My number one tip for packing your hospital bag is to Marie Condo it. Basically, bring nothing. In fact, I think you can honestly get away with only bringing 10 things.

 

There are a ton of things you don’t need either, the hospital provides them, so why bother bringing them? For example, our hospital at least, provided blankets, diapers, and wipes.

 

Below is a list of the only 10 items  in my hospital bag.

 

Some of you may be thinking, but wait, what about my Ipad or laptop. You don’t need it! That will only distract you from enjoying what is right in front of you! You’ll have your phone, that’s enough! There’s a TV in the hospital. You don’t need to be doing work or on facebook. Just enjoy your new baby!

Top 10 Items to Pack

Camera: Obviously, you need to have your camera in your bag. As a newborn photographer, it may come as no shock that I think that needs to be the FIRST thing in your bag!

 

Delivery Robe: I’m not sure you should actually wear this while delivering, but it is SO PERFECT for taking pictures later. As much as you may want to just wear sweats and a t-shirt, I PROMISE you won’t regret having a pretty robe in your bag! It is just as comfy, makes it easy to go to the bathroom when you can hardly move (if you’ve had a c-section at least, I don’t know anything about pushing a baby out and what kind of recovery that is), and last, but not least, you’ll look so pretty in your robe for photos with your newborn baby without even trying!!

 

Nursing Cover: I used the milkmaid cover and I loved them. These were especially the greatest when we were still in the hospital. I am not a very open person. I don’t mind if my top half is hanging out around my husband, my mom, nurses who are used to seeing that, and my very closest friends, but I did not want my boobs hanging out when my dad, brother, or in laws were in the room. If you’ve ever had a baby before, you know that they will feed for FORTY FIVE mins at a time, not feed at all for 20 minutes, and then want to eat for ANOTHER FORTY FIVE MINS. I am full of southern hospitality, I was not going to make them all wait on me for 45 minutes, stay for only 20 and have to leave again.  These covers allowed me to nurse her comfortably and socialize with friends and family who came to visit us.

 

Not only did they cover me well while nursing, they made me feel fashionable and skinnier. They weren’t form fitting, so no one could tell that I still had this huge baby pooch. They come in kinds of patterns and colors so you can wear them with anything!

 

HUGE Panties: In case you’re a first time mom and didn’t know, you bleed a ton right after you have a baby, for a few days. You need to have these huge panties so you can wear the hugee pantie liners that you’ll need to wear. These are also the only comfortable thing you’ll be able to wear for a while.

 

Baby Clothes: This seems general, but you need to be sure to bring baby clothes. Bring outfits, pajamas, and a going home outfit. Remember that babies spit up and blow out their diapers, so I’d suggest bringing at least 4-5 outfits and 2-3 pajamas, because you never know how long you will actually be at the hospital.

 

Honest Nipple Cream: This stuff was a must for me. It was the only thing that helped my nipples from feeling like they were on fire. Do NOT make the rookie mistake that I did and not use it until you start hurting. Apply it before and after every time you nurse. Apply it in between nursing too, any time that stuff starts to dry off because I promise, it helps! Eventually your boobs get used to being sucked on all the time and you won’t need to use it, but trust me, YOU NEED at the very beginning!

 

Also, if you’re a working mom, use it when you start pumping!

 

Prenatal Vitamins: Bring these with you and keep using them. I didn’t know until my daughter was 3 days old that I should have kept taking. Apparently the nutrients that your baby needed when in the womb is still needed if you are breastfeeding. Formula has these things in there, so if you’re bottle feeding, you won’t need these anymore.

 

Lactation Pills: I started taking these about a week before Hazel’s due date and I feel like they really helped my milk come in. They also helped my body produce what it needed to produce. I continued to take these until I was done breastfeeding. On days I forgot to take them, I really could tell a difference in my production since I was pumping at work.

 

Nursing Arm Pillow: This thing is AMAZING. I started with a Boppy nursing pillow and quickly noticed that my arm would ache when nursing Hazel. I stumbled upon this pillow online and am SO glad that I have found it! It slips right on your arm and the baby’s head fits perfectly on it without making your arm sore. It lifts their head up just where it needs to be in order to nurse.

 

My Own Pillow: This may seem silly, but I can’t sleep on any old pillow. I wasn’t sure if the hospital was going to have a down feather pillow for my stay, so I brought my own so that I was able to sleep well at night. I just can’t get comfy on those stiff foam pillows! I knew that it would be hard enough to get sleep with a newborn baby and the nursing staff coming in and out. My pillow didn’t help me get a full night sleep, but it did help me get to sleep faster and stay asleep until the baby woke up or the nurses came in.

I hope you found this list helpful! As they say, less is more! I think you’ll find this to be one of those times! 😉

 

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