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Back to the Bag
October 15, 2009 6:42 pm | by

I’ve had a nice break this summer – from the constant presence of the diaper bag anyway, if not from anything else.

Lily went to full time panties in June and I carried around a bag for a couple weeks after that.  As she became more reliable I left a change of clothes in the car and resurrected my long forgotten purse.  It was great!  I felt like I had lost about 20 pounds!  I only brought the diaper bag with me if we were going to be stuck in one place for very long, like a waiting room, to carry some extra activities.  But even that became less and less after I realized that our mini magna-doodle fit in my purse.

Now I find myself waddling about, preparing for the new baby’s arrival, and contemplating adding the extra baggage back in.

I know some people cloth diaper and manage to travel lightly.  I’m not one of those people.  If I bring with me everything I could possibly need (and then some) on an outing, I won’t need to touch any of it, or at least very little.  But if I bring the very basics, then baby will spit up, have an explosive diaper, and decide that now is the time we must have that extra blanket.  It just seems to be one of those Murphy’s Laws of Parenting.

Older babies are a little more dependable than newborns as to what they need in a diaper bag.  So I do tend to downsize later on. But in a few weeks here I will be traveling along with a newborn and two year old almost everywhere I go.  (Adding in the older children many other times too.)  So I need to start with well prepared and work down from there.

So I sat down with my bag this morning and started to pack it and realized – I’m a little out of practice here.

I started with:

  • Diapers – generally 3 in the bag, more to be added for a long outing
  • Extra cover
  • Wipes/squirt bottle – need to get a new squirt bottle, my 4-year-old absconded with the old one
  • Receiving blanket – big enough to swaddle in (or mop up a giant spit up)
  • Wet bag – better not forget that!
  • Outfit – onesie and footie
  • Nursing pads – I always have extras since I seem to be distantly related to Old Faithful.
  • Mommy stuff – wallet, phone, and lip gloss

So what am I forgetting?  What do you mommies pack in your newborn diaper bag?

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Comments

14 Comments

  • Shire's mom said...
    November 17, 2009 at 8:26 pm

    This is what I’ve been packing for my 5-month old to go to daycare everyday:

    -4 AIO diapers
    -1 flannel swaddling blanket (for on the floor)
    -4 bottles (5 oz) breastmilk
    -assorted toys/teething things
    -wet bag (size medium)
    -change of clothes

    We just keep a stash of wipes, burp rags, and an extra set of clothes at the daycare. This works pretty well, and I’m pretty proud of myself (I know this sounds silly) for going back to work full time but continuing to breastfeed and cloth diaper my baby.

  • Karla said...
    November 15, 2009 at 12:47 am

    I just happened upon your site, and thought I would comment. I’m just about to have my 2nd baby, and need to rethink my current diaper bag. *sigh*

    Let’s see if I can visualize what will be in the NB bag:
    wetbag w/ change of clothes
    3-4 diapers
    case of wipes
    hand sanitizer
    powder
    burp cloth/small receiving blanket
    nursing cover
    sling
    nursing pads
    disposable baggies

    toddler stuff:
    bag of snacks
    a couple bibs
    sippy cup w/ jc
    sometimes toys
    pacifier
    blankie

    mommy stuff:
    lip gloss
    camera
    wallett

    I usually keep an extra diaper bag of diapers, wipes, and some clothes in the car just in case. I’ll probably keep an extra shirt in there in case of leakage or spitup.

  • keri7773@msn.com said...
    October 30, 2009 at 2:18 pm

    Food!! I don’t know about other moms, but I was hungrier as a nursing mom than when I was pregnant. So my bag consisted of:
    3-4 extra diaper chages (whatever system I was using at the time.
    disposable wipes (saved the wash cloths for home)
    Receiving blanket or two
    Sling and / or nursing cover depending on which carrier I was using.
    2-3 Disposable nursing pads (again, saving the cloth for home use so I didn’t have to carry around the dirty ones)
    Change of clothes for baby
    Bulb Syringe
    baby hat / sunscreen
    granola bars, dried fruit, and a stainless steel insulated water bottle. Always needed cold water.
    baby toys.

    My car however had an emergency ‘crate’ of diapers, wipes, food, toys, blankets, clothing etc., so I could travel with a lighter diaper bag.

  • Liz Stewart said...
    October 21, 2009 at 2:29 am

    I always carry a thermometer and some tylenol. I guess it is the nurse im me but one time we went on vacation and my daughter got sick and we could not find a drug store and the hotel was no help. I also carry sunscreen and a hat.

  • Jenni said...
    October 19, 2009 at 8:12 pm

    Great ideas everyone! Keep them coming!

  • Baby Momma Andrea said...
    October 18, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    Also, doesn’t hurt to put some postpartum stuff for yourself in there – panty liners, etc. for those first month (or more, boo).

  • Anonymous said...
    October 17, 2009 at 7:25 am

    With a new baby, don’t forget an extra shirt for yourself. At least in the car. As for the restocking issue, my “backup” disposable diaper, which doesn’t take up much space, got used more than I care to admit!

  • :::b r a n d i::: said...
    October 16, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    Awesome post. As I am about to birth my first baby, I am in need of advice as to what to keep in that baby bag. I welcome all the advice from the comments too!

  • Sarah Harris said...
    October 16, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  • Lil Mouse said...
    October 16, 2009 at 8:13 am

    Depending on how far you’re going, you might want more, my bag is always packed to the hilt, but we’re always more than an hour from home when we go anywhere, I don’t even bother with a bag for a trip to the grocery store anymore, bum genius takes care of all her needs (although her deciding to curl her face into my shirt when she just sneezed is making me ponder at least carrying some sort of wipe). I second the nose thing, I always need it when I don’t have it. If you use a binky at all, might stow an extra one of those in a side pocket as well. Oh and since its flu season, HAND SANITIZER!!!

  • Lauren Bryson said...
    October 15, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    I second the nose bulb/sucker thingy.

  • Bloggin' Mama said...
    October 15, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    For the first few weeks I always keep a nose bulb/sucker thingy (that’s the technical term!!) in there. Nursing moms also frequently need a snack (granola bar, etc.) and a bottle of water.

  • Stacy said...
    October 15, 2009 at 10:10 pm

    I always have a few bandages and alcohol wipes. For the kids? No, it is part of my “mommy stuff.” I am accident prone.
    I have a 9-year-old and a 1-year-old. My bag has a waterproof deck of cards. If the baby gets a hold of one, no damage done. Wipe it off and continue playing.
    Can’t leave without my extra fabric baby pouch. It is a blanket, cart cover, mop, holder, and hider.
    With this stuff I can entertain, carry, and fix the booboos, but I have been known to not restock the diapers!

  • Idyllic Youth said...
    October 15, 2009 at 8:55 pm

    If I left the house is was only for long outings and generally brought:

    6 diapers
    8 washcloths
    bottle of water (for making washcloth wipes)
    changing pad
    two changes of clothes
    baby socks
    baby blanket
    1 tri-fold diaper
    wallet, phone (mommy stuff)
    plastic grocery bags for dirty diapers