Comments on: What’s in Your Diaper Bag?

By: rebecca's mom

rebecca's mom — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:30:00 +0000

I made a diaper bag out of an old pair of jeans. It had 4 built in pockets! It’s been a long time so I don’t remember what all I carried in it but I liked having a “homemade” bag that was quite fashionable at the time.

By: Joie

Joie — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:09:15 +0000

I’m with Sommer. Maybe its my Mazama training, or some genes passed to me by my OCD eagle scout dad (Eileen, you know what I’m talkin’ about…) But, I always bring the bag and it usually includes:

a few diapers
at least one cover
a snappi fastener
a diry bag
a change of clothes
wipes
butt cream
hand sanitizer
sunscreen
a hat
a baggy of snacks
a toy or book
my wallet
chapstick

I no longer need to carry these items, but used to:
breast pads
a receiving blanket

By: rebecca

rebecca — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:30:14 +0000

Well, if I had to go to a wedding or amusement park or something, I would bring an extra diaper or two. I don’t think I’ve ever packed a change of clothes, though.

Also, keep in mind that I don’t drive . . . so my outings do not take me very far. I walk to the library, to the grocery store, book store, restaurants, coffee shops, etc., that are all within a half-mile of my house. If my daughter had a diaper blow-out, it would be easy to just walk home. I don’t think this has happened more than once or twice in her life, though!

If I take a car or bus journey somewhere, I would take a diaper (if I remembered). If you have a car I guess there’s no reason NOT to pack stuff. I just don’t like lugging it around.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Sat, 24 May 2008 06:47:52 +0000

So Rebecca, what do you do if you are out and your kid blows out of her diaper? Do you just have to go home at that point? What if you’re at a wedding or an amusement park or somewhere you really don’t want to leave? I am genuinely curious because I agree on loathing to carry all that stuff and am intrigued by your boldness. The possibility of carrying so little is exciting! lol.

By: rebecca

rebecca — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:26:47 +0000

Hmm, the psychology of the diaper bag . . . I guess I DON’T pack very much for the same reason Sommer (aka, the Green Mary Poppins) DOES pack a lot: the freedom! Carrying a lot of stuff makes me feel hampered down. I don’t want to be walking around like a pack mule, I want to be light and free of diapers, shirts, nursing pads, and snacks! I agree with Angel Funk–it’s a relief not to have to depend on so much stuff.

Eileen, I like the idea of having the kids carry their own stuff once they’re older.

Penny, it seems like you adhere to the minimalist diaper bag philosophy as well. (Although a change of clothes would be going too far for me!)

Carolyn, that’s interesting that your husband is the diaper-bag advocate in your household.

Larisa, I am more likely to be carrying around a book than a diaper . . . don’t know what that says about my parenting style. Hm.

Sara, my 2 year-old wears tiny pants all the time, too. She doesn’t fit in the longer ones–she’s too skinny. So I guess all her pants are capris.

Thanks for all the comments so far. This has been very revealing!

By: Sommer

Sommer — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:33:42 +0000

Okay, I’m a prepared freak that never knows where I’ll be or when I’ll need something so I ALWAYS have a diaper bag. I’m always prepared with the extra clothes, bigs, wipes, diapers, snacks, sippy cup, bandaides, sunblock, toys, lipgloss, money, etc. The diaper bag has essentially become my purse so it has my stuff and the kids. The reason I do this is to feel in control. I have many times been out someplace without the bag and everytime I end up needing something from it. I’ve also planned something for one hour and it turned into four and had I not had the “bag” we couldn’t have stayed as long. The bag frees me from having to go home and get something or cut the time short. The bag frees me from buying something on the fly and wasting money because I forgot the bag at home. I guess I don’t understand how a mom can’t have a diaper bag. It’s like Mary Poppins bag of tricks to me. I guess I’m saying, I’m Mary Frickin’ Poppins! LOL! The green version though!

By: sara l

sara l — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:43:44 +0000

I’ve always wondered the same thing!

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:28:56 +0000

With my first I just carried a bigger bag with a diaper or two, a change of clothes, wipes and who knows what else. Later on I got a nicer bigger purse (not bigger than my previous one just bigger in general) and just put in a diaper and wipes and a book and sippy.

Now with two I’ve become a diaper bag toter. Maybe because I like my diaper bag. It holds diapers for the two of them, dried out wipes, my wallet, a small toy sometimes, snacks, sippy cup, nursing pads, change of clothes for the 3monther. I’m realizing though that the 2yr old needs the change of clothes more than the 3mo. Yesterday she came home wearing 6mo pants. They fit just like capris, she’s small!

By: Larisa

Larisa — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:03:10 +0000

Nowadays (my son is nearly two), I typically just tuck a diaper and nearly-empty wipes pack inside the changing pad that came with the diaper bag, and stick that in a messenger-bag-style purse (which is still about half the size of the diaper bag) along with a sippy cup of water and maybe a baggie of organic crackers.

But when he was tiny and spit up about every 2.5 minutes and pooped three times a day, I carried: two spare diapers, wipes, a burp cloth, change of clothes for him, spare shirt for me, snacks & a water bottle for me if we were going to be out a while, or a book if we were going on a walk somewhere and he might fall asleep, giving me time to sit peacefully in a coffee shop with a novel (those were the days!).

But yes, it all depend on where you’re going and for how long. I don’t bring anything for a short grocery run or trip to the playground, but if we’re going shopping or to the zoo, etc., then I pack stuff. And now that it’s summer (almost) I need to remember about sunscreen, hat, and a towel because if there is water *anywhere* in the vicinity, my son will be in it.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:40:38 +0000

We have a diaper bag mostly to satisfy my husband. He’s one of those types who packs 2 weeks worth of clothing and supplies for a weekend trip.

When I take my 7-month-old out, typically I have a tiny bag with a couple of diapers, wipes, and spit cloth. The bag attaches to her carseat handle. A hat, toy or two, and small blanket stay in the car at all times so we don’t have to carry those separately.

I don’t put this stuff in my purse because I don’t usually carry one; wallet, phone, and keys fit in pockets. I even made a trip to the doctor once, an hour and a half away, without anything for baby (unintentionally) and didn’t really miss it.