Diaper Bag Essentials

The Diaper Bag, they come in many styles and sizes; and to the modern mom they provide a small space with which to store your entire life! Everything you need for baby all in one spot. In this article I will go over some of the things I NEED to have in my diaper bag. Through trial and error I have found the essentials. At least, to my baby's needs.

Diaper Bags

The first selection you make is of course, your diaper bag! Think about what you do with baby, where will the bag be going and in what way will you need to carry/use it. There are many diaper bags that provide several options. For instance the diaper bag that I purchased had three options for carrying it. The Lekebaby Diaper Bag Tote can be carried satchel style, by hand or placed on the stroller. I found this to be very helpful for my needs since I am often in the car, using the stroller and carrying my diaper bag to and from places.

The other option is to have a backpack diaper bag. This can be quite handy if you plan on using a carrier to hold your baby while you walk. Having a backpack diaper bag means its always on your back and you don't have to fumble with it. The Lekebaby Diaper Bag Backpack also has straps that can be used with a stroller. Its a great feature to think about. These bags also have waterproofing and insulated compartments to keep heated water for bottles/baby food. Skip Hop also makes minimalist bags that have very few compartments, however in my experience I have loved having several pockets and compartments.

With a minimalist bag you can bring just your essentials, which would be beneficial for a short trip. When I go out though I am usually gone for a couple hours at a time, sometimes overnight and its nice to have adequate space. The Skip Hop Diaper Bag Backpack has a changing pad included just like the Lekebaby and also a stroller attachment. This is a good bag from a reputable brand and was also reccomended to me when I was choosing diaper bags. The Skip Hop Iconic Duo Tote is also a good bag and much like the Lekebaby Bag it has several compartments.

Diaper Bag Essentials

Diapers

One of the most important things you need in your diaper bag is of course, Diapers! A good tip is to count how many diapers you use in a day and then add three or four more to that plus an extra 5-8 diapers if you have two of the same size compartment. The Brands of diapers we have tried and loved are:

• LUVS Pro Level Leak Protection 116 Count
• Parent's Choice Dry and Gentle Breathable Diapers 168 Count
• Up&Up Diapers

These are the brands we have tried and in my opinion as a mom they are all pretty good diapers. The Up&Up diapers and the Luvs have the back guard to prevent the blowouts from creeping up their back. I've learned as a mom that there isn't really much that will prevent it, but you can give it an honest try.

Having a good diaper stash will help in the long run, especially if your errands or trip run longer than expected.

You also need:

• Baby Wipes (Keep a full unopened travel pack in your bag too!)

We love the Kirkland Baby Wipes! You could also try Pampers Sensitive Water Based Wipes as they are pretty good and are a great price on Amazon. The next best deal for a large amount of wipes at one purchase are Parent's Choice Gentle Clean Aloe Baby Wipes which you can get 1200 of for only 18.48! An incredible deal! They come in different "Scents" if you like, but I prefer the fragrance free option.

Bottles

If you're breastfeeding then you won't need bottles, but if you're feeding 50/50 or only breast milk you're going to want at least two bottles plus a large bottle with water for two bottles to be made. You need enough water for however much your baby eats per feed. For example, my 3-month old son is 50/50 and he will drink up to 5 ounces of formula a few hours after I breastfeed him. So when I pack my diaper bag I carry 8 ounces of water plus an additional water bottle filled with purified water.

What you Need:

• 2 Baby Bottles (5 ounce or 10 ounce)

Formula for two feedings or four feedings (if your trip will be all day. If you're fully formula feeding pack enough formula for a full days worth of feedings.)

• Large Baby Bottle (12 ounce) filled with Purified Water
• Travel Size dish soap (Dawn or Palmolive)
• 2-3 Water Bottles with additional purified water (Water from a Brita works well)

These items will ensure you have enough for feedings throughout the day.

If you're only breastfeeding:

• Nursing Cover
• Wet Wipes
• Burp Cloths (4-5)
• Swaddle (4-5)
• Nursing Pads (Reusable or Disposable)

Clothes

You should always have at least two changes of clothes for baby. Babies spit up, have accidents, leak through their diapers and get food and formula on their clothes. So it's always wise to have another set of clothes on hand. Depending on your child's age group depends on the type of clothing you should pack.

• 0-3 Months: 3 Onesies, 2 Sleep N Play's and/or 2 Rompers (shoes if the season calls for them)
• 3-6 Months: 3 Onesies, 3 Rompers, 3 Pairs of Socks, and 3 pairs of Pants or Shorts (shoes if the season calls for them)
• 6-9 Months: 3 Onesies, 3 Shorts/Pants, 3 Pairs of Socks, and 2 Rompers (shoes if the season calls for them)
• 9-12 Months: 3 Shirts, 3 Pants/Shorts, 3 pairs of socks, and 2 Rompers (shoes if the season calls for them)

You can adjust these depending on your comfort level. If you prefer your baby in Rompers instead of Onesies and Pants/Shorts then pack more rompers than onesies. These choices also depend on the season, if its summer you won't need socks. If its winter you'll need socks and shoes. In winter you will want to pack hats as well. Some winter items to specifically pack would be:

• Shoes
• Socks
• Hats
• Jacket/Coat/Sweater/Hoodie
• Warmer pants such as sweatpants instead of overalls or jean material

I prefer Onesies to Rompers, more so because my son can wear pants or overalls with his onesies and a regular shirt would ride up if he wore it with a onesie. Secondly, a romper must be worn by itself and cannot be paired with pants. For traveling a romper is much more accesible diaper wise because of buttons on the bottom. Our son wears a romper when we ride in the car or overalls with a onesie.

