Hospital Bag Checklist for Montreal Moms-to-be: What You Really Need!
First of all—congratulations! This is such an exciting time in your life… and yes, a little stressful too. Trust me, as a mom of two, I know a thing or two about the mental load that comes with preparing for baby. And because the last thing you need right now is more decision-making, I’ve put together a (hopefully very helpful!) list to make packing your hospital bag easy-peasy.
Let’s be honest—there’s a ton of advice out there from U.S.-based moms, but not as much that’s specific to us here in Montreal. I remember the first time I gave birth… I researched like crazy and didn’t find much content from women in Canada, so me and my husband ended up bringing half our house 😅. So this list is all about packing smart, local, and stress-free for the big day—whether you're delivering at Sainte-Justine, St. Mary's, the Jewish General, or any of the hospitals around the city.
Remember this is just from my (and some of my friends) experience!
👶 When to Pack Your Hospital Bag
Most moms aim to have their bag ready by week 36, just in case baby decides to make an early debut. Keep it near your front door, in your car, or by your hospital papers—somewhere easy to grab. I didn’t do this the first time and ended up running and picking up the last things, last minute. With my second I bought small-size toiletries and had the bags ready to go by week 36.
🧖♀️ Hospital Bag For Mom
These are the essentials for your comfort and recovery:
Clothing:
A cozy robe or cardigan. I basically lived in diapers and a robe at the hospital, I wanted to do as much skin-to-skin with my babies as possible, so this was amazing! I also left my nice pajamas for home and as soon as I got there, I took a nice warm shower and jump into my Amazon basics nursing pajamas which I lived in for about a month or two!
Non-slip socks or slippers (hospital floors are cold and dirty, so anything you can throw in the washer after will do!)
Maternity bras or nursing bras (this is tots optional, I did bring one for going to and back from the hospital). Your milk will come at day 3 at the earliest and hopefully you will be back home by then, so don’t even bother bringing a bunch of these.
A going-home outfit (think comfy—not your pre-pregnancy jeans!) You will end up with a 6 month pregnancy looking belly, so a nice dress or sweatpants are the best.
Underwear you don’t mind tossing. For this, I preferred diapers, I started wearing actual underwear about a month after my delivery. I wore lots of diapers and disposable underwear (think Frida mom) with pads, first big ones and then smaller ones. But seriously, diapers are ✨HEAVEN✨, also you’ll look cute matching with your baby 😂
Toiletries:
Toothbrush & toothpaste. You might or might not use this 😅. Seriously the first time can be rough so maybe bring some gum just in case!
Hairbrush, hair ties, dry shampoo The first time I was so exhausted that I didn’t even look at the shower and as soon as I got home I took the best (5 minute) shower ever. The second time I was still exhausted but it was different, a little shower before heading home was restoring. So bring some travel size shampoo and conditioner in case you feel like washing away all those labour smells and liquids (I know, gross, but don’t you worry, you won’t remember much of it after, thankfully lol).
Face wipes or gentle cleanser
Lip balm (you will definitely need this, hospitals are dry AF)
Nipple cream (just in case, although this you might use this at home after a few days)
Basic makeup if you’d like for photos (I did not bring this because there’s basically no time for that lol, but I know some mamas might want to feel more put-together after the marathon giving birth is).
Cooling Pads. Frida mom has these incredible long pads that when you crack them they become cold, it is THE. BEST. THING for the swelling down there. Also, you can ask your postpartum nurse to give you a few to bring home 😉
SUPER IMPORTANT: I recommend you prepare a small bag with your postpartum essentials that you can leave in the bathroom, so every time you need to pee you can take your time to really clean yourself and refresh your very soar vajayjay (if you give birth vaginally of course). I absolutely love Frida Mom and all their carefully-thought products. I bought and used their witch hazel foam and wipes, the peri bottle (which we don’t get here in all Montreal’s hospitals), the cooling pads and their underwear. You can also add there your diapers and you can ask your postpartum nurses to give you Lidocaine if they already don’t give it to you. You can prepare a little caddie at home (in your bathroom) with these same essentials, so when you get there you don’t waste time (or energy) re-organizing everything when you are just exhausted!
Finally, Do not bring your breast pump. If you really feel like you need one, hospitals always have and are willing to provide that to you. They take so much space, are heavy and you might not even need it.
