Sunday, January 18, 2015

What We're Packing...

 Diaper Bag Edition

Having read countless lists of diaper bag essentials that left me wondering exactly how bulky (and heavy!) all of those necessities were, I decided to create my own diaper bag guide. With seven months of parenting experience under my belt this is, of course, the final word on efficient diaper bags. Obviously. ;)

Also, as I seem to have lost the ability to retain or convert anything in my short-term memory, this post gets to pull double-duty as a reminder to myself when I'm trying to figure out what's missing. Am I the only one who blogs things partially because I need help remembering them? Anyone? Oh, well.

Short and sweet diaper bag essentials.
Our basics.

The Bag: Nothing fancy, but I love the insulated bottle pouch. The little tags on the pockets are a nice bonus: great for helping Chris find things quickly.
Diapers: I always stock diapers for an entire day; the magic number is eight.
Wipes and Cream: One package of wipes, Bourdreaux's Extra Strength cream for combating diaper rash, and Crunchy Mamas balm for normal use.
Changing Pad: The zip-off changing pad from our portable changing station goes everywhere with us. Public changing tables give me the willies.
Plastic Bags: I always have three bags on hand for stinky diaper disposal. It's just plain rude to leave a public restroom reeking of soiled diaper.
Spare Outfit: For the winter, I've taken to packing one set of pajamas as a compact back up outfit for the off chance that there is an uncontrolled blowout.
Bib and Cloth: Reflux = extra spit up, so a spare bib and burp rag are handy.
Blanket:One of the biggest multi-taskers in the bag, we always take a blanket.
Sleep Sack: A must for our swaddle baby, especially when out past nap time.
Feeding Supplies: We're still doing a nursing/bottle combo out of necessity, so a shield, nursing pads, bottle, and spare milk are always with us. 
Pacifier and Toy: We use Ulubulu clips for both pacifiers and toys, but I always bring a spare binkie just in case. Our toys are usually just a rattle and Sophie.
Hand Sanitizer: A must during cold and flu season. I have been known to spray peoples hands as they are reaching for the baby. I pack hand lotion as well since winter + sanitizer/hand washing = super dry hands.

Optional: For day trips I pack a Plum Organics pouch, and we have a separate bag dedicated to pumping needs.

The Condensed Version: For extremely short trips I pull the changing pad out of the regular diaper bag and take the full station stocked with six diapers, mini diaper cream, ten wipes, and a onesie. But only on days when I feel brave.


Out?

I can sit all by myself, Mom. I'm not lion!

"One of the most obvious results of having a baby around the house is to turn two good people into complete idiots, who probably wouldn't have been much worse than mere imbeciles without it."
Georges Courteline

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