Product Spotlight: Diaper bags!

emmylou78

Today's topic is a very fun one: Diaper Bags! You will need to carry around a bunch of baby gear, so you may as well make it cute! Or if not cute, at least comfortable and organized. Or if not organized, at least easy to wipe off various baby fluids. Or if covered in baby fluids, sounds like you could use some cheering up with a cute purse. Circular and impeccable logic. 

Do you have a brand, or particular bag within a brand that you recommend? How about general shape (backpack, over-the-shoulder, smaller tote for quicker excursions)? How many diaper bags do you have, and do you stash them in different places (e.g., do you have a "car diaper bag")? Do you and your partner and other caregivers use the same bag, or do you have a variety? Do you rely on the organization built into the bag, or do you use additional storage solutions like baggies or insertable slots? And really, what do you even PUT in your diaper bag? Did you bring your entire nursery and also a pharmacy and also a Toys R Us in your diaper bag with a newborn? And do you just bring an old rag and like half a diaper when your baby is 1 year old and you're over it? Please share!

link to current and upcoming topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mqlBWywDw6uR06rrrZZ0pQ5FdUpa5hMt4aB6jpO4ha4/edit

BourbonBiscuits

I LOVE diaper bags in theory, but only have two and really only have one that I like. We started off with a tote (something cheap from Target) and it was ... fine. But once you have more than one kiddo the tote starts to lose its appeal because it falls off your shoulder. So we switched over to a backpack. It's super roomy and easy to keep organized. I love it and am so glad we made the switch.

When they're tiny, we keep a burp cloth, extra outfit, blankie, paci, changing pad, a few diapers, and a pack of wipes. I also toss in a few easy snacks for the big kids, just in case. When we were formula feeding DS, I also kept a pre-measured bottle (one bottle with the water and one with the formula powder) in the bag at all times, just in case there was an emergency or we were stranded on the side of the road or something. 

claireloSC

@BourbonBiscuits has all good feedback and I agree with most of it. You may also want a nursing cover for your diaper bag or anything you need for nursing like a nipple shield or lanolin or whatever. I gave up on nursing covers early on but I know that's not for everyone. I had the skip hop diaper bag, it was fine but yeah, heavy and annoying eventually and we didn't use it much past the first year. After a while I just put diapers in my purse or whatever. I do like having non-backpack so you can reach into it while walking and holding baby, but that's just me. Extra outfit is a good idea for first 6-9 months or so when they're pooping everywhere.

grogu

I'm terrible at being prepared when out of the house. 
I like the backpack style just for comfort. The one I have this time is a Stonz bag I think
 I like that I can get to the bottom from an extra opening on the outside and not have to dig through the top. 
Generally we packed diapers, wet bags, extra clothes, pacifiers, change pad and maybe a blanket. 
Once DD was older I kept snacks that had a good shelf life in my bag because I'm usually out th door quickly and forget to pack snacks otherwise 🤣

pickle-chips

Most of this has already been covered, but here is my two cents! I like backpack style that also has a strap option for use as shoulder bag. The first bag we got was a Little Unicorn backpack and I hated it. They don't even sell it anymore, so obviously everyone else hated it too. The second bag I got, I totally bought into an Instagram-favourite-hype—I was influenced by the influencers. I got the mini-style, because I am pretty minimal in what I pack (even though my list looks long). I do love it, but honestly you can find less expensive options that do the trick. In my defense, it was my Christmas present from my family . What's in my newborn bag:

• diapers
• wipes
• wet bag
• pacifier/teether/rattle
• Swaddle blanket that can be used as burp cloth, nursing cover, etc. 
• pads for me (in early postpartum days)
• change of clothes (usually a sleeper rather than worrying about outfit)
• change pad (loved these mats from IKEA)
• Snacks (teething biscuits, pouches, granola bars for me). Agree with @grogu, good shelf-life is important!
• Water bottle for me

I also learned the hard way to keep backup-backup diapers, clothes in the car. I was able to fashion a basic diaper out of a reusable shopping bag, but never again. 

litzi-2

like @claireloSC we have the skip hop bag. Its fine, dont love it. We just use it for diapers, wipes, extra clothes, and snack/ water for the older ones. I had a hard time with two little ones and switched over to this tote/ backpack thing: https://www.backcountry.com/fjallraven-totepack-no.1 which is also ok. I feel like I have no actual style anymore (been wearing maternity or nursing clothes for 4.5 years now), so its hard to find a bag that fits my no-style and need for washability.

BourbonBiscuits

@pickle-chips I am ROLLING over the impromptu diaper creation. I've wrapped my child in a muslin swaddle with a maxi pad stuck on the bottom in desperation. I've also peed into an extra diaper before. Ahh the things we learn.

