Almost all lists treat the maternity bag as a single bag. In the hospital it lives three different moments: birth, the days in the room and the departure for home. Packed in three bags, everything is at hand at the moment you need it, and the person accompanying you will know exactly what to go and get from the car.

Three bags, three moments

The birth bag is small and goes with you: documents, the essentials for you and the baby's first change. The room bag is the largest, for the two or three days of admission, and in many maternity wards it only goes up after birth, carried by the person accompanying you. The departure bag stays in the car, with the clothes for the return home, next to the already installed car seat.

Mark what is already packed. The list is saved on this phone or computer, and the bag fills up as you go along.

When to pack the bag

The rule that hospitals repeat is to have everything ready before 36 weeks. Put in your expected due date and you will have the three dates that matter.

Each maternity ward has its own list

The basis is the same everywhere, but the quantities and rules change from hospital to hospital. Three examples, taken from the lists published by the hospitals themselves:

Ask for your maternity ward's list at the third trimester consultation and adjust the numbers from the list above to it.

Documents will always be at hand

In a small bag, separate from the clothes: your Citizen Card, the Maternity Health Record and the pregnancy analyses and ultrasounds. Also bring the document of the person accompanying you, which is used for the baby's registration.

The registration is done right there, at the hospital's Nascer Cidadão counter, and it is free, just like the baby's first Citizen Card. If the parents are married, either of them can take care of it. Without marriage, the father will also go, to recognize paternity.

The piece that stays in the car

The baby leaves the maternity ward in a car seat. It is the law for all children under 12 years and under 135 cm and, for a newborn, the Directorate-General of Health recommends that they travel rear-facing from discharge, which is how the head, neck and back are protected.

And the bag itself?

The room bag needs space and pockets, and it is worth choosing it thinking about afterwards: a maternity bag with a changing mat and hooks for the stroller continues to serve as the baby's bag for years. These four bring the accessories in the box. The prices are from the date of this article.

There are more models, in bag and backpack form, in the maternity bags and purses collection.

Questions we get here at the store

When should I pack my maternity bag?

Start gathering things around 32 weeks and leave the three bags packed until 36. Hospital Lusíadas recommends before 35 or 36 weeks, and ULS Santa Maria suggests starting about two months before the due date.

How many bodysuits and babygrows should I take for the baby?

Four of each are enough for two or three days of hospitalization, plus the outfit that goes in the birth bag. Pack two knitted cardigans in winter and one or two babygrows in a larger size, in case the baby is born big.

Does the maternity ward provide diapers?

It depends on the hospital. ULS Santa Maria, for example, asks that you bring 12 to 18 disposable diapers and 4 cloth diapers. Confirm your maternity ward's list at the appointment or on the hospital website.

How long will I stay hospitalized?

On average, two days for a vaginal birth and three for a cesarean section, according to Hospital Lusíadas. For a cesarean section, plan for one more outfit and high-waisted underwear that stays above the scar.

What should the person accompanying me bring?

The Citizen Card, a change of clothes, a charger, water, and something to eat. They are the one who will take the bag from the room to the car, so it is best to know in advance where everything is.

How is the baby registered at the maternity ward?

At the Nascer Cidadão counter, in the hospital itself, with the parents' identification documents. Registration and the first Citizen Card are free. If the parents are married, either one of them can handle the registration. If not married, the father will also go to recognize paternity. Anyone who leaves without registering has 20 days to do so online or at a registry office.

When should I take the car seat to the hospital?

On the day of discharge, already installed in the car. ULS Santa Maria only asks for it on that day. Install and test it before 36 weeks, so everything is ready on the day of birth.

And what about at home, which of the three bags is already packed?

Sources: ULS Santa Maria, Obstetrics Service, What should I prepare at home for the time of birth. Hospital de Vila Franca de Xira, What to take to the maternity ward. Hospital Lusíadas, What you should take in your maternity bag. Justiça.gov.pt, Nascer Cidadão. Road Code, article 55. Directorate-General for Health, Guidance 001/2010, Transport of children in automobiles since discharge from the maternity ward. Prices and availability verified on gotu.pt on October 20, 2026.