Knowing what to pack in your diaper bag can be hard, especially for first-time moms. You won’t know what you are missing until the moment that you need it and don’t have it! Prevent that by showing up as prepared as possible. Here is a list of my diaper bag essentials (more baby items can be found on my Baby Registry article). You won’t catch us leaving the house without a fully packed diaper bag!

Diaper Bag Essentials Checklist

• Diapers 
• Wipes
• Changing pad
• Diaper cream
• Washcloth
• Travel Sized bottle of baby wash
• Hand Sanitizer
• Snacks and water for you
• Burp Cloths
• Change of clothes for parents and baby
• Hat
• Bottles (if you are bottle feeding)
• Breastmilk/formula/food for baby
• Breastfeeding cover (or not! There is no need to cover up if you don’t want to. You do you!)
• Nipple pads (reusable and disposable)
• Milk savers
• Nipple Cream
• Snot sucker
• Extra pacifier
• Icepack for bottle
• Disposable bags for diapers
• Blanket
• Toys
• Scrunchie/Hairclip

Tips and Tricks

Want to really be prepared? Have multiples of some of these items in your home, such as a changing pad and diaper cream, so you don’t have to keep moving it from your home to your diaper bag.

I also recommend leaving your diaper bag pre-packed so you can easily grab it without needing to think about it. This is especially helpful on those days when you are rushing to get out of the door (because life with a newborn is unpredictable!). When you return home, take out any dirty laundry and replenish any items that you used.

Now that your diaper bag is all packed and ready to go, read more on motherhood in my Becoming a Mother series.

Need more love?

Check out these articles:

• The Postpartum Period
• Postpartum Self-Care
• What to Put on Your Baby Registry
• Everything you Should Know about Breastfeeding

What are your diaper bag essentials? Leave a comment below!