Life changed for you in so many ways after the birth of your child. One of those changes is the way you prepare to go out. Now you can’t just grab your handbag and leave. Whether it’s a walk to the park or a road trip to grandma’s house, you need a fool proof diaper bag with you.

Let’s start ticking the boxes of all diaper bag essentials you need:

· Diapers: Keep 1 diaper for every 2-3 hours you are going to be out. Carry some extras to be on the safer side. Bonus tip: Reusable cloth diapers are better than disposable ones for your baby’s skin and the environment as well.

· Diaper Rash Cream: Ask your paediatrician to recommend a good barrier ointment or a diaper rash cream, and carry a travel-size tube with you in a diaper bag.

· Wipes: Keep a travel pack for cleaning your baby’s bum or any dirty surface in public places or restrooms.

· Small Bottle of Hand Sanitiser: This is one of the most important items in the diaper bag checklist. Use hand sanitiser before you feed baby or change diapers to prevent her from infections.

· Small Empty Sacks: Separate small empty sacks can be used for soiled diapers, used pacifiers, nipples, and other used items of the baby.

· Pacifiers: If your baby needs a pacifier, keep it in your diaper bag with bottles and nipples. Ensure that it is in sanitised condition.

· Burp Cloths/ Washcloths: You can never have too many burp cloths in your diaper bag. This is one of the most needed diaper bag essentials.

· Food for Baby: Stock more than enough infant formula, pumped breast milk, or any other baby food you give to your baby. Keep a water bottle as well if your baby has grown into a toddler.

· Extra Pair of Clothes: It’s not only required for an overnight stay or a long trip. Your little munchkin can pee or poop in unexpected quantities anytime. So keep a change of clothes always with you when you go out.

· Light Blanket: It is a multipurpose diaper bag essential. You can use it to provide extra cushioning to the baby, as a shade over her stroller, or for added warmth.

· Baby’s Feeding Supplies: keep enough quantity of baby’s feeding supplies in the diaper bag, including bottles, dishes, spoons, breastfeeding pillows, feeding bibs, etc.

· Waterproof Bag: You can store wet clothes, dirty burp cloths, or soiled reusable cloth diapers separately in a waterproof bag.

· Nursing Pads: If you face the excessive flow of breast milk, tuck the nursing pads in your bra or put some as a backup in your diaper bag to prevent any milk leakage on your clothes.

· Nursing Cover: Nursing covers are helpful to protect your privacy when you are breastfeeding. You can also use them as shade on a baby’s stroller or as a light blanket.

· Baby’s First Aid Kit: No one would want to need it anytime. But it is the most critical and useful diaper bag essentials in case of unfavourable circumstances. Also, keep all the baby medicines in the kit.

· Baby’s Favourite Toys: Keeping the baby entertained and distracted is vital to calm her down. Always carry 1 or 2 of her favourite small toys in your diaper bag.

Additional Items for the Diaper Bag Checklist

Apart from the diaper bag essentials mentioned above, you can also keep these extra items in your diaper bag according to the kind of weather and place you are expecting to encounter:-

· Sunscreen, caps, and hats

· Zip-lock bags

· Snacks for the mom

· 1-2 Extra outfits

· Clear travel bags

· Disinfectant wipes

· Extra bibs, napkins, &small towels

Bottom Line!

You can add or delete some of these items according to your experience and your baby’s individual needs.

Author Bio:

Neha Divan, a toddler-mom, works as part of the content team at SuperBottoms, a baby product brand that develops innovative and sustainable products, like the No.1 best-selling reusable cloth diaper in India. She is passionate about empowering parents with her content to help make parenting a little easier and a lot more fun. She often writes from first-hand experience and has a knack for presenting her ideas clearly which lets her readers connect with her content. Art & crafts are her thing and she also loves coming up with fun and healthy recipes for kids.

A Comprehensive Diaper Bag Checklist For New Parents