Snacks for the long hours

Comfort

  • Your own pillow and bedsheets
  • Mobile phone and a long charging cable — sockets are rarely close to the bed
  • A book or something to pass the time
  • Laundry bags for soiled clothing

For your baby

  • About ten baby frocks
  • A going-home outfit
  • Baby socks and a cap
  • Around eight baby sheets
  • Three baby blankets
  • A rubber sheet
  • About twelve napkins
  • Baby towel
  • Baby wipes
  • Baby nail clipper

For your support person

  • A change of clothes — they may be there far longer than expected
  • Their own food and drink; hospital meals are usually for patients only
  • Phone charger
  • Something to read
  • Small change for parking, transport or the canteen

The bottom line

Pack by 35 weeks, keep your documents together in one folder, and put labour essentials in a small separate bag. Ask your hospital what they provide so you are not carrying things you do not need. See also our guide to preparing for delivery.

References

  1. National Health Service. Signs that labour has begun [Internet]. NHS; [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/signs-of-labour/signs-that-labour-has-begun/
  2. National Health Service. Keeping well in pregnancy [Internet]. NHS; [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/