A well stocked diaper bag is a travelling mama’s best friend. Of course, if it’s too well stocked then it can be bulky and cumbersome. You’ll find practical items like a soothing lavender salve in mine. Most diaper bag checklists leave out the essentials a crunchy mama needs, but this one has you covered.
Diaper Bag Tips
With my first baby I crammed as much as possible into the diaper bag. It was hard to find what I needed and I didn’t use half of it. I’ve since streamlined my process and only carry the essentials. The following diaper bag checklist may have some things on it you don’t need, so choose what fits for you.
What Goes in a Baby Changing Bag?
It depends on which stage your baby is in and it changes as they age. As my little one got older I stopped carrying a diaper bag around, but I still stashed necessities in my purse. Diaper wipes, snacks, and hand sanitizer are items I always carry with me. Pick and choose from the changing bag options below.
Best Diaper Bag for a Natural Mom
With my first baby I had a small diaper bag that was cute, yet functional. Now that I have to cram in cloth diapers I need more space. A lot of the more expensive diaper bags have compartments for bottles and formula, but since I breastfeed I didn’t need that. My favorite type of diaper bag is one with a few side pockets, but isn’t broken up into a lot of different compartments (that I don’t need) on the inside.
I know a lot of cloth diapering mom’s really like the jujube brand bag. They’re stylish, durable, and very roomy. If I had the budget this is probably what I would get, but my cheapie Walmart bag is working well too.
What to Put in a Baby Bag
Diapers
Disposables are much smaller than cloth diapers, so these take up the majority of my diaper bag. We use prefolds and covers which are even bulkier than most pocket diapers. Some moms prefer to use disposables while out, but I’ve found cloth is just as easy.
3-6 Cloth diapers – I pack 3 for a trip to the grocery store, 6 if we’re going to be gone on a day trip. I figure 1 diaper change every 2 hours, then an extra just in case there’s a pooptastrophe. These are my favorite diaper covers, and I love these prefolds. We’ve only ever had one tiny poo leak, and it was an explosive poo!
4-10 Cloth wipes – I just have these loose in the main compartment of the bag, but you could also store them in a wipes container. I don’t since I haven’t seen a container big enough for my cloth wipes that will also fit in the diaper bag. Cloth wipes are much more durable for messes on the bum, and are easy to use on little hands and faces as well.
Wipe solution – I just use the peri bottle my midwife provided during labor and refill with a squirt of this all natural castile soap and water. It’s fast, simple, and works great.
Wet bag for dirty diapers – These are so handy! I have these two so that one is always clean. I can easily fit 5-6 dirty diapers in the bag, and it has a zipper pocket on front for things like dirty clothes that have succumbed to diaper accidents. I also stash cloth wipes in the pocket.
Disposable Diapers
If you plan to use disposables full time, part time, or only on outings, here are some brands to check out. They’re better for the environment, and don’t contain harsh chemicals for baby’s delicate skin.
Healing Salve
This stuff is good for everything from diaper rash, to cuts to eczema. I have a little tin that stashes perfectly in the diaper bag for any accidents or diaper rash. I make my own all natural and organic healing salve that you can get here.
Arrowroot powder
This isn’t a necessity, but if you’re a fan of baby powder to control wetness it’s easy to throw in the diaper bag. Talc usually has asbestos and has been linked with ovarian cancer, so I avoid talc based baby powder, especially on the diaper area. You can even mix the powder with a few drops of lavender essential oil for it’s soothing and antimicrobial properties.
Clothes
I like to have an extra set (or three) of clothes in the diaper bag just in case we have a poop explosion. Although I have to say that the only times I’ve had a bad diaper leak was with a disposable. Cloth diapers have kept messes in and I’ve only had a little leak ontopants a few times when he had a huge, messy poo. You know the kind I’m talking about.
Extra Shirt for Mom
Even though I try to be strategic with my burp rag placement, sometimes I end up with spit up on me….or baby pee… An extra shirt for mom is helpful just in case.
Burp Rag
Babies drool. A lot. I usually throw the burp rag on his lap while he’s in his car seat. I use thin flannel blankets like these, but a prefold or flat diaper works well too.
Baby Bottles (maybe)
I exclusively breastfeed, so this isn’t something I need personally. However for some mamas it’s a necessity. If I couldn’t breastfeed, this is the natural homemade formula I would use, along with a cold pack to keep it from spoiling.
Every baby is different and some babies can do great with a certain bottle, while another hates it. If you use a bottle it usually takes a few tries to find the best one for YOUR baby. Here are a few of the top bottle choices for a breastfed baby, to help avoid nipple confusion and facilitate a proper latch.
