A summer-inspired, thoughtful list to welcome your baby in total serenity.
Giving birth is undoubtedly life’s greatest adventure. As your due date approaches, you start getting baby's nursery ready, their little things, and your maternity bags. But do you really need to pack everything for a summer delivery? Today, Élhée invites you to discover an inspired, thoughtfully curated list to help you pack a useful and lightweight summer maternity bag; because honestly, at nine months pregnant and in 95°F weather, you don’t want to feel weighed down. Essential products for baby, innovative accessories, and tips to stay calm: follow the summer maternity guide.
CONTENTS:
- First of all, how long will you stay in the maternity ward?
- Baby’s hygiene and care in summer: gentle and practical
- Feeding baby at the hospital: flexibility, comfort, and safety
- Textiles & clothing: breathable and smart choices
- Summer comfort for mom: keep it light
- The heart of the bag: papers, charger, and lucky charms
First of all, how long will you stay in the maternity ward?
According to the French National Health Authority (HAS) recommendations, new moms usually spend 3 to 4 days in the maternity unit after giving birth. In reality, this period can vary greatly depending on whether you have a vaginal birth or a C-section, if your baby is premature, if you’re in good health, and so on…
Your maternity bag should therefore contain all the essentials for your stay, but shouldn’t resemble a huge travel trunk.
Baby’s hygiene and care in summer: gentle and practical
Generally, baby gets their first bath within 24 to 48 hours after birth, directly at the hospital. It’s a safe, well-equipped environment where you’ll be guided through this much-dreaded first step as new parents. However, you can bring your favorite products to use right away, instead of waiting until you’re back home.
- A gentle, natural liniment for diaper changes and those first few diapers.
- An extra-gentle wash. The Élhée 3-in-1 Cleansing Foam can be used from birth on baby’s face, body, and hair. Soap-free, sulfate-free, synthetic fragrance-free, dye-free, endocrine disruptor-free, and enriched with organic aloe vera, it scored 100/100 on the Yuka app!
- A suitable antiseptic for cleaning the umbilical cord.
- A small hairbrush and a nail clipper round out the kit.
- A toiletry bag to keep everything together and discuss the best choices with the midwives who are there to help.
The compact size tip: save space
Your maternity bag doesn’t need to be very large. It mainly needs to be practical and easy to organize. So, remember your last plane trip; whether in the cabin or in checked luggage, compact sizes, samples, and refillable bottles provide incredible space-saving opportunities. Your summer delivery kit should follow the same minimalism. Small, handy packages that are enough for a few days.
In fact, here, the multifunction bag ticks all the boxes: roomy without being bulky, it offers intuitive organization for your essentials and baby’s. Perfect for your hospital stay, it’ll be useful long after, for your outings with baby.
You can also wait a few days before giving your newborn their first bath. In fact, at birth, a newborn’s skin is covered with vernix (or vernix caseosa), a substance that protects them from amniotic fluid. Antimicrobial, antifungal, and moisturizing, it creates a barrier that your child can still benefit from during their first days of life.
Feeding baby at the hospital: flexibility, comfort, and safety
Within the first hour after birth, your baby needs to eat. Either you breastfeed to start nursing, or you (your partner, or the hospital staff) give your baby their first bottle. In that case, you’ll need a few accessories.
- A bottle: even though the hospital usually provides them, bring your own bottle for your baby. Élhée BibRonds 5 oz are suitable from birth, breastfeeding-compatible, and made from 100% medical-grade silicone for sensory feeding and proven anti-colic effect. Fitted with either a slow flow (S) nipple or extra-slow (XS) nipple, they are also suitable for small preemies.
- A formula dispenser: in the delivery room, waiting room, or your private room… wherever you need to prep a bottle, a formula dispenser helps ensure every ingredient is included. So MiMi offers one of the largest capacities of its kind: its 3 compartments can each hold up to 11 scoops.
