Diaper bags are your new best travel accessory.
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“AH! He just sat in a puddle – do we have extra clothes?” Yes, it’s in the diaper bag.
“He’s got some major nose boogies – do we have..?” “Yes I have a nose-sucker or tissues, which one do you want?”
“Gosh it’s bright out, did we bring a hat?” Yes, yes I did.
I’m the type of person that finds it absolutely satisfying to be prepared for the unexpected. These scenarios happen on the daily with a baby in tow. Before becoming a mom, I truly didn’t realize:
1) how much you need to be utterly prepared while toddling around with a baby
2) how much stuff you can actually put in a really good diaper bag.
I mean, it feels like I’m prepping for a vacation trip just to the grocery store. Diaper bags can be your best organized friend or your worst mess of a nightmare. The goal here isn’t to overwhelm you with another diaper bag checklist that feels unrealistic, it’s really to show you what we’ve actually used in the diaper bag since day one – through newborn days, blowout emergencies, teething meltdowns, and toddlerhood.
The Non-Negotiables From The Beginning
These are the items I had in his diaper bag from the first week:
- Diapers (1 for every hour you’re out, at least)
- Wipes
- Changing pad
- Extra onesie or outfit
- Burp cloths or muslin blanket
- Travel-size diaper cream
- Hand sanitizer
- A couple Ziploc bags (for soiled clothes or surprise messes)
- Pacifier (if baby uses one)
- Extra t-shirt for mom
- A completely random object like sprinkles that any baby can be amused by
Tip: I use packing cubes (still) to keep like-things together, so if I really only wanted to grab diaper change items, it’s in one cube.
Things That Changed As He Grew
As he got bigger, his needs changed and so did my packing strategy.
- Bottles to snacks: We went from using a cooler bag for breastmilk on the go to fruit pouches, water, and other snacks.
- New Entertainment: Books galore in our bags along with small construction toy trunks end up in there.
- Clothing upgrade: We switched from packing extra onesies to just dropping in a full outfit + seasonal layers. And since potty training, the diapers have vanished.
- More active: We’ve always got an extra pair of shoes, band-aids, sunscreen, and a hat tucked in there so we can play outside as much as possible
Things I Thought I’d Need (But Slowly Fell to the Bottom of the Bag)
As I mentioned at the start, I LOVE being prepared. Sometimes I got a little too carried away and ended up with things in the diaper bag that just weighed it down. You’re allowed to keep things simple, my friend!
- Nursing cover – I rarely used it and resorted to just bringing it along if I KNEW I’d be going somewhere that I couldn’t find privacy to breastfeed.
- Toys – One or two is great, but I sometimes threw in toys just because I thought he would get bored…He didn’t.
- Overstocking diapers and clothes – Again, I found a sweet spot, but at first I loaded it up, which was so unnecessary.
- Tiny baby care items – Nail files, mittens…these got lost and weren’t needed on-the-go.
My Favorite Bag & Organization Set Up
Since day one, we’ve used the same diaper bag – the Large KeaBabies Baby Diaper Bag Backpack. It’s been perfect from newborn days to toddlerhood. It fits everything without being too bulky.
I’ve also used packing cubes/cosmetic bags to help organize different things like:
- Diaper changes: diaper cream, diaper spatula (if you use that), gloves, poop bags for dirty diapers, wipes
- Food: snacks, bib, little spoon, disposable table place mats
- Extras: clean clothes, hat, socks
- First aid: band aids, ointment, clippers, etc. (Recent add for us since he’s getting more active!)
The key to keeping a diaper bag organized is to go through it every so often. I’d say best practice would be every couple months or a new season has come. Whether that is a seasonal weather change or just the season of life your baby is in as they grow.
At The End of the Day
You don’t have to carry it all to be a great parent, I promise. That’s a lot of pressure to keep on yourself. Give yourself grace if you forgot something. You’ll be surprised how creative you can get in a situation where you don’t have what you need. I’ll tell you right now, that just makes you a super mom or super dad. You’re rocking it.
Share Your Diaper Bag Hacks!
What did you have in your diaper bag that you thought was essential? Share in the comments below! Don’t forget to subscribe here for future reads on motherhood, entrepreneurship, and more.