askpRoy Question
Hey pRoy! I have a question: as a soon-to-be new mom, I have no clue what to put into my diaper bag. I want to carry what I need without it being too much or too heavy. Do you have any recommendations on what to pack in my diaper bag? Thank you!
Hey Mama! Early congratulations to you and your family.
There are two things you should know about my parenting style before we start: I use cloth diapers and I breastfeed. These two bits of information are important because what I carry in my bag will differ greatly from what a mom carries who doesn’t cloth or breastfeed. Nonetheless, I will let you know what works best for me in my situation.
Finding a Diaper Bag
Initially, I purchased a tote like bag for me to carry with the baby. My husband and I wanted to have our own, so we purchased him a book bag style diaper bag. As time went on, I wanted something more compact, so I purchased a clutch style diaper bag.
What I’ve come to learn is 1) I don’t use the tote bag AT ALL. It’s just sitting in my closet collecting dust and 2) the book bag and the clutch are my go-to bags of choice.
Both bags are used by both of us without a problem.
The Book Bag: What’s Inside?
The book bag is easy to carry because I do a lot of baby wearing. This way, I can have the baby on the front, the book bag on my back, and still be hands free. I typically use this when we are traveling or going to be out for a longer period of time.
The items found inside of my book bag are as follows:
- a changing pad (came with the bag).
- a change of clothes (full outfit for the baby + a shirt for me)
- a few cloth diapers + our cloth wipes
- a wet bag (for soiled clothes and diapers)
- DIY cloth wipe solution in a small spray bottle
- a snack for the baby
- reusable water bottle
- nail clippers
- my wallet
- my keys
That’s typically all I carry, but like I said it helps that it’s on my back and out the way. You can read about what I pack for car travel here and air travel here (and if your baby is older than 6 months, you can see what I carry here).
The Clutch: What’s Inside?
Now the clutch is my absolute FAVORITE diaper bag to carry. It’s small, it has all the essentials, and it looks like an oversized clutch (pretty darn stylish). I usually use this when we are going for a short trip around the city. I’ve even used it for times when we are gone all day!
The items found inside of my clutch are as follows:
- a changing pad (clutch comes with it)
- a change of clothes (full outfit for the baby + an extra onesie depending on how long we will be out)
- a few cloth diapers + our cloth wipes
- a wet bag (for soiled clothes and diapers)
- DIY cloth wipe solution in a small spray bottle
- a snack for the baby
- nail clippers
- my essentials (i.e. ID, check card, cash)
- my keys
Packing the Essentials Only
How is it that the clutch fits almost as much as the diaper book bag and it’s half the size? It’s all about packing and being intentional about what you need. My philosophy is a baby doesn’t need much to survive and we (read: adults) tend to over complicate things.
As your baby grows, their needs will differ and so will what you pack. When she was younger, I would make sure to pack enough burp cloths. Now that she’s older, I make sure I pack a snack.
Additionally, I don’t have to carry bottles or water to make formula. Disposables would probably take up less space because you end up throwing the diapers away, but disposables take up more space in our landfill sooooo… there’s that.
Okay Mamas: What do you carry in your diaper bag?
