Hospital Bag Essentials

For labour and the first night, most lists come down to a few things: disposable postpartum underwear, maternity pads, a peri bottle, toiletries, snacks and something loose to wear home. Australian hospitals vary in what they supply, so check what yours provides before doubling up. The peri bottle here is a common starting point.

Recovery items depend on how you give birth. After a vaginal birth, many women pack witch hazel perineal wipes, a perineal ice pack and high-waisted underwear; after a caesarean, compression is the usual addition, and the ARTG-listed SRC C-Section Recovery Shorts are designed as post-surgical compression. Once you're home, the c-section recovery and vaginal birth recovery pages carry the longer list.

Colostrum comes in small volumes at first, so the feeding section of a hospital bag stays small too: bamboo breast pads, a soft bra, and silver nursing cups, reusable shields worn inside your bra between feeds to protect healing nipples. The lactation hot chocolate and teas in this range are simply warm drinks many feeding parents enjoy. The wider range lives under breastfeeding care products.

Blossom Pelvic Health was founded by a physiotherapist focused on pelvic health. The hospital bag is the handover point: in the weeks before, birth preparation products cover perineal massage and early-labour comfort; afterwards, postpartum recovery products take over, and everything earlier lives under pregnancy support products. Because of the intimate nature of these products, we don't accept change-of-mind returns. If an item arrives faulty or damaged, email hello@blossompelvichealth.com.au and we'll look after you. Some items, like SRC garments, have specific exceptions; see our returns policy for the full detail.