Diaper Bag Checklist: What Should You Pack?
Planning your first trip out with your new baby? Consult our diaper
bag checklist before you go. A well-stocked diaper bag is something you
just can’t live without, whether you are heading out for baby’s first
check-up, or you are planning a longer visit with family and friends.
Picking a Diaper Bag
When you are buying a diaper bag, pick one that is light-weight and
has lots of pockets. Unless you plan to carry a purse, consider one
that is big enough to hold a few items for you as well, such as your
keys and wallet. Keep in mind that cloth diapers are usually fluffier
than disposables, so when you decide to use cloth, it will be a good
investment to choose a from our list of larger designer diaper bags.
The Essentials
As you pack for your trip with baby, here’s a diaper bag checklist of the essentials:
- Diapers (2-3 for an afternoon out, and up to 12 for an overnight stay)
- Baby
wipes – you can pack cloth wipes in a wetbag or ziplock bag, or you
can buy a travel-size pack. Even though I usually took wet washcloths
when we traveled, I always kept a sample-size pack of wipes in the
bottom of the bag for emergencies. - Rash cream (optional)
- Changing pad or a simple towel
- 2 wetbags or a couple of plastic grocery bags to bring home your cloth diapers and any soiled clothing
Other Helpful Items
And don’t forget to pack:
- Hand sanitizer
- Change of clothes for baby (and possibly a clean shirt for Mommy)
- Bottles and formula if bottle-feeding, spare breast pads if breast-feeding
- A bib
- Baby food depending on age of baby
- Snacks and a bottle of water for Mom and Dad and older kids
- A couple of small baby toys
- Large
receiving blanket – can be used for swaddling, as a breast-feeding
cover, to lay down underneath baby, or for many other uses!
Just in Case…
You may also want to add the following (but if you do, be sure to keep your bag out of your baby’s reach!):
- Baby Advil or other painkiller (optional)
- Tide
to Go or other stain remover (optional) – once baby has started solid
foods, treating food stains early can make your laundry efforts easy
later on!
What you should take with you really depends
on how long you’re planning to stay and the age of your baby. Newborns
usually need at least one extra change of clothing for when they spit up
all over (and you may want to pack a clean shirt for yourself too!)
If
you buy extra supplies, you’ll find that you can leave most of your
diaper bag packed all of the time. All you’ll need to add is a few
clean diapers, a clean wet bag, a few wipes (if you’re using cloth
wipes), and double check the diaper bag checklist to make sure you
haven’t run out of any of the other supplies.
Tip: When you get home, as you remove the dirty cloth diapers
from your bag, take an extra minute or two to re-stock your bag with
clean diapers and clothes, plus any snacks or other supplies you may
have used up, so that your diaper bag is ready to go whenever you are.
This habit sometimes takes a few trips to establish, but you’ll thank
yourself later next time you’re running late or if you’re ever faced
with an emergency.
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