Ahhh, the diaper bag. A mom's lifeline. But what do you really need to take with you when you leave the house, and how do you keep it all organized? Today I'm going to unzip every compartment of my diaper bag, dump everything out, and show you what all I keep in there.
This post is first in my Perfectly Packed series. Be sure to check out my other posts in the series as they are posted! Please note that posts in this series contain affiliate links. (Check out my disclosure policy here.)
The Diaper Bag: My sister gave me this one at my baby shower, and I LOVE it!
Wet/dry Bag: I'm not going to lie- I have a whole stack of these at home.
And of course, the adorable matching Bottle Bag. 
Without these 3 bags, I would be lost!
has a mesh section for dry items, and a waterproof inside section for wet items (aka dirty diapers.) Since I use cloth diapers, and want to take them home again instead of throwing them away, this bag is awesome. You could also use it for dirty clothes.
In the "dry" section, I usually keep a few diapers, some cloth wipes, and a small spray bottle of water. The "wet" section will hold the dirty diapers after I change my baby. It holds about 4-5 dirty diapers.
. Since I breastfeed, I usually don't take this one with me. But occasionally (like when I'm dropping Emma off to spend the afternoon with her grandparents) it does come in really handy. 
OK, so now let's take a look at what I pack in my main diaper bag:
2. Bottle Bag
3. Bottle
4. Cloth diapers
5. Cloth wipes
6. Spray bottle with water (I use this to wet the cloth wipes)
7. Hand sanitizer
8. Wet/dry Bag
9. Disposable diaper (just in case)
10. Disposable wipes
11. Burp cloth
12. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets
(I love that these roll up really small, and I can also use them as nursing covers.)13. A change of clothes
14. Extra pair of socks
15. Cell phone
16. A snack for me
17. Water bottle
18. Wallet and keys
19. Sippy cup
20. Snack for baby
21. Book
22. Toy
23. Tylenol (plus unopened syringe)
24. Gas drops
25. Teething Tablets
26. Nail clippers
27. Vaseline
28. Thermometer
29. Pacifier
30. Diaper cream sample
Seem like a lot? If you haven't already, you should check out my free diaper bag checklist printable!
Here's how I pack all of that stuff into one bag and still keep it nice and organized. In the main compartment, I tuck the extra set of clothes and socks into one pocket, and the swaddle blanket into the other.
Next, I fill the cup holder pockets with a sippy cup and my own water bottle.
The front pocket on the right is for wipes and one or two disposable diapers- just in case. In the pocket on the left I keep things I might need easy access to- the bib, burp cloth, extra pacifier, and hand sanitizer. And a stuffed animal just because he's cute. ;)
So that's it! A perfectly packed diaper bag, complete with pictures and a printable checklist. Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my diaper bag.
Oh, and be sure to check out my post on a perfectly packed diaper bag- the toddler version. :)
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| A perfectly packed diaper bag: the toddler version |
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As a mom of 5 boys, I can truly say-you got it all covered! Great tips on packing a prepared diaper bag!
ReplyDeleteWow- 5 boys! I'm heading over to your site now to glean some wisdom from you. ;)
DeleteThis is absolutely brilliant! Will definitely be pinning for baby #2 (whenever that happens to be)! PS. We did cloth diapers too and those Bum Genius ones were our faves!
ReplyDeleteAren't they great? I decided to do cloth diapers on a whim one day, and stuck with it out of sheer stubbornness. (I didn't realized there's a steep learning curve when it comes to cloth diapers!) Long story short, I sold all of the complicated diapers and used the money to buy tons of Bum Genius diapers. I love them!!!
DeleteThe sarong I have carried with me since my children were small as it works equally well for swaddling, shield for breastfeeding, A mat for diaper changing, tent for shielding from the sun, a car seat cover, leash for tired toddler arms, sling for baby carrying, as a baby hammock, as a strap for tying babies to chairs in places that don't have high chairs, play clothes, mat for napping or playing and a couple of times I used it as an emergency diaper, I now only use it as a shawl to keep my children warm or as a sheet to cover sleeping 4 year olds or a Sari to replace dirty clothes but it is the best item you can put in a diaper bag next to food and drinks.
ReplyDeleteWow- that is truly the definition of multi-functional. Sounds like a lifesaver!
DeleteMy children are all older now 4,5 & 7 but I find now more than ever that I still need a different version of the same things. I always pack food, flasks of water (because they are less complicated and take up less space than water bottles), balm of some kind (I still use nipple cream because it has a variety of skin protectant uses such as chapstick or dry skin), a hair brush with rubber bands on the handle and sarong, safety pins and a small matchbook style sewing kit, a pen, something to write on, toys, cellphone and wallet and keys in my purse. I keep a change of clothes including shoes and jackets for each child in the car trunk since they are older and I don't need to bring them with me into buildings I also keep toothbrushes, baby wipes (though they are no longer in diapers), organic natural baby sunscreen, just because they are older doesn't mean I should expose them to harsh or toxic chemicals, chewing gum, a gallon of water, a jar of peanut butter and a sleeve of saltines and a plastic knife or spoon, a blanket, a first aid kit which includes tampons, menstrual pads, duct tape and superglue, which can all be used to treat serious injuries, and car emergency kit with jumper cables, a tube to siphon gas in case I ever run out and get stranded so that I don't have to be taken to a gas station and walk back with a can of gas and bike pump, (bike pumps still work on car tires they are just take a lot of extra effort to inflate the tire), and in the winter snow shovel and window cleaner. Having all this stuff with me has saved me time and money on more occasions than I can count and kept us from ruining a perfectly good family outing.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are a SUPER prepared person! I'll bet your supplies have come in handy over and over in different situations. :)
DeleteMay I ask where you found the spray bottle & what do you put in it? I am new to cloth diapering and any help you can give is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHey Lizzie,
DeleteFirst of all- congrats on going for the cloth diapers! Stick with it- it gets so much easier as you go. :)
I also opted to use cloth wipes rather than disposables. Cloth wipes are just what they sound like- squares of cloth. They're dry, so in order to make sure I'm getting everything nice and clean, I carry a little spray bottle filled with water to wet the cloths before I use them. Sometimes people add a drop of baby oil or baby body wash, but I've always just used good old water.
I think I got the bottle in the travel section at Target. . . you know, where they have little mini bottles of everything- but I don't quite remember. I know I got the full-sized spray bottle that I keep on the changing table there.
I hope this helps. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Laura
thank you for these tips, i've just discovered this post on pinterest. quick question -- where did you find the wallet with the keychain? do you know the brand / style? i would love to streamline my bulky wallet down to just essentials for day to day and to make more room in the diaper bag. please let me know, thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou know- I love that wallet and keychain, and now that it's wearing out after several years of constant use, I cannot find a replacement! It's driving me crazy. I got the original one at Target, and they do have similar ones for sale now, but they're all a lot bigger and bulkier than what I'm used to. So if you have any luck finding one... let me know! :) Sorry not to be more of a help!
DeleteThanks
ReplyDeletewhy on earth would you need nail clippers on an outing? And the medications seem excessive too... I can understand a couple necessary scenarios (prescribed dose needed every feeding) , but I never needed it on a regular outing
ReplyDeleteTrue! Now that my baby is a little older, and as long as the outing is a fairly short one, I usually don't carry everything on this list. I just throw a few of these essentials in my purse. (To see a simplified version of this list, check out How I pack a purse so I don't have to carry a diaper bag: http://www.laurasplans.com/2016/04/diaperbag.html)
Delete