Dad's Ultimate Guide on How to Pack a Diaper Bag

Most experienced moms are pros at packing a diaper bag. From slipping diaper rash cream into a small side pocket for easy access to packing extra pacifiers for those moments when the main paci can’t be found, having a well-packed diaper bag is essential to keeping stress and anxiety to a minimum for dads and moms. 

Used to, packing a diaper bag was pretty straightforward. The bags usually differed in size and featured a couple side pockets, but for the most part, most diaper bags were the same. Things have completely changed over the past decade. Today’s diaper bags are much more advanced than they used to be. They feature all kinds of pockets and even slits for you to keep the cords on your baby’s favorite electronics from getting tangled. 

As a dad, it’s important that you know how to pack a diaper bag. The number one tip to remember is that less is more. You don’t have to pack your half your house. 

Packing the Essentials

Pack the essentials before you start tossing in other items. Essentials include:

• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Bottles
• Formula
• Any medications your baby takes

As long as you have the essentials, you're good to go. Ideally, you'll pack a few extra diapers, and this is going to depend on how often your baby uses the bathroom. Say you normally change your baby's diaper once every two hours. If you're leaving the house for six hours, then you'll definitely want to pack three diapers and at least two extra ones. 

As far as wipes, it's usually best to keep two packs in the bag at all times. When you run out of one pack, go ahead and pack another one. You can literally never have too many wipes. You will use them when changing diapers, during feedings, and more.

When it comes to packing bottles, you can get away with packing one, but this only applies if you have access to hot water to wash the bottle. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with a dirty bottle and no way to clean it. If you know you won't have access to hot water to clean the bottle, you should go ahead and pack as many as you need for the period of time you plan to be away from home. To be on the safe side, you should pack five to six bottles if you plan to be away from the house for more than 12 hours. This also, of course, depends on the age of your baby and how often he or she eats. The same applies to packing formula. If you breastfeed and prefer privacy, make sure to pack a blanket to cover yourself while the baby is breastfeeding.

The Non-Essentials

Next on the list of how to pack a diaper bag are the non-essentials, which are:

• Sanitizer
• Diaper rash cream
• Bibs
• A change of clothes
• Changing mat
• Dirty diaper bags
• Sippy cups
• Snacks
• First aid kit with emergency info card
• Burp cloth
• Pacifiers
• A baby carrier
• Sunscreen
• Sun protection
• Woobie blanket (you can use the woobie blanket when breastfeeding as well as to provide warmth to your baby)

You can pack one of each of the non-essentials and you should be good to go. Pack all smaller items in side pockets for easy accessibility. Whatever items you want the quickest access to should be packed last. Hopefully, you'll have a diaper bag that features lots and lots of pockets. The more pockets, the better. Over time, you'll learn what fits best in each pocket and you'll remember where you put everything.

Entertainment

Last on the list of how to pack a diaper bag are entertainment items:

• Stroller toys
• Electronics

If you pack a tablet or cell phone in the diaper bag, make sure to pack it in its own pocket so the screen doesn’t get scratched. Also, don’t forget charging cables to any electronics you pack. 

Final Thoughts

And that’s it! Packing a diaper bag doesn’t have to be an hour long process. Pack the essentials first to make sure they all fit and then add in the non-essentials and entertainment items. Whatever you do, don’t forget food/formula, diapers, and wipes.