- Bottle warmer: again, hospitals are typically equipped with everything needed to prepare warm bottles for newborns. But the TooGo portable bottle warmer lets you warm your baby’s formula in just a few minutes, privately—right in your room, or even while you’re in bed.
- Additionally, a bib or a cotton muslin can be helpful in your hospital bag for breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or gently covering your baby.
Textiles & clothing: breathable and smart choices
The bodysuit is perhaps, with the lovey, the most popular new parent gift. In newborn size or 1 month for those who arrive a little early, and 3 months for the planners. You’ll receive dozens of bodysuits, but you won’t take them all to the hospital. So it’s best to learn how to pick them smartly, just like the rest of baby’s layette.
- 6 cotton or muslin bodysuits, long-sleeved or short-sleeved for very hot weather, and ones that open in the front to make them easier to put on.
- 3 lightweight pajamas, also in cotton or light velour.
- 1 sleep sack or lightweight sleeping bag.
- 1 pair of little socks and a newborn hat (especially if your hospital is air-conditioned, or for your discharge).
- 1 cardigan for layering.
And don’t worry—if anything’s missing, dad can always make a quick trip home to grab whatever you need.
Summer comfort for mom: keep it light
If there’s any time in your life when you’ll want—and need—comfort, it’s during your hospital stay. First, you’ll arrive weighed down by your bump, and later, you’ll leave feeling sore and definitely won’t feel like squeezing into your tightest jeans.
For labor, pack socks (your feet will get cold), a spray mister (you’ll get hot, especially from the effort), and wipes to freshen up (since you might not always be able to move around).
For your stay, remember you’ll often be lying down. So bring several loose, lightweight nightgowns, a big cardigan, slippers, flip-flops or slides, and an outfit for leaving; for example, a long, flowing dress you can slip on without thinking.
Additionally, add towels, plenty of sanitary pads, disposable underwear, bras (nursing bras if you plan to breastfeed) or bralettes, tissues, and of course, your toiletry bag.
You can also bring nipple pads and your nursing pillow (very comfortable for bottle-feeding too, although admittedly a little bulky).
A little extra comfort
And, because birth is an upheaval for both mother and child—intimate, powerful, deeply moving, and emotional—pack a small notebook to jot down your first impressions before they fade away. Take along a favorite piece of jewelry, a photo of your parents, a sweet note from your partner… any little good luck charms that comfort you will be a welcome source of comfort—more valuable than you imagine.
Add a playlist that soothes or energizes you, depending on your mood, your earbuds (wireless are even more practical), some snacks for after delivery, and if you like, a mini beauty kit: lip balm, hand cream, gentle mist—just for pleasure.
The heart of the maternity bag: papers, charger, and lucky charms
You might think of these essentials last… but they make all the difference. Medical records, blood type card, and family record book: keep them in an easily accessible pouch, as the hospital will request them.
On a practical note, you’ll remember your phone, but don’t forget your charger (with a long cord—it’s more useful than you think, or an external battery).
And there are those things that can’t be measured, but mean a lot: a pacifier, for example, if you’ve decided to offer one to your baby. Élhée makes the first extra-thin, one-piece medical-grade silicone pacifiers: Physiological, they respect the oral and dental morphology of babies and can be used from the very first days of life.
In the end, a light suitcase… full of meaning
Packing your maternity bag is more than just checking off a list: it’s about projecting yourself forward, reassuring yourself, and already building a bond with your newborn. And in summer, because it’s hot—way too hot—you want everything gentle, simple, and practical, so you can focus on what matters most.
At Élhée, we believe that less can truly be more—provided you choose well. A 100% safe bottle, cleansing foam free from endocrine disruptors, a smart and safe formula dispenser… Essentials designed for everyday life, to wrap your baby’s first days in a feeling of shared security.
So, whether your bag fits in a tote or is actually a small suitcase, whether it’s ready a month in advance or the night before: pack your way, with confidence. And above all, fill it with love. 🩷
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