My friend Jennifer and I came up with a great idea that I absolutely love. As you know, I am expecting my first child. This can be so overwhelming and I know that other first time moms probably feel the same. I have so many questions and would love to hear the opinions of moms who have already been through this a time or two before.Because of this, we are hosting a weekly series to try and get some answers to some of the most common questions.
Here are the topics we still have for future weeks:
What You Really Need In A Diaper Bag:
Hello to all you fellow Wifessionals lovers abroad. My name is Mandy from the blog helloJAXONTo tell you a little about myself - I am an alumni at JSU and work full-time for my family's business. Not only am I a momma to a special little boy, I am also a Christian-wife to a firefighter/EMT. To add to the growing list of daily duties, I am also a step-mother to a lovely little five-year old girl. My life is more chaotic than not, but I would not trade a single moment of my busy life for anything less. I'm here to chat about our diaper bag necessities from newborn to three months and then three months beyond.I remember finding out I was pregnant and how excited I got about being able to pick out the perfect diaper bag. The ultimate deciding factor when it came to picking the perfect one was the number of compartments and storage space it offered. The diaper bag we went with came from Pottery Barn Kids. I remember how much I loved reading what everyone was putting in their diaper bag. Ultimately, the problem most mom's face is that they overpack and end up with a lot of non-essential items in their bags. I admit, I too was guilty of overpacking for the hospital, as well as, my diaper bag for our newborn. So here is the breakdown of items in my bag - even though I consider all the items in our bag essentials, I tried to consider must have items depending on how much room you may or may not have or how old your little one is.
The most important items of course being diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, a changing pad, a few dozen pairs of extra outfits, burp cloth, bib, feeding essentials/breast feeding equipment & a few pacifiers.Here is a list of the "extras" that I had stuffed into my diaper bag:
Sophie the Giraffe (teether) - This is a given to be included in any diaper bag. Everyone loves this little prissy giraffe. I love her little squeaks and Jaxon is so amused by them. You can not go wrong including her in for any trip. Obviously just too cute for words.
Ouch Pouches - I could not resist buying myself and baby a couple to keep our little odds and ends organized all into one little pouch. You can get your own Ouch Pouch from Etsy.
Hand Sanitizer - You can NEVER have too much of this. We use it religiously. I have, I think, about 3-4 bottles in different compartments throughout our bag. I am no germ Nazi, but you can never be too clean, especially while out and touching anything.
Toys - Obviously I got a little ahead of myself packing toys for a newborn, but I always liked to include a soft plush toy to give our little one to snuggle up next to for road trips or shopping getaways. Blankets will suffice just as well.
Baby Lotion - The nurse at Jaxon's first doctor's appointment told us that the brand Johnson & Johnson contains a ton of alcohol that dries out the baby's skin. We searched high and low to find a lotion that does not contain any alcohol and had no such luck until my mother went to Target. There she found some organic lotion by the name of Shea Moisture (you can find it here). It smells amazing and doesn't leave the skin feeling oily. Although, I must warn you that it is a little pricey - approx $12 a bottle - but it's worth every dollar! We also use a liquid baby powder lotion that we found at the local Dollar Store. Cheap, Cheap Cheap!
Cart Cover/Baby Carrier Cover - I actually received a free baby carrier cover through a promo code in one of the baby magazines I read. We haven't really needed it just yet, but they are always great to have to keep the light and fresh, crisp air out of baby's face.
Bibs - The Thousands of Toys - Mommy & Daddy Gear - Cart Cover - The Bathing and Body Products - Probably the extra-extra-EXTRA Pair of Backup Clothes - Pacifiers (our baby did not take them)
And to list a few items that I forgot all about until after the fact...
Kleenex - Wet Bags - Medicine (Fever Reducer and Gripe Water -- LIFESAVERS!) - Pumping Gear (if you breast feed) - Sanitizing Wipes
My original post a few short months ago with what you could typically find in our diaper bag has grown tad bit outdated. I find that when looking back on the post, we really did not use half of the items that we had originally packed into his little baby satchel. As you'll notice in our must haves below, some things are pretty much the same, but with a growing baby comes more necessities that you need to pack in your diaper bag. I thought it would be an ample time to update our diaper bag essentials, listing the items we have been using from approximately newborn to three months until now (at nearly 7 months). As time progresses and little man grows, I am sure there will be my alterations to the bag and it will call for another diaper bag essential update. That will come at a later date.
So let's break it down, shall we?
Month 3 - BEYOND DIaper Bag essentials:
The most important items of course are diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, a changing pad, a few dozen pairs of extra outfits, burp cloth, bib, feeding essentials/breast feeding equipment & pacifiers (if your baby takes them).Toys & Teethers - This is a no-brainer. If you follow along with my blog you already know I have a baby obsessed with toys and teethers. I usually pack his favorite ones in his bag with a few extra ones that he hasn't yet played with as attention grabbers for those extra fussy trips. Go ahead, go crazy, pack at least 5-6 toys.
Ouch Pouch - I have gotten so many compliments on the Ouch Pouches. Not only are they stylish in nature, but keep all of the loose baby first aid kit items together in one convenient location. They come in many sizes to fit your storage and organization needs.
Hand Sanitizer - Buy in bulk.
iPad - You know, for those cartoon fixes for long trips in the car.
Baby Lotion & Sunscreen - You never know when you may need this. Since UV protection is a serious problem today and the uprising of skin cancer, we take our skin protection very seriously. I keep a bottle of Coppertone Water Babies Sun Protection in the bag at all times. Even we are not out directly in the sun, I still apply sunscreen to all the exposed areas to reduce sun exposure. I also keep a smaller bottle of baby lotion handy for dry areas that may arise due to the excessive heat down here in the South.
Hat & Sunglasses - My child hates the sun shining in his eyes, so we keep a hat and a pair of sunglasses to take care of that problem.
Blanket(s) - Even though it's burning slap up here lately in Alabama, I keep at extra blanket or two handy for trips in the car. We love to blast the A/C and are always afraid that our little one isn't so fond. We prefer the Aden+Anais Swaddle Blankets. They also double as cart and carseat covers for rainy days. You can't beat a double action item.
Other items you might find in our bag:iPhone - Wallet - Chap Stick - Camera - Snacks/Gum - Gripe Water - Fever Reducer - Allergy Drops - Mommy's Tumbler - Ziplock Bags (for wet cloth & any clothes that are dirty) - Towel - Car Keys
I really hope this list comes in handy for all of you new mamas and mamas-to-be in selecting items for your diaper bag that you need versus the unnecessary items that just lug your bag down. Let's face it, it's in our nature to over-prepare and pack, but we don't have to make it worse on ourselves than we have to. So sort through your bags and toss out what you don't need. You'll thank me in the end.XOXO, Mandy at helloJAXON
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