Kenneylynn3

I went straight to a backpack version with my first since I thought dw would be more willing to wear it and I was right! I have one that is huge and you can access the bottom from an outside pocket. Now that ds is 2 I can just grab a diaper and wetbag and be out the door, but I loved all the space for when he was younger and I needed more stuff. Plus it's great for road trips/ dr appts to hold books and snacks. I always packed: extra outfit, a diaper for every 2 hours plus 1 extra, wipes, wetbag, diaper cream, a small toy or two, snack/water for kid and myself, changing pad and two "ishys" they are the gerber prefolds that I used as burp cloths and now DS's "security blanket". I do nurse and carried nipple cream at first, but stopped using it and cover pretty early on as well. I found my cover a pain to deal with. 
Eta: link in spoiler since it was huge.

https://www.amazon.com/HaloVa-Multi-Function-Waterproof-Backpack-Capacity/dp/B071CRYFLJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?_encoding=UTF8&c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Diaper+Bags&qid=1614633126&s=baby-products&sr=1-1-spons&ts_id=166767011&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzRTdONjg2OElTNTdUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODI3NjE0M0gwOFpXMDNOV0QxWCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjY3NjMyR1k3NUVLQUtaVjRQJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

the_most_happy

Dumb question but what is a “wet bag”?

pickle-chips

@the_most_happy it’s a washable waterproof bag. They’re great for cloth diapers or storing dirty or wet clothing, swimsuits,etc. Just chuck them in the wash with the clothes! They come in many sizes. You could also just keep a couple of plastic bags on hand to keep wet items.

surrenderdorothy

My diaper bag was from Pottery Barn Kids. The zipper broke after a year. It was fine, but I didn’t love it or the quality for the price point. DH got his own diaper bag that was designed by ex-military guys and that has held up really well. I would recommend for any partner who didn’t want to carry a traditional diaper bag. 

I love Dagne Dover bags and they make a diaper bag. I also love the clean look of the Freshly Picked leather diaper bags so I’ll likely get one of the two in the backpack style. Freshly Picked also sells clips so it can hook to your stroller which is a huge plus.

Diaper bag always has a diaper changing pad, diapers/wipes (baby and antibacterial), muslin cloth (necessary for over AC’ed restaurants), change of baby clothes, chapstick, and a Lara Bar plus all my regular purse stuff. I’ll also carry snacks for DS too. If I’m traveling I’ve learned to also have at least an extra shirt for me. We had a few epic puke fests on planes that led to purchasing very stylish resort wear from random gift shops in the ATL airport. Lesson learned. 😂😳

surrenderdorothy

@the_most_happy definitely need a wet bag for the reasons @pickle-chips mentioned above. Even if you don’t clothe diaper there are many times when there isn’t a trash can to dispose of a dirty diaper or baby has a blowout/gets sick. Having a wet bag is great to throw that stuff in there so it is contained until you can get home to deal with it. 

hannelorre

@the_most_happy @surrenderdorothy I actually carried a roll of dog poop bag (lavender scented 😂) for diaper trash. We cloth diaper but mostly used disposable when we were out and about just for convenience. 

Otherwise I use skip hop gray diaper backpack and I like their diaper changing pad/wristlet set too. Don't have anything special to add. I like backpack style the best for handfree-ness. I never found a way to easily combine my own purse and the diaper bag though which I think was a bigger problem. 

alexa_94

I used an Eddie Bauer tote shoulder bag for a while but it was big and would fall off my shoulder. I switched to a backpack version, just some random one on Amazon but the clasp to keep the bag closed broke in less than a year. It has a snap on the top handles so I manage with that to keep it as closed as possible. I might just stick with it or go with a messenger/backpack style. My sister splurged on a lily jade diaper bag but has yet to put it to use (her csection is scheduled Friday morning).

Kenneylynn3

Just wanted to add that there is a snap to connect the handles, which is great for attaching to a cart or stroller.

shoogapoff

I think I want to get a Hope Bag hopebag.co . I found them in my infertility community, and they support adoption through the sale of their bags. The only thing that annoys me is that the base price of the bag is INSANE, but I have literally never seen it actually be full price. It's always on crazy mark-down, which I feel like is a ploy to make people feel like they need to snag it asap while it's on sale. But overall, the features and quality look really nice. 

Also @BourbonBiscuits I feel like we need a story time about why you needed to pee into a diaper!  

BourbonBiscuits

@shoogapoff I was trapped in my car on a road trip and the kids were asleep! We didn't want to pull over (because they had just fallen asleep and always wake up when we stop for any reason) so I just hopped in the third row of the van while H kept driving, whipped out a diaper, and dropped my drawers. It was a surprisingly smooth experience! Definitely easier than trying to aim into an empty bottle or something.

cyanope

Late to the party (catching up after a long hiatus). Not much to add because you ladies covered the good stuff! I am also a fan of the backpack style. I had the Jujube BFF backpack (plain black with gold hardware) with both of my kids. I love it because it is wide, rather than deep, so you don't have to dig for everything. It's a little spendy, but held up with two kids, and it's still in great shape. I don't need a new diaper bag this time around (like I said, it's still in perfect condition), but I kind of want a new one since I'm not really buying anything with this baby. We shall see!
https://jujube.com/products/b-f-f-diaper-bag-pebble-chromatics