Best Bottles for a Breastfed Baby
- Medela Calma by Medela
- Breast Flow by First Years
- Adiri NxGen
- Ventaire Advanced by Playtex
- Phillips Avent Natural Glass Baby Bottle
- Chicco Naturalfit glass baby bottle
Nursing Cover
This is also optional, but some mom’s feel more comfortable with one. I have this nursing cover that I use when out. I like that the top is rigid so I can see the baby without wrestling the fabric. I’ve also had my eye on these nursing scarves, which I’ve heard good things about. I like that they offer more coverage for a wiggly baby that likes to grab things.
Pacifier
There’s controversy on this one, but some kids love it. Generally if breastfeeding is well established and a baby likes it for comfort I think it can be ok. I offer the breast when we’re at home if he’s fussy, but that’s not so doable in the middle of a grocery shopping trip. My little one prefers his thumb though and spits the paci out, so it’s not even something I worry about. If I did use a pacifier, I would opt for a sustainably sourced natural rubber pacifier like this one.
Teethers
This is great for older babies that have reached the teething stage. At home I often use a frozen washcloth for him to gnaw on, but that’s messy in a diaper bag. Natural rubber teethers are safer than plastic in the mouth. This adorable little goat teether is my favorite! It’s toxin free, not going to mold, and handmade with food grade paint. We also have this natural rubber owl teether.
Amber Necklace to Calm
Raw amber contains succinic acid that helps calm a fussy baby. Many amber necklaces are fakes so be sure to get genuine Baltic amber. Although the glossy amber looks pretty, it’s supposedly not as effective as the milky kind so we got this milky genuine Baltic amber necklace.
Be sure to remove the necklace when baby is in the car seat or sleeping to avoid strangling! I wrapped the necklace around the baby’s ankle and put a sock over it so he wouldn’t pull at it or risk choking.
Natural Hand Sanitizer Spray
A few years ago the chemical triclosan was removed from hand sanitizer for safety reasons. Now most hand sanitizers use an insane amount of alcohol which is drying and also destroys the skin’s protective acid mantle. Yikes!
Here’s a recipe for natural hand sanitizer that’s antibacterial, antiviral and safe! I use it after diaper changes if there’s no sink available, and to spray down shopping cart handles and toilet seats while out.
Snacks
For older babies and kids healthy snacks are a must. This also helps avoid the incessant asking to buy snacks when little tummies are hungry at the grocery store. Reusable snack bags save space and are an ecofriendly alternative to plastic sandwich baggies. I also have these small pyrex containers that fit nicely in the diaper bag.
Diaper Bag Checklist for Labor
Even if you’re having a home birth, it helps to have things ready in case of an emergency hospital transfer. Here’s a list of what I had packed for baby in the hospital transfer bag. Thankfully we didn’t need it though!
- Diapers – Just a few, since hospitals will provide disposables. I didn’t want to mess with getting meconium newborn poo out of our cloth diapers. If using a birth center, pack enough for a few days.
- 3-4 newborn outfits – Our baby was born 10 pounds so he fit into 3 month old outfits from day one! Be sure to plan ahead and bring some newborn and larger sizes.
- Flannel blankets to use for burp rags. Prefold cloth diapers work well too.
- Coconut oil – Apply a thin layer on the bum after a diaper change, then when baby passes the sticky meconium, it’s much easier to wipe off!
Oils For Labor and Baby
I like to wear diluted rose essential oil on the pulse points behind my ears. It’s calming for me and the baby and helps cover any odor from spit up if I can’t change my clothes right away. Baby associates the scent with me, so when I hand him off to dad for a bit he can be comforted when he smells the rose oil on dad too.
Arnica oil. I absolutely loved this stuff after labor! We applied the herb infused oil to the baby after birth and he didn’t have any bruising. I also used it on my nether regions mixed with warm water in a peri bottle for soothing relief. I had a tiny tear, but I healed much faster thanks to the arnica oil.
Diaper Bag Essentials Kit
They’re cute, they’re tempting, and they make a great baby shower gift. Those baby kits with the tiny bottles of lotion and shampoo may be tempting, but I haven’t found them to be that practical. I don’t need a tiny baby shampoo in the diaper bag, and many of the ingredients in these kits I’m not comfortable with.
What’s in My Diaper Bag for Newborns
When my babies were at their newest, my diaper bag looked a little bit different, but not much. I like to keep it simple, Here’s what I stashed in my newborn’s diaper bag.
- Cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and wipe solution
- Reusable Wet bags for dirty diapers
- Extra outfit for baby
- Healing salve
- Hand sanitizer spray
- Nursing cover
- Burp rag
Great list! I always forgot the extra shirt for mom in mine, but they can be quite necessary at times. Haha!
Great ideas! Where were you when I had all my babies…probably not born yet:)
Thank you!! Pinning this. We are in the process of adopting, and my three bio kids are all pretty old now, lol. I’m grateful for these specifics!! xo