image courtesy of @tracitaylorcollective
As a seasoned mom, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about packing my ToteSavvy for a newborn baby. I also happen to have experience in both breastfeeding and bottle feeding my babies. My oldest was breastfed for 6-months (after a VERY rough start) and my twins were breastfed for about a week then formula fed. Throughout my time with teeny babies, I learned a lot about what’s needed inside your diaper bag and what can be left at home.
ESSENTIALS FOR BREASTFEEDING
When you’re nursing you have to think about what your body needs along with what you’ll need for baby. Always have a large bottle of water with you (I love Swell bottles because they keep liquids cold for 48 hours!) and protein bars (or another easy snack) to curve hunger. I remember keeping granola bars on my nightstand because I would be starving as soon as I woke up to nurse my daughter. The same thing happened when we were out and about. Whenever hunger hit, I made sure to be prepared with a tasty bar. My favorites are RX bars and Go Macro bars.
Other than water and snacks for myself, here’s my condensed list of what you really need inside your diaper bag when nursing a newborn.
Download the packing list
Watch the packing video
All of this fits inside ToteSavvy Original size making it easy for you to tote around your essentials inside any tote you love. I suggest pairing ToteSavvy original inside a large tote for the most room. When my kids were newborns I liked having extra space around my ToteSavvy and even carried a weekender as my daily tote. It was fabulous!
ESSENTIALS FOR BOTTLE FEEDING
After struggling to breastfeed my first I decided not to put pressure on myself to breastfeed my second. As luck would have it, I ended up pregnant with twins instead of another singleton (a word I never heard until after having twins). From the get-go, I knew I couldn’t exclusively breastfeed twins so I set myself up to pump and formula feed. Pumping lasted about a week and then I transitioned fully into formula feeding.
When you bottle feed you actually carry a lot more around with you which means you have to be even more strategic with your packing. I purchased the short Tommee Tippee bottles that can be stacked inside ToteSavvys pockets. I would carry around 4 five ounce bottles (pre-filled with water) and a stacker of pre-measured formula. To make a bottle you simply pour the formula into the bottle and shake. Super easy.
Other than bottles and formula, my packing list was pretty similar to what I packed while breastfeeding. Here’s what I suggest packing when bottle feeding a newborn. NOTE: This example is for one baby, not twins, though we're working on a packing tutorial for twins and multiples!
Download the packing list!
Watch the packing video
If you’re pumping and bottle feeding on-the-go, I recommend pre-filling your bottles with breastmilk and storing them inside the cooler pocket. You’ll have a little extra room as you won’t need to carry the formula along with you!
All of the above essentials fit nicely inside ToteSavvy Deluxe. I prefer Deluxe when carrying bottles because you can store them inside the roomy cooler pocket. The laptop sleeve can easily double as a place to store folded clothing. Don’t let the “intended purpose” shy you away from this style!
Want to see more packing action? Watch our packing tutorials for newborns, toddlers, and more! Take a sneak peek at the tutorial for packing while breastfeeding below.
