How to Pack a Perfect Diaper Bag, Tips for New Moms

Thank you, MULTIWEAR®  for collaborating with me on this post. I received product in return for my honest review. All the opinions stated are 100% mine.

Remember the first time you rode your bike without training wheels? That VERY moment you realized that your parent no longer was holding you or your bike upright. You were ON YOUR OWN!

You immediately started to wobble. You offset the wobbling by wiggling in your seat, pushing hard on your handle bars, and there was instantly a ball of panic, pride, excitement and surprise in the pit of your stomach.

You mentally prepared yourself to crash… or ride.

THAT is the same feeling I had the first time I took our newborn out of the house, by myself.

Judging by how much I (over)packed, I was preparing to crash and fail as a mother. (I had packed enough for the baby and me to live for 37 days in a desert – you know, just in case…).

The second time I took a newborn out for his inaugural joyride, when his older brother was 2 years old, I had packed half of our closets and managed to squeeze the kitchen sink in my over-sized diaper bag – or at least that’s how it felt.

Finally, by the time we had babies # 3 and # 4, I learned to pack like a diaper-bag-ninja, utilizing items that served multiple purposes and not bringing 5 or 6 of the same (unnecessary) items.

As our family grew, my diaper bag (surprisingly) shrunk in size. It now takes me a fraction of the time to get out of the door, even though I wrangle four kids. I trust that my diaper bag always holds the few true essential items that I need – and the rest, I will live without or improvise my way through a situation.

These essential items should ALWAYS in your diaper bag: 

• Cardimom:
  • OK, new moms, breastfeeding or not… this is your new go-to wardrobe item. Check out these pictures and see for yourself. There’s more information on the Cardimom website. This is the Swiss-knife of new mom must-haves.
  • You can wear it poncho-style, which is stylish and adorable for cooler weather. You can easily use it as a nursing cover when you wear it like this.
  • Flip the front over your head, and it instantly turns into a cute cardigan.
  • You can wear your baby in the front and nurse while wearing your Cardimom.
  • Or… wear your baby on the back, and cover your baby when you have the front flipped over your head.
  • Take the Cardimom off and use it in a grocery cart or restaurant high chair.
  • Or simply cover your baby with the Cardimom as a blanket in their stroller.

[bctt tweet=”New moms, leave the house with the perfect diaper bag! Full of @Multiweardotco ” username=”MamaintheNow”]

• Diapers:
  • Whether you use cloth diapers or disposable diapers (I have done both), pack one diaper for every hour you are gone, and add two extra diapers for infants.
  • Using this guideline will ensure that you have plenty of diapers in case of accidents or blow outs, but also not an excessive amount so your diaper bag is bursting at the seams.
• Wipes:
  • Don’t pack an entire box of wipes, you don’t need that many.
  • I normally take 5-6 wipes per expected diaper change, which is more than I normally use, so there will be extra wipes for nose blowing and stain removals.
• Nose Frida:
  • Never leave home without your Nose Frida! This small tool is a must-have for moms with little ones.
  • You can effortlessly blow/ suck their nose clear, which helps the baby feed better when he’s congested.
• Two clean outfits (sleepers are perfect):
  • I know you REALLY want to pack 4-5 clean outfits. But if you are just headed to the mall or grocery store, reality is that the baby will not have more than one blowout diaper, if any.
  • As a spare outfit, I normally bring a sleeper with feet, which eliminates the need for socks and separate pants. This outfit is just for emergency use, so you don’t have to bring the baby’s Sunday best.
• Breast pads (if breastfeeding):
  • Yes – as a new mom, don’t you dare to leave the house without these wonderful absorbent pads.
  • I have used both disposable and bamboo nursing pads.
  • I found that the bamboo nursing pads worked wonderfully and they were cheaper in the long run.
• Bottles (if bottle feeding):
  • Never leave home without food for the baby, even if you plan on being back home before a regular scheduled feeding session.
  • Babies have an ability to get hungry when they are out and about, trust me.
  • Pack an extra bottle, just in case you are delayed in returning home.
• 
• Little Wunz Bottle Warmer(if bottle feeding):
  • This ingenious “self-warming” bottle warmer is everything a new mom on-the-go needs.
  • It’s a reusable bottle warmer that works without batteries or electricity.
  • You will have a perfectly warmed bottle within minutes and the warmer itself stays warm for about 30 minutes.
• T-shirt for mom:
  • Trust me, keep a small lightweight t-shirt for yourself in the diaper bag.
  • You are sure to wear some type of bodily fluid within minutes after leaving your house.
  • Don’t change into the clean shirt until the last possible minute, since spit-up or leaking breastmilk happens without warning.
• Hand sanitizer:
  • I am a bit of a germophob, so I never EVER leave home without a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the diaper bag.
  • I clean my hands before I touch the baby and before we start nursing – and of course after diaper changes.

• Diaper bag: 
  • All of these items fit perfectly inside the “Division of Labor, Transition Tote” diaper bag by MultiWear.
  • It is small, black and incredible stylish.
  • The material is washable (or quickly wipable with a baby wipe!) You never have to worry about milk or other random stains.
  • I love that the bag is not so feminine that only women will wear it – which is a win-win.
  • You can keep it fully stocked with your 10 essential diaper bag items – and forget about it – there’s no need to switch purses when someone else has to take the baby out for a spin.
  • The countless convenient pockets and special features makes this diaper bag a great everyday purse. I use mine daily, even though I don’t need to pack all 10 of the essential items when I leave the house any longer. I simply got used to the durability and versatility. You will love it too!

Check out the Transition Tote’s two larger sisters, if you feel you need more space: Care Tote and the Command Tote. They both also work great as gym bags (if you have reached the exercise stage – I am still waiting to feel the urge to exercise!)

These bags have so many unique and functional features. You can tell that a lot of thought and ingenuity went into their development.

How were your first outings as a new mom? What was your most cherished memory?