Your hospital bag checklist

Pack by 36 weeks — babies don't check the calendar. The essentials: comfortable loose pyjamas or a nightgown that opens in the front for feeding, slippers with grip, phone charger with a long cable (hospital outlets are always far), snacks (labor is hungry work), and lip balm. For the going-home moment: a soft outfit for baby (a onesie, a hat, and a swaddle blanket), a car seat installed and inspected in advance, and a loose comfortable outfit for you. Everything from your pre-pregnancy wardrobe will feel too tight in the first weeks. Don't forget copies of your birth plan, insurance card, ID, and any prescription medications. Skip the packing of a huge suitcase — hospitals provide basics, and you'll appreciate a lighter bag when you're leaving with a whole new person.