I really love the “less is more” approach to most things in life. And my diaper bag is one of those things! I know lots of parents who love to be prepared for any situation, and it works great for them. But I just hate packing a bulky diaper bag around with me everywhere we go. I’m already trying to keep my eye on 3 kids, so I don’t want a big bag to lug around. And when I need to find something, I hate having to dig around trying to find it. Keeping just the essentials in my bag helps keep everything easily accessible.
After 3 kids, I have figured out what I actually need in my diaper bag, and what is just a waste of bag space. Obviously this could change for your family so take my advice with a grain of salt if you want. I know a lot of moms who love to have all the things in their bag, and thrive when they are well prepared for any situation. I just like to fly by the seat of my pants, I guess. In the comments, share what you’ve found to be essential or non-essential.
To Leave Out of The Diaper Bag
Below are the items that I felt were a waste of diaper bag space. If you are trying to downsize your diaper bag, but you still want to be prepared for anything, just get small storage bin for your car and add these “pass” items to the bin. You’ll still have them handy in the car if you’re in a pinch, but you won’t need to lug it around all day.
- Extra Outfits (most of the time): Okay, there are a few exceptions to this that I’ll explain later. But I never found having extra clothes worth the space. Most of the time when we’re out of the house, we’re at or near a store, so if I really needed something I’d buy it. Or I’d probably just wing it. But I also know a lot of moms who keep an extra outfit for each family member in their car just in case. Like I said earlier though, there are some exceptions to this. When my kids are in the “frequent blowouts” stage, I keep an extra onesie in the bag or in the car. And while each kid is still mastering potty training, I keep an extra pair of underwear and pants. But I’ll be honest, I’ve hardly ever had to reach for the extra clothes while we’ve been out.
- Diaper Rash Cream: Listen, bathroom changing stations are gross half the time. The last thing I want is to also deal with diaper rash cream. I’m changing diapers at record breaking speeds at those changing stations. If they have a diaper rash, I will put the cream on before we leave the house.
- Medicine: I used to take things like gripe water and Tylenol around with me everywhere. But they just weren’t useful. The only medicine I do keep in my bag at all times is benadryl and and epi pen because one of my kids has a peanut allergy.
- Lots of Books And Toys: With our first baby, I was packing books and toys everywhere we went to keep her constantly entertained. But now, I only pack toys or books if it’s going to be a longer drive or if my older kids pack the toy themselves. I’ve found that my kids will find ways to entertain themselves without my help. If they are getting a little too antsy, there are always things like water bottles or keys handy that they can play with.
To Keep In The Diaper Bag
- Backup Pacifier: Each of my kids loved their pacifiers. And having a few backups around was always a huge help. I keep at least one backup in the house, and one in the diaper bag. If we’re out at a store and the pacifier drops on the ground, it’s nice to just toss the dirty pacifier in the diaper bag to be cleaned later. And I have a nice clean one ready to go.
- Snacks For Mom: Your diaper bag has probably already got lots of kid snacks. And if you get hungry, the goldfish and apple sauce pouches are an option. But I’m telling you, pack snacks for yourself. I like to pack things like RX Bars, Built bars, baby carrots, or the Orgain protein shakes. They aren’t as exciting as fruit snack maybe, but I function so much better with a good snack like those I listed.
- Lotion And Hand Sanitizer: It’s a gross world out there. So keeping hand sanitizer is pretty essential to me. And if I’m going to have hand sanitizer, I’m going to want a good lotion to go with it. But really, a few years ago I threw a small travel sized lotion in my bag. And for the next few weeks, me and the kids reached for it so often. Now I just need to have one handy all the time.
- Garbage Bag: I have always found having a garbage bag of some sort super helpful. Dirty diapers, stained clothing, or just any trash we see along the way. I usually keep a couple plastic grocery bags, but I have several friends who keep doggie bags and say they work great!
Diaper Bag Options
And I can’t just leave you without some great diaper bag recommendations. My preference has always been anything as handsfree as possible, like a backpack or cross body bag. I really don’t recommend anything too big, because I found that it just becomes a black hole if you’re not careful. Here’s a few I’ve loved:
- Lululemon Backpack: This one isn’t technically a diaper bag (and actually Lululemon just came out with a diaper bag). But this is what I use, and I love it. It works great as a diaper bag, but looks so good.
- HaloVa Diaper Bag: Here is another backpack option (at a much better price then the Lululemon backpack). It has plenty of room, stroller straps, and looks so sleek.
- Ditty Co. Cross Body: Here is another cross body at a great price. This one also has a changing pad. And has enough room for the basics.
Leave a comment below with your diaper bag essentials, and the things that you found were not necessary to pack around!
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