Ideally, you should get your hospital bag ready with all your essentials about two weeks before your due date. If you're having a home birth, put all those things you think you'll need in one place.It can be useful to have two bags: one for labour and one for your hospital stay afterwards.
Labour bag
Include:
a clean T-shirt or front-opening nightie, dressing gown and slippers - plus bed socks if you have a tendency to get cold feet
drinks and snacks for you and whoever's going to be with you
a small facial sponge, for dabbing and sucking on
body oil, fine talcum powder or lotion for back rubs
music tapes/CDs and a battery-operated player
a hairband and brush, soap, towel and flannel, toothbrush and paste, other toiletries as desired
maternity pads (night-time sanitary pads will do) and knickers