When to pack your hospital bag UK NHS

Does the NHS say pack at 36 weeks?

No. The national NHS Best Start in Life hospital-bag checklist does not set week 36 as a hard deadline. It says babies do things in their own time, only about 1 in 20 arrive on the due date, and it might be a good idea to pack at least 3 weeks ahead of the due date so you are ready if labour starts early.

NCT (last reviewed 27 February 2025) suggests having at least a minimal bag ready from 37 weeks, or earlier, and keeping maternity notes to hand from 37 weeks. Those two national pages agree on "before the due date", not on a single named week.

A blog that writes "pack at 36 weeks" as a universal rule is flattening local trust pages. Some units do mention 36 weeks. That is their policy. It does not rewrite the national NHS three-week wording.

Does my maternity unit override the national page?

For what to bring, yes — the unit's list wins. Trusts publish their own "what to bring" pages and they do not all use the same week. Examples checked for this article:

Units also disagree on what they supply. Royal Surrey, for example, says it provides sterile bottles and teats if you plan to formula feed, and that you should bring ready-made cartons. Another unit may expect you to bring more. That is why a copied week-36 list from a national blog can send you with the wrong extras.

How do I pack on the NHS three-week clock?

1. 1
   Open your unit's list first Search the trust name plus "hospital bag" or "what to bring". If you have a home-birth plan, NCT still suggests a minimal bag in case you transfer.
2. 2
   Set a reminder three weeks before the due date That is the national NHS prompt, not a clinical appointment. If your unit names 36, 37 or 32 weeks, use the earlier of the two clocks so you are not short if labour starts soon.
3. 3
   Pack the NHS "for you" core, then subtract what the ward supplies Best Start in Life names notes and birth plan, loose clothes for labour, dressing gown, slippers or flip-flops, front-opening nightwear, several changes of clothes, knickers, bras (nursing bras if you plan to breastfeed), breast pads, maternity pads, a wash bag, snacks and a water bottle, medicines you already take, phone and charger. Cross off towels or ready-made formula if your unit says they provide them.
4. 4
   Pack a short baby pile, not a wardrobe NHS and NCT both keep this small: nappies, cotton wool or unscented wipes, vests and sleepsuits, a hat, a blanket or going-home layer. Size bands are a separate guide.
5. 5
   Leave the car seat out of the labour bag Hillingdon's page says a car seat is not required until discharge if you are travelling by car. NCT says a newborn car seat is needed to go home by car. Put it in the car, not in the labour holdall.

Do I need one bag or three?

NCT's practitioners split the job into a labour bag, a postnatal-stay bag (left in the car or at home), and a birth-partner bag. The only item NCT calls essential is the maternity notes. Any bags will do; you do not need a new holdall.

NHS Best Start in Life's list is one bag with optional extras (own pillows, TENS machine, eye mask). Use the unit's length-of-stay note to decide whether the second bag is worth packing. Shops stay open after the birth, as NCT points out.

In shortPack at least three weeks before the due date because that is the national NHS prompt — then overlay your trust's week and supply list. Week 36 is a common local shorthand, not the NHS rule. Notes first; extras last.