The Diaper Bag
Mar 8th, 2008 by Bethany
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It occurs to me that not everyone knows how to pack a diaper bag, especially those who are having babies or babysitting for the first time. There are differences in what you need on hand depends a lot on the age of the child you are caring for and how long your outing/trip will be, but there are several constants too. Now that I’ve carried a diaper bag around with me for over three years, I feel qualified to make diaper bag recommendations. So, here’s what I think you should look for in a diaper bag and what to pack inside it.
Choose your container carefully. I prefer to have pockets on the sides of the bag, preferably elasticized, to hold either bottles or sippy cups or water bottles. If you plan to or need to carry milk or prepared formula, it needs to be an insulated pocket with room for a cold pack to keep the liquid cool. Because the diaper bag doubles as a purse for me, I prefer to have zippered pockets for a wallet and cash/change. I also like to have small pockets easy access to pens and a cell phone. A long adjustable shoulder strap in addition to two short carrying straps make a diaper bag more versatile, and when you’re trying to carry a kid on your hip, hold on to a diaper bag, and unlock a car door at the same time, versatility is critical. A large interior space for diapers, wipes, toys, etc. is obviously essential. Choose your color wisely to work with anything you wear because changing bags for fashion is unpractical unless you REALLY enjoy such things. I actually went through a short-lived phase of switching bags for size and color and it didn’t work for me.
What to pack? Here’s my list:
Diapers and wipes–if the child is in diapers. Newborns need more diapers, older children need fewer. When my babies were under 3 months old, I’d bring 2-3 diapers along no matter how short the trip, and if it were going to last longer than about an hour and a half I’d bring more. Now that Maggie is 18 months old and Degen is 3, I feel pretty safe bringing just two or three diapers total for a two hour trip.
If the child is recently potty-trained, bring a complete change (or two) of clothes for accidents. Actually, if it’s a newborn you’ll need a change of clothes for “explosions.”
If you’re a woman and you’re nursing, bring along nursing pads, and a change of shirt (especially at first).
A blanket is essential for young babies, for warmth, comfort, and modesty if nursing. Some older children like to have their blankets with them all the time for comfort.
Snacks–I like to bring a few snacks along for hunger emergencies and places where we really need to be quiet. Some examples: goldfish crackers, cereal, ritz crackers, dried fruit, bananas, granola bars. For babies just starting solids, bringing a jar of baby food, a spoon, and a bib works pretty well too.
Drinks–formula for babies who aren’t nursing, water or juice in sippy cups for my kids, and for older kids (or yourself) you could bring water bottles.
Toys–I try to bring one toy along for each child to help them calm down if they’re having a hard time or get hurt. Sometimes it’s a small board book, or a toy car, or a doll. If the kid is teething age, please bring something he can chew on. I have a bracelet with big, hard beads that I use for the purpose.
Medicines–teething gel, allergy medicine, sunscreen, and anything else the particular child needs to have handy wherever she is. A bandaid and some antibacterial ointment help with scratches and scrapes.
I like to carry a small bottle of that disinfecting gel when I think of it–Purel is one brand name I’ve used. Sometimes baby wipes just aren’t enough cleaning power for me.
Regular purse stuff–keys, change, cell phone, wallet, checkbook, sanitary items, makeup you like to have on hand.
I think that’s the extent of my list. I like to keep it light as much as possible because lugging a heavy bag around and chasing or carrying kids isn’t any fun. What am I missing? Does anyone else have any great ideas for things to bring in your diaper bag?
Great list! I tried the switching and swapping of contents and baby bags for a while to get the “right look” for the outfit and occasion, but YE GADS what a hassle. The upside was that I cleaned out crumbs and crud, but the downside was the time it took to make the change. I found that the best solution for this problem was to completely outfit several bags so I could make my selection, pack the bottles and snacks and be out the door in a hurry.
I had my Coach baby bag for dressy days, easy clean ones in different colors for playdates and plastic for trips to the pool. Here’s a picture of the inside of the same Coach diaper bag that I have. Mine is not packed as neatly, but it’s just like mine.
When my kids are just starting baby food, I make up little “food-baggies” and always keep at least one in my diaper bag. Fill a sandwich-sized ziploc bag with one or two jars of food, a plastic spoon, and a disposable bib. When you’re done it can all go in the trash!