8 Things Expats in Greece Always Forget to Pack in Their Hospital Bag

But if you are an expat giving birth in Greece, there are things you need in your hospital bag that no generic list is going to tell you - because those lists were written for hospitals in the UK, the US, or Australia. Not for Greek maternity wards.

I have worked with enough English-speaking families in Greece to know exactly what gets forgotten. Here are the eight things I would add to your bag tonight.

1. Your documents - and more of them than you think!

This is the one that catches people out. In your bag, you will want:

• Your passport or ID - for both parents, if your partner will be there

• Your AMKA number

• Your insurance documents - EOPYY card if you are in the public system, or your private insurance details and any pre-authorisation paperwork

• Physical copies of all your prenatal test results and ultrasounds - don't rely on having them only on your phone. Greek hospitals often want paper

• Your personal health book (ατομικό βιβλιάριο υγείας) if you have one

Put all of this in a clear folder, in your bag, now. Better yet - make your partner responsible for knowing where this folder is. In the haze of early labour, you do not want to be searching for your AMKA number.

2. A bilingual birth plan

A birth plan written only in English that your Greek-speaking care team cannot easily read might not be a very good idea - it's a set of preferences nobody knows about when it matters most.

Try and get your birth plan translated into Greek. It does not need to be long - one page is ideal so that your care team will actually read it. Cover your key preferences: pain relief, interventions, skin-to-skin, cord clamping, who you want in the room and how you want to feel during labour and birth. Print two copies - one for the care team and one for you/ your birth partner to hold.

This single piece of paper gives you a voice in the birth room even when you can't find the words out loud.

3. A Greek phrase sheet

Your Greek might be perfectly fine in everyday life. It will not be fine during active labour.

• Save or print a short list of phrases you might need:

• Έχω συσπάσεις - I'm having contractions

• Πονάω πολύ - I'm in a lot of pain

• Δεν καταλαβαίνω - I don't understand

• Μπορείτε να μιλήσετε πιο αργά; - Can you speak more slowly?

• Δεν συναινώ - I don't consent

• Χρειάζομαι βοήθεια - I need help

• Μπορείτε να φωνάξετε κάποιον που μιλάει αγγλικά; - Can you call someone who speaks English?

Put this in the front pocket of your bag. You probably won't need it. But if you do, you will be so glad it's there.

4. Your own maternity pads - and plenty of them

This is the one that surprises most expats. Many Greek hospitals - especially public ones - don't provide maternity pads, or they provide very few.

Have a full pack of heavy-flow maternity pads in your bag. Not regular pads - proper postpartum ones. And then add a few more than you think you will need. The first few days postpartum are heavier than most people expect, and you do not want to send your partner out on a pharmacy run when you would rather have them next to you.

5. Your own towels and toiletries

Another thing that catches people off guard - some Greek hospitals do not provide towels, shampoo, or shower gel. Private clinics are more likely to have basics available, but do not assume.

Pack a towel, travel-sized toiletries, and - this might sound small but it matters - something that smells familiar. Your own shower gel, your own shampoo. When everything else feels unfamiliar and overwhelming, a familiar scent is more grounding than you would expect.

6. Your care provider's mobile number

In Greece, you typically call your OB or midwife directly when you think labour is starting - not the hospital. This is different from many other countries and it catches people off guard in the moment.

Make sure their mobile number is saved in your phone AND your partner's phone. And write it on paper too - tuck it into the document folder in your bag. Phones die. Screens crack. Redundancy is your friend when you are in labour at 3am.

While you are at it, save the hospital's maternity admissions number as a backup.

7. Proper snacks - for both of you

This one is on most lists, but I want to be specific about it. Greek hospital food is functional, but it may not arrive when you need it, and after hours of labour you will want something that actually makes you feel human.

Pack things that give you sustained energy without being heavy: granola bars, dried fruit and nuts, crackers, juice boxes, a banana. And pack enough for your partner too - they will be running on adrenaline and vending machine coffee otherwise, and a hungry, shaky partner is not the support you need.

And bring your own water bottle. Staying hydrated during labour matters more than almost anything else in that bag. If you can add a straw to it (or if it has one that can also be removed) it will make drinking water easier and you can also use the straw for breathing.

8. Something that makes the room feel like yours

A hospital room - especially a shared room in a public hospital - can feel quite clinical. Bringing one or two small things that make the space feel a little more personal helps more than you would think.

Your own pillow. A familiar blanket. A small speaker with a playlist loaded. A photo on your phone that makes you feel calm or strong.

This is not indulgent. When you are giving birth in a country that is not home, in a system that is not familiar, surrounded by a language that is not yours - small anchors to normality are more important than they might seem from the outside.

The printable checklist

If you are interested I have a free hospital bag checklist that includes the standard essentials so you can tick things off as you pack. Grab it here!

Want the bigger picture? Packing the bag is one piece of getting ready. If you would like to understand how the whole system works - the maternity options in Greece, your rights, how to find a care provider you can communicate with, and the practical things that tend to catch expat parents off guard - I have put together a free guide that covers all of it.

And if you want structured, personalised preparation with someone who knows the Greek system and speaks your language, that's exactly what my group antenatal course and one-to-one sessions are designed for.