Last updated: August 23, 2026
Hot and cold packs are on every labor bag list and almost nobody thinks about them until they are standing in a hospital room asking whether there is a microwave. That question has different answers in different hospitals, which is exactly why this is worth ten minutes of planning rather than a last minute grab.
What follows is the practical version: which kinds of packs exist, which ones survive a hospital room without needing equipment you may not have access to, and which questions to put to the birth unit before you pack anything. What temperature suits you and when is not a question this page answers.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Quick Answer
What heat and cold should you pack for labor?
- Ask the birth unit two things: is there a microwave you may use, and may we bring our own packs. Everything follows from those answers.
- Single use instant packs need nothing at all. That is their whole advantage in a hospital room.
- Warm packs need a heat source. A microwavable pack without a microwave is dead weight.
- Always use a cover or a cloth between a pack and skin, whichever direction the temperature goes.
Bottom line: phone first, then pack instant packs plus a couple of washcloths, and add a microwavable pack only if you have confirmed a microwave.
Ask the Hospital Before You Pack
Two questions decide most of this. Is there a microwave on the unit that patients or partners may use, and may you bring and use your own hot or cold packs. Units answer both differently, and some restrict personal items once certain monitoring or procedures are in place.
Ask when you tour or at an appointment, not on the day. If the answer to the microwave question is no, cross every microwavable item off the list and plan around packs that need no equipment.
The Kinds of Packs
There are four practical categories, and they differ mainly in what they need from the room. Instant single use packs need nothing. Reusable gel packs need a freezer or hot water. Microwavable grain packs need a microwave. Washcloths need a tap, which every room has.
That last one is worth taking seriously. A cloth run under cold water and wrung out is the item people actually reach for most, and it costs nothing to pack several.
Instant Single Use Packs
You squeeze or snap them and they turn cold, or warm, without a freezer or a microwave. They work once and then they are done, which is fine for a single stay. Pack more than you think and check the pack is the large size rather than the small first aid one.
Reusable Gel Packs
Flexible gel packs that can be chilled or warmed depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. A strap version stays where you put it on a lower back, which matters when you are moving around. Check whether the maker allows both temperatures, because not all do.
Microwavable Grain Packs
Fabric packs filled with rice, wheat or flaxseed that hold warmth for a while once heated. Comfortable and quiet, and completely useless without a microwave. Follow the maker’s heating times exactly rather than guessing, since overheated grain packs can scorch.
Covers, Cloths and Skin
Nothing goes directly against skin. Every manufacturer says the same thing in the instructions: use the supplied cover, a pillowcase or a folded washcloth between the pack and you. Skin during labor is not a good judge of temperature, and a partner holding the pack is not either.
Pack a small stack of thin washcloths. They double as the cover, as a cold cloth for a forehead, and as the thing that mops up water. They are the cheapest item on the entire list and the one people wish they had brought more of.
What Goes Where in the Bag
Packs belong in an outer pocket, not at the bottom under the clothes. If a partner is going to be handing you things, they need to be able to find them without unpacking the bag onto a chair, and this is the category where fumbling is most annoying.
Put instant packs in one zip bag and cloths in another, and put both where a hand goes first. Our hospital bag checklist covers the rest of the packing order.
The Options Compared
| Type | Needs | Reusable | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant single use | Nothing | No | Hospital rooms with no equipment |
| Reusable gel pack | Freezer or hot water | Yes | Home use and known facilities |
| Microwavable grain pack | A microwave you may use | Yes | Home births and units that allow it |
| Washcloths | A tap | Yes | Everything, all the time |
Heating and chilling instructions differ by product, and the manufacturer’s own instructions are the ones to follow rather than a general rule.
After the Birth Is a Different List
Cold for the days afterwards is a separate category with its own products, shaped for a different purpose, and the hospital usually supplies something. Do not try to make labor packs cover both jobs. See perineal ice packs and the postpartum recovery kit for what that list actually looks like.
Anything to do with what temperature suits you, how long a pack should stay on, or whether heat or cold is appropriate in your situation is a question for your midwife or OB-GYN. This page is about what to pack, not about how to use it on your body.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the hospital have hot or cold packs? Many do, and many will happily supply them. Ask, because it changes what is worth carrying, and ask at the same time whether your own are allowed.
Can I microwave a grain pack on the unit? Only if the unit says yes and has a microwave you may use. Plenty do not, and a heat pack you cannot heat is the most disappointing thing in a bag.
How long should a pack stay on? That is a question for your midwife or OB-GYN, and the pack’s own instructions also give manufacturer limits. Do not work it out from a general article.
Can I put a pack straight on my skin? No. Use the cover, a pillowcase or a folded cloth, every time, in both directions.
Are the strap on packs worth it? If you plan to be upright and moving, yes, because an unstrapped pack has to be held by someone. If you expect to be mostly in bed, a plain pack is fine.
What about a warm shower instead? Many people use one, and it needs nothing packed. Ask the unit what is available in the room, since showers and tubs vary from one hospital to the next.
Whether heat or cold suits you at any point, and how it fits with anything else in your care, is a conversation for your midwife or OB-GYN rather than something to plan from a packing list.
The Bottom Line
Phone the unit, then pack for the room you will actually be in: instant packs that need nothing, a stack of thin washcloths, and a microwavable pack only if a microwave is confirmed. Read next: the hospital bag checklist and the birthing ball guide.