Choosing the Right Size and Style of Hospital Bag

Packing your hospital bag is one of those lovely but sometimes overwhelming milestones of pregnancy. You want to be prepared — but what size bag do you really need? What style will work best when you’re juggling baby gear, toiletries, clothes, and those little extras that make a hospital stay more comfortable? Or do you need more than one?

At Ulluv, we’ve helped thousands of mums-to-be with exactly this question — so here’s our guide:

Start with how long you expect to stay:

• For a vaginal birth, where you will most likely only be in hospital for a night or two, a large holdall is usually enough for both you and baby's items — roomy but easy to manage. That said, many of our customers like to use two holdalls (large and medium) to separate their items from baby's. If you're a good packer, just go for large but if you find you bring everything bar the kitchen sink with you anywhere you go, we would recommend opting for two!

• For a C-section or extended stay, we definitely recommend a large holdall to fit extra clothing, PJs, and essentials for you and a medium holdall for baby's items.

Choose a style that’s practical:

• Look for wide openings — nothing’s worse than digging through a narrow bag post-birth!

• Shoulder straps and carry handles help when your hands are full with a newborn.

• Easy-clean fabric is a must — life with a baby gets messy fast.

• Consider packing pods to organise your bags and save you some space. We have gorgeous hospital bag specific packing pods which are currently out of stock but will be restocked October 2025.

Think beyond the hospital stay:
We always tell our customers — this isn’t a “one-use” purchase!
A stylish, roomy holdall will serve you long after those newborn days:

• Perfect as a weekend bag for family trips

• Handy for family overnight stays with baby

• Brilliant for gym visits, yoga classes, or even as cabin luggage for future holidays

Consider matching accessories:

• Cosmetic bags or pouches keep things like lip balm, hair ties, and hand cream organised and easy to grab.

• A labour bag (using one of our matching totes or backpacks, available in all of our bag designs) is great for labour but can become your baby changing bag afterwards. 

And finally — your hospital bag is more than just storage. It’s a little piece of “home” you bring with you into a very special moment. Choose something you love, and you’ll find yourself reaching for it again and again.