It’s been a few weeks since our sweet Leighton was born. I thought I’d write a post sharing what was in my hospital bag for all you new mamas that are wondering what you really need and what you can leave at home. Since I’ve done this before, my hospital bag was definitely not as full as it was with Ainsley. Here are some of the must haves in my bag. I’ll link what I can at the bottom for you 🙂

-Cheap slippers. I don’t know about you, but I am a bit of a germaphobe, so I did not want to be walking around the hospital in bare feet. The hospital does provide socks, but they’re one size fits all. It felt more comfortable to have cushy slippers. I went on Amazon and purchased a cheap pair that I didn’t care if they got dirty or ruined.

-New, comfy pajamas. This was another thing that was packed for the purpose of being as comfortable as possible while being in the hospital after giving birth. You’re already in pain and exhausted from all that happened, and that giant hospital robe that doesn’t close makes me feel very disheveled. I went to the store and bought a brightly colored, super soft pair of pajamas. Plus, it’s nice to feel at least a little put together when people come visit your new bundle of joy.

-Nursing bras & Nursing pads. I will say, I actually don’t like nursing bras, so I have some good sports bras that I like better. Either way, you’ll need them haha. You will also need nursing pads. In those first few weeks, you’ll experience that oh so lovely leakage. Make sure you have these on hand 🙂 I like the ones that are washable so you don’t have to keep buying the disposable ones.

-Extended phone charger. You’re normally in the hospital for a few days, so you’ll need to charge your phone, especially with all the phone calls, texting and photo taking you’ll be doing 🙂 I recommend bringing an extended phone charger since the plugs are far away from the bed and chairs.

-Snacks. You know me, I’m all about the snacks. This is also for your husband because labor can take a long time and when you’re in the thick of it, you’re probably not going to want him to run somewhere to get food when he’s hungry.

-Towel. They do provide towels at the hospital, but let’s be honest…they’re not the nicest. I brought a nice large, soft towel.

-Travel size toiletries. Pretty self-explanatory, just as reminder not to forget them 🙂

-Swaddles/cute outfit for baby. Since it’s part of my job to take photos, you better believe I put some thought into the outfits I bring to the hospital for photos 🙂 I found Leighton’s swaddle at the cute store Fawn and Sage.

Don’t forget about your husbands things too: comfy clothes and toiletries. I let him pack his things, so if you are curious about that let me know, I’d be happy to share!

Let me know if you have any other questions about what to pack!