Extras:
Your phone and charger (bring a long cable or even an extension)
Water bottle with a straw (they give you those plastic ones but I always love bringing my bottle everywhere I go). The first 💩 can be very difficult, so try to hydrate as much as you can, also drinking prune juice or compote helps! They will give you a laxative on your way out, if not, ask for a prescription and drink it for a week or two, even when it doesn’t feel that necessary, trust me, it will be!
Important documents (health card, hospital card, birth plan if you have one)
These next are a few extra things I brought that made the whole experience a thousand times better.
Oil diffuser with some essential oils like Lavender which is calming and soothing.
A noise machine or speaker. I created a playlist and played it during labour, it was incredible. Helped me focus and made me feel a little bit more at home, specially because I used to listen to it while at home for bed time or quiet time.
A portable fan. Trust me, you will be hot as hell during labour and while breastfeeding, so this will be very useful. Even more if it has those bendable legs so you can attach it to your hospital bed. I recommend you THIS one, it is great.
A book, tablet or a game for the waiting part. Usually first time moms take longer to deliver, so to not just spend time looking at the ceiling and dread the wait, I recommend a few entertainment items. My husband and I watched some Netflix the second time around, and it really helped!
🍼 Hospital Bag For Baby
Hospitals here don’t provide anything for baby but you don’t need much either way, so here’s what you'll want:
2–3 onesies or sleepers (this is really optional). We actually had our baby in diapers and used the hospital’s swaddle so we could do lots of skin-to-skin. Your baby won’t be that much in their bassinet either way since the first hours they eat a lot!
A going-home outfit, think seasonally!
A hat. Their bodies don’t regulate temperature very well at the beginning so it is recommended to put them a little hat the first days.
A warm blanket for the car ride home.
Newborn diapers and wipes. They pee and poop one time the first day, two the second day, three the third and so on. So calculate according to your hospital stay, This may vary, so you might want to ask your hospital before hand.
Baby bump cream or oil. Those first few days baby poops so much that their booty might get irritated. We always use coconut oil, it’s natural, anti-bacterial and very effective.
Breastfeeding pillow. So for my first one I brought mine and really used it. For my second we wanted to go with as few things as possible so we didn’t bring one and I ended up using a few pillows from the hospital.
Your welcome-baby sign. In case you want to take cute photos of your baby right there in the hospital
A properly installed infant car seat. They will check how you sit baby on your way out, so don’t worry about this part. You will get all the help you need!
SUPER IMPORTANT: For clothes and diapers I would recommend bringing a couple of sizes –Newborn and 0-3 months. You don’t know exactly how small or big your baby will be until you have her/him in your arms, so better be prepared!
💑 Hospital Bag For Your Partner
A change of clothes and toiletries
Snacks and water. I really recommend packing some snacks or even food since the cafeteria closes over night, so if either you or your partner get hungry, you can hit your secret stash. You can ask the nurses and usually there’s fridges you can use to store your food. Trust me, you will be starving after giving birth! Also, if you don’t feel like bringing food from home, you can ask for delivery directly to the hospital and your partner can go downstairs to pick it up. We also did this the second time around and LOVED it! You just have some specific cravings after the marathon, and you need to fulfill them, girl!
Phone/charger/camera
Pillow or blanket if staying overnight. We brought all of these the first time, not the second time around and he was fine (we asked very nicely to the nurses and they brought a couple extra ones😅)!
A great hands-on attitude. Your partner is there to help you, comfort you, feed you and everything in between so if they go ready to be an active participant in the greatest day of your lives, you are set for success 💪🏼
Final Thoughts
I know it seems like a lot and that’s why preparing in advance is your best game plan. Bring all of your and your partner stuff in a carry-on suitcase (easy to move and nobody has to carry heavy bags) and baby’s things in a diaper bag, that way you will keep things separate. Another simple solution is a big suitcase for everything and packing cubes to keep things tidy. You can even label or use different packing cube colours so you can give easy instructions to your partner if needed. Keep it simple. You don’t need your entire nursery with you—just the essentials to help you feel calm, cozy, and ready for one of the most beautiful, very difficult, yet life-changing moments of your life.
And if you're a mom who loves memories, don’t forget to pack your phone or camera. Those first few moments? They go fast. (And if you’re in Montreal and want professional newborn photos later, I’d love to help—reach out if you have any questions, or click here to book your session!!)
I wish you and your partner the best of luck and remember, you are meant to do this, listen to your body ✨You got this, mama✨
