Diaper bag essentials or a well-packed diaper bag can make or break your outing with your baby or toddler. It is imperative that you are prepared for whatever the day may bring and you can solve those issues quickly and move on. I have had many excursions ruined because of a boo-boo, because my kid was hungry or because of a huge blowout and yucky clothes. Here you will learn the 23 Diaper bag essentials that EVERY mom should have in their diaper bag!
This post is all about Diaper Bag Essentials!
1. Wet bag
This is probably the VIP of my Diaper Bag Essentials! I can’t say enough about them! I got this pack of 2 on Amazon and there are 2 compartments so I keep a change of clothes for the baby in on section and any yucky or dirty clothes in the other. When I get home I just throw the yucky items along with the bag in the wash and voila! Good to go! Also it is great that this came in a 2-pack so I can just put the spare one in place while the dirty one is being washed so I am never without one!
ALVABABY 2pcs Cloth Diaper Wet Dry Bags Waterproof Reusable with Two Zippered Pockets
2. Hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is always needed in a diaper bag. Babies and toddlers touch EVERYTHING and also you may need to do a diaper change when there is no sink around, so trust me – you WILL be needing some hand sanitizer! This hand sanitizer is the BEST!!! It smells amazing (like coconut!) and my kids also love it.
Baby Bum Hand Sanitizer – Antibacterial Spray
3. Bandaids
Especially once your child becomes a toddler bandaids are a MUST! For my girls, it is more of a mental thing, having a bandaid (even if there is no blood) immediately makes them feel better! I just love these bandaids and get asked about them all the time! There are so many cute patterns that my kids love, they stay on really well since they are fabric bandages, and it comes in this cute little tin! Instead of buying a new tin, i just buy a refill pack.
Welly Bandages | Adhesive Flexible Fabric Bravery Badges | Colorwash Tie Dye Patterns – 48 Count
Welly Bandage Color Change Refill Pack – 100 Count
4. Changing Pad
This changing pad diaper changer was amazing! We just kept all of the diaper change necessities in there and all you needed was that instead of the entire diaper bag if you needed a quick change. There were pockets and pouches to store diapers, wipes and cream and it also folded out to create a changing pad for the occasional bench, grass, or dirty public restroom diaper change. It also had a handle so you could clip it to your stroller or bag.
Portable Changing Station Pad | Diaper Clutch
5. Diapers
Obviously you need diapers in the DIAPER-bag! But how many do you need? A good rule of thumb is to pack 2 diapers for every 2 hours you will be out plus 1 extra just in case. Once you have a toddler that is in pullups it is good to have at least 1 pair of pullups in the diaper bag as well in case they couldn’t get to a bathroom soon enough!
6. Wipes
You will need wipes not only for diaper-changing, but also just in general to clean your child’s hands and face. I liked to have 1 pack of wipes in my changing pad case and another pack of wipes more accessible for messy faces and hands.
Amazon Elements Baby Wipes, Sensitive, 810 Count
7. Diaper Cream
Whenever my babies had a diaper rash this was the ONLY stuff that would clear it up. This stuff is no joke! I kept a tube in my diaper changer pad.
Desitin Maximum Strength Baby Diaper Rash Cream
8. Poop bags
The are ABSOLUTELY necessary!!! And this little dispenser was great! I clipped it onto our changing pad diaper changer kit. You may not always be able to find a place to throw a poopie diaper. It is kind of like the little poop bags you would use for your dog. I would buy the refills and just refill in the little dispenser, genius!
Munchkin® Arm and Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser and 24 Diaper Disposal Bags
Munchkin® Arm and Hammer Diaper Bag Refills, 6 Pack, 72 Bags
9. Pacifier & Clips
Our girls were all about the pacifier in the early years. We would always have at least 2 of them in our diaper bag in case something happened to one. These are the absolute best since they are only 1 single piece (no pieces to come apart) and also the shape of it helps to minimize any dental issues that pacifiers can sometimes cause. It is also really important to have a pacifier clip!! You can prevent the pacifier from falling in the dirt or out of the stroller where you aren’t able to properly sanitize it.while you are out of the house.
Philips AVENT Soothie Shapes Pacifier, 0-3 Months, Pink/Purple, 4 Pack
BooginHead Pacifier Holder Stuffed Animal and Baby Pacifier Holder 2 Piece Combo, Floppy
10. Extra clothes for baby
This is always good to have since you never know when a blowout or a particularly messy meal will happen. I found this pack really helpful since it was just white (and therefore went with whatever they were wearing) and also came in a variety of sizes (so that as your baby grows, you can take stock of your diaper bag essentials and replace onesies that are too small now with the next size up! Such a bargain and a life-saver! I usually keep about 2 of them in the wetbag that I always have in my diaper bag. I will also throw in a pair of pants or 2 and maybe a light coverup like a little sweater or hoodie in case it gets chilly
Gerber Baby Girls’ 15 Piece Onesies Bodysuit Multi Size Pack
11. Socks
Babies are always kicking their socks off and you will ABOSULTELY lose some of them. Also, I have had it happen multiple times with toddlers where their new shoes hurtand they get a blister or something so either adding socks or adding a 2nd pair of socks over an existing pair helps!
