By week 36 the big purchases should be sorted. What is left is the most important bag you will ever pack.
The NHS advises having your hospital bag ready a few weeks before your due date, so aim for week 36 at the latest, and closer to week 32 if you are expecting twins or have been told you may deliver early.
Keep it by the door, make sure your birth partner knows where it is, and pack even if you are planning a home birth, in case of transfer.
A tip that saves real stress on the day: pack as two bags, a small labour bag with what you need during the birth, and a second bag for the postnatal stay that can wait in the car. Digging through one giant bag mid-contraction helps nobody.
Pack two bags, not one, and do it by week 36. Put the car seat in the car the same week. The single most forgotten item is a long phone-charger cable, and the single most underrated is snacks for your partner. Throw in ear plugs and an eye mask, nobody warns you how noisy a postnatal ward is. And keep a running note on your phone for the things you only think of at 3am, that list is what makes the final bag actually yours.
The NHS advises having your bag ready a few weeks before your due date. Aim for week 36 at the latest, or around week 32 if you are expecting twins or have been told you may deliver early. Put the car seat in the car the same week, and keep the bag by the door where your birth partner can find it.
Yes. Pack a bag even for a planned home birth in case you need to transfer to hospital during or after labour. It is far easier to grab a ready bag than to gather things mid-transfer.