So, I am pregnant with #3, in my 3rd trimester and figured I should document my diaper bag "prowess" now before I forget. PACKING YOUR DIAPER BAG IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL THING, but hopefully this is a good jumping off point for you. (This bag is packed for an exclusively breastfed baby, so if you're doing formula, you'll want bottles, formula, etc.)
Disclaimer: I have never gotten my diaper bag to stay organized for more than 10 days straight. One pee accident during potty training, one poopy blowout (poop-splosion), one extra long doctor visit that depletes all the snacks-- and I'm back to having to restock, clean, and re-organize--but here is the base:
My bag is set up for a newborn + my 3 year old daughter (just when I stopped taking a diaper bag!), and my 6 year old, though not much in there for her besides snacks and crayons.
I don't know when you ever stop having one of these bags... I think you just abandon it for a big purse once the youngest is 3, that's what I did with my last two--tho if it's a longer outing I still kept it in the car, I just didn't lug it everywhere like you do the first 18 mos. I cannot imagine not having wipes and a snack no matter how old ANYONE is at this point-- those 2 are the "lip gloss & mascara" of your baby bag. :)
Please comment below with other stuff you keep in your bag!
Contents:
-3 extra diapers in a Ziploc (somehow everything gets damp now and then)
-1 package wipes (and once it's less than half full, I swap it out at home for a fuller package)
-Pens, paper, and
contact cards-2 pads (postpartum or just in case of unexpected period, tho
Diva Cup is my preference)
-Thin coloring book
-1-2 children's books for reading
-1 teething toy
-1 other toy
-1 swaddle blanket--Aden & Anais brand (doubles as a nursing cover when tucked into bra strap)
-1 receiving blanket (I use this to lay on the floor as a changing pad OR to let the baby have a play area-- I prefer it to a bulky changing pad)
-Water bottle, mommy
-Water bottle, 3 yr old
-Snacks: granola or nuts for mom, fruit strips, raisins, etc for toddler--things that won't go bad
-Roll of baggies for pee-pee accident clothes or poopy diapers
-Crayons (Crayola Twistables so they don't break)
-Print-out of your routine
-Hand sanitizer in caribbeaner off the handle
-Change of clothes for each kid in a ziploc (if you have girls and it isn't cold, sundresses are the easiest)
-Emergency $5 hidden in a side pocket
-Newborn hat
-Disp. nursing pads (6)
-Tissues
-Moby Wrap
-Bib
-Brush
-Burp cloth
-Sewing kit (not really nec. but this one is so tiny, I keep it in there)
-Purse---- once my oldest was about a year old, I realized how much I missed having my own purse and how annoying it was to keep transferring items-- so I got a small enough purse to hold my wallet, phone, calendar, mints, and a very tiny makeup bag and I just plop it in the top of the diaper bag. Then I either take just the purse if I am going out alone, or take the entire thing if I have one of my kids with me.
My favorite diaper bag is the
Skip Hop Jump.Pencil pouch containing: first aid kit with band-aids & Neosporin, straws, 2 baby spoons, nail clippers, sunscreen, comb, hair ties, fork/spoon, natural bug repellant, chapstick, lotion.