- A Diaper Bag: Everyone has a different take on what makes a good diaper bag. Prior to baby, I was a big handbag person. The best gift I could get would be a new purse. Once you have a baby, at least in my case, those days are long gone. So for me, an attractive diaper bag is like a life line to my old life (before it somehow became okay to walk out of the house with a spit up stain). I also bought my husband a more masculine diaper bag (although he has never used it). His is lighter, so I use it to travel (but doesn't hold much). I have this Timi and Leslie Bag
and love it. It comes with stroller straps (so you can clip it on the the handle), a messenger bag strap (essential for getting in and out of the house with infant carrier or shopping bags), a diaper pad, bottle insultated (never used this) and tons of pockets and storage. It isn't light, but has tons of storage. A lot of people like the Petunia Pickle Bottom bags. I looked at those. It didn't get it for a couple reasons. You had to buy stroller clips separately, it looks like it would get dirty easily, and the prints were pretty loud looking.
The "dad" bag is a Skip Hop. It is light and has a messenger strap, and stroller clips as well. My only complaint is you can't get much in it. Also, for your primary bag, it isn't attractive. - Pacifier Pocket: This is a great invention. The Pacifier pocket
velcros around a strap on your diaper bag. It holds about two pacifiers, so you can easily access them when the baby is crying in public. An added benefit is it keeps them clean.
- Pacifier Wipes: Buy these wipes at diapers.com or Babies R Us. You can use these to wipe of pacifiers/toys or anything else that will go in babies mouth.
- Hand Sanitizer: Great to have to dole out before people hold your newborn. I also use after using a shopping cart/filling the car up with gas.
- Diaper Pad: Most diaper bags come with one but you need to get one if it does not. A friend of mine in my playgroup has the best diaper pad I have ever seen (yes, you too will get to the point when you covet someones changing pad). It is by a company call Patemm Pad. They have really nice looking designs. What is great about it is it is really big and circular. All your products (wipes, diapers,creams) fit in the pockets. The surface area is huge which is great because on a normal changing pad, the baby can reach beyond it and touch a landmine of germs. This is pricey but potentially worth it if you travel a lot and fear changing a baby in the on-board bathroom.
6. Wipes: Buy a travel hard pack of wipes and just refill with your normal wipes
7. Change or two of clothes: accidents happen
8. Toys: At least a rattle or something to occupy the baby
9. Diapers: At least 4
10. Burp Cloth
11. Formula holder: you can put up to four feedings worth of formula in the holder and just dump into a
bottle, shake and serve.
12. Pre-filled Bottles with Water: Fill up two bottles with the appropriate about of ounces so you can just
dump in the formula.
13. Disposable Diaper Garbage bags: They come in a roll and you pull off, put the dirty diaper in and
and you can throw it out later. Also are helpful to put soiled clothes in until you get home.
14. A Mini-Bag for mom: My Timi and Leslie bag comes with a wristlet type bag that houses my cash,
credit cards, lipstick and a brush. It is great because I can easily transfer it to another bag need be, or
more times than not, I just grab this little bag when I go somewhere without the baby.
15. A blanket: I use this to put on the ground at a friend's house or in a baby class so he can stretch out
and of course you can use it to warm the baby.
16. Headphones/Blue Tooth: When it was warm out, I would walk for hours with the baby. And since
he was so young then, he would just sleep. This was a good time for me to catch up on the phone with
people. I kept my headphones with microphone (for the Iphone) in my bag.
That's it is a nut shell. Since you are going to have to carry the bag and the baby, you want to pack lean.