I bought a couple of Rompers with zippers instead of buttons and I tend to prefer the buttons. The Short Sleeved Printed One Piece Romper by Old Navy have zippers but they have to be completely taken off in order to change the baby's diaper, which is an inconvience. These adorable little 2-Pack Snap-Up Rompers by Carters are much easier for diaper changes and they protect babies legs while riding in the car seat. That was my main concern while driving was protecting my sons legs from the buckle while we drove. Even though in the summer it is much warmer, wearing a romper to travel in or a onesie and overalls provides much more protection for his sensitive little legs.

You should always have 3 complete outfits to change into, onesie/shirt, pants/shorts, and a romper or sleep-N-Play depending on the child's age and the season in which you are traveling.

Medicine

You should always have whatever you use for baby at home. If your baby is teething make sure you have at least a few doses, or a unopened container of whatever you're adminstering whether that is Un-Medicated Orajel or Tyelnol Baby.

Also make sure you have at least two pacifiers if your baby is using them, and teethers if you're baby is in his/her teething stage. You can put refrigerated teethers in a ziplock bag and then store them in the insulated pocket of your diaper bag. Most diaper bags have those now. It's also handy to have a children's ice pack sealed in a ziplock and stored in the insulated pouch for overnight travel and stays.

Also ensure you have gas drops or gripe water available to you during your trip/overnight stay/errand. Many babies deal with consistent gas so having one of these handy in your diaper bag can be helpful.

My son has had terrible gas since he was a newborn so we constantly keep gas drops with us. I usually buy a larger size bottle and add some to my smaller bottle to keep in my diaper bag. Babies can get really uncomfortable while traveling if they are dealing with gas. Especially when they are cooped up in a car seat.

• Medicine (tylenol or Orajel)
• Teethers (Refrigerated/Frozen)
• Sunblock (Baby approved)
• Gas Drops/Gripe Water (I like Little Remedies Gas Drops. I stayed away from the Gripe Water because I read some reviews from mom's who thought their babies may have had allergic reactions to it. It wasn't confirmed though. Still Gas Drops are easier to adminster on the road.
• A&D Ointment or Diaper Rash Cream
• Small First Aid Kit or assemble your own (5-10 Baby Bandaids, Antibiotic Ointment, and adhesive wrap to cover scrapes you don't want baby to mess with.
• Nasal Aspirator ( The NoseFrida or what I ended up buying was this electric nasal aspirator Hauture Rechargeable Baby Nose Sucker . I didn't like that I needed my own lung capacity to suck out my babies snot though I would reccomend a smaller size for travel in your diaper bag as this one runs rather big.
• Baby Thermometer

Always read the instructions on your teethers as some of them can only be refrigerated and not frozen.

Miscellaneous Items

Blankets are a good item to have in any season, my son loves to have his one to squidge with his hands and sometimes to even hold while napping. My sweet little son won't nap by himself yet, so he ends up sleeping on my Boppy Best Latch during nursing sessions. I take my Boppy with me when I travel because it's the easiest and most comfortable way for me to nurse. Using light receiving blankets to cover him has proven easiest so far this spring and summer. Though soon it will be too hot for them!

Other items you need depending on the season would be:

• 1-2 Blankets (For summer light material such as cotton or jersey or light muslin swaddles) These recieving blankets by Carter's are light enough for summer. 7-Pack Flannel Recieving Blankets provide cover during windy days or days when it's warmer but not cold. They are the perfect size to cover a Boppy when folded in half. These Super Soft baby blankets by Baby Starters make good winter blankets or fall blankets. They are very plush and adorable. These are perfect for keeping warm during a walk in the stroller during the fall.
• Burp Cloths (Flannel burp cloths like these adorable and absorbent Hudson Baby Cotton Flannel Burp Cloths

• Baby Bibs
• Small flashlight to find items in the dark

If you have older toddlers or babies who are eating baby food and bottle formula/breast milk ensure you pack at least three jars of baby food or sealed containers of homemade baby food.

• Baby Food (One that doesn't need to be heated or chilled)
• 1-2 Spoons
• 1-2 bowls

If you are feeding homemade food carry a portable cooler with you also to keep food cold or warm.

The Dawn Dish soap used to wash your bottles can be used to also wash your baby spoons and bowls. I've washed bottles in a public bathroom sink before and will probably do so with spoons as well.

Additional items you may want would be a Pacifier Sterilizer meant for on-the-go like this one by Munchkin. The Portable UV Sterilizer eliminates germs and is rechargeable.

Also a container for pacifiers can make storing them in your baby bag all the more easy.

Blankets, Stuffed Animals or toys should never be left with any child who isn't being supervised. Remember, babies should not sleep with blankets unless they are visually monitored at all times and should never sleep with loose blankets at night.

In the End....

It seems like a lot but it really isn't and the great thing with most of these items once you pack them in your bag you don't have to unpack and repack again. Your bag will be stocked for awhile and you only need monitor your diaper reserve, change of clothes sizes to ensure they still fit and that you have full containers of wipes and any medicines you use daily.

I hope this list of items to keep in your diaper bag helps you out as much as it has me. Remember to adjust for your needs, comfort and babies preferences. Hopefully my experience will make your future trips much less stressful and more fun for you and baby!