Little Me 0-12/12-24 Months Pack
12 Pack Non Slip Kids Toddler Baby Socks with Grips
12. Baby Hat
You never know when it will either get suddenly chilly or particularly sunny. Especially when you have an infant, it is good to have a wide-brimmed hat to protect their face from the sun or to have a little beanie to keep their head warm. I loved this little wide-brimmed hat for both of my girls since it was able to be adjusted to fit their head snugly, had a tie under the chin so it didn’t blow away and it also could be folded to not take up much space.
i play. Baby Girls’ Brim Hat | All-Day UPF 50+ Sun Protection for Head, Neck, & Eyes
13. Sunscreen
I always keep this sunscreen stick in the diaper bag. It is small and doesn’t take up a lot of space and is also easy to just swipe on their face without getting in their eyes.
Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick with Broad Spectrum SPF 50 & Zinc Oxide
14. Nursing Pads
In the beginning when you are nursing and still leaking it is great to stash a few of these in the diaper bag. They take up no room at all and you will be glad you have something in the event of a leak!!
Lansinoh Stay Dry Disposable Nursing Pads for Breastfeeding, 108 Pads
15. Snacks
Snacks are something that you NEVER want to find yourself without when you are with a kid! Once they get hungry all hell breaks loose! Not only for them, but for you it is good to have some healthy, shelf-stable snacks to keep in the diaper bag. I loved to keep pureed food pouches, cereal puffs & yogurt melts in the diaper bag when I had babies. I tried to get veggies mixed in with the fruits flavors as much as possible, the kids don’t notice at all!
Beech-Nut Melties Baby & Toddler Snack Melts, Apple Pumpkin, 1 oz (7 Pack)
Happy Baby Organics Superfood Puffs, Variety Pack, 2.1 Ounce, Pack of 6
Plum Organics Stage 4 Variety Pack – Fruit & Veggie Pouches – 4 oz Pouch, Pack of 18
Once I had older toddlers I had trail mix, pretzels, cheerios or raisins. I would also keep a couple of protein bars in there for me (especially when i was still breastfeeding)
Nature’s Garden Healthy Trail Mix Snack Pack – 28.8 oz
Larabar Gluten Free Snack Bars Variety Pack, (16 Bars)
16. Bib
For babies it helps a lot to cut down on laundry if you have a bib in the diaper bag. These silicon ones are great since you can wipe them clean, they have a little catcher at the bottom to prevent anything from dripping into their lap, and they fold up small in the diaper bag.
PandaEar Set of 3 Silicone Baby Bibs
17. Burp Cloth
When you have an infant, a burp cloth is a diaper bag must. Not only is it good for spit up, but it can quickly wipe up any spills etc.
18. Nursing Cover
This was definitely a diaper bag essential for me in the early months of motherhood! Some women are comfortable nursing in public but I definitely wasn’t! If I had to nurse around anyone other than my husband in my own home I had this nursing cover on. This one is great because you can still look down to see the baby and it has a little panel that you can use as a burp cloth. It folds up nice and small to fit easily in the diaper bag.
Kids N’ Such Baby Nursing Cover for Breastfeeding with Sewn-in Burp Cloth & Matching Pouch, Arrow
19. Baby Bottles
I started with different baby bottles but I ended up needing a breastfeeding consultant and she swore by these bottles! I was reluctant to use bottles and was worried that it would interfere with breastfeeding but these have the slow-flow nipples which help to make sure the baby doesn’t start to favor the bottle over the breast. They also have an insert that helps to minimize the amount of air the baby takes in which helps with colic, burping and discomfort after feeding.
***Extra credit: If you have the space and your baby is particularly picky about the temperature of their milk, then this thermos was great!!! You fill it with hot water and the lid becomes a container that you fill with some hot water and place the bottle in to heat up. This was very helpful in the baby’s first year.
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Portable Travel Baby Bottle and Food Warmer
20. Light blanket or swaddle
I would always have one of my muslin swaddles in the diaper bag when I had an infant. It was good to throw over the carrier so the baby could be protected from the sun or take a nap and also it was great to put over the baby in the car to keep warm as well.
Hudson Baby Unisex Baby Cotton Muslin Swaddle Blankets, Pink Feather, 3-Pack
21. Small Travel toys
We had a regular rotation of a few toys that we would keep in the diaper bag to keep baby entertained on the go. These toys were good for teething and also had lights and music to keep the kids entertained. The octopus and the mirror phone became favorites for my girls.
Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy Baby, Octoplush Plush Toy & Bendy Ball
Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy
22. Water bottle.
You need to make sure that you always stay hydrated and also you never know when you may need some fresh filtered water to clean out a bottle. This bottle is stainless steel so it keeps liquids cold or hot for hours and also it is a decent size (24oz) without being a huge fat bottle that won’t fit in any cupholder or pocket of a bag. This one is nice and slim and fits pretty much anywhere a regular plastic water bottle would fit. The handle on the top makes it also easy to clip onto the stroller or bag if needed.
IRON °FLASK Camping & Hiking Hydration Canteens, 24oz.
23. Stain spray
Stains are always going to happen, but you have a better chance of getting it out if you treat it right away. This was one of my biggest diaper bag essentials that I always had in my my diaper bag so I could treat the stains as they occurred. Not only was it helpful for my baby, but for me and my husband as well!
Dreft Laundry Stain Remover, Travel Size, 3 Fluid Ounce
So there you have it!!! I hope this list was helpful. Many of these product recommendations took a lot of trial and error to find and all of these items were things that I used again and again. So I hope I can save you the trouble of wasting your money on products that don’t work that well or having your lovely outing with your child ruined by a meltdown of sorts.
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