I’m a first time mom who works from home alongside a 7-month-old baby. Sometimes, I have to pack up baby (and 2 dogs) into the Escalade for the occasional family get together or business trip.
Gone are my days of packing everything I need into one compact carry-on bag — like I did before baby. Not only am I packing for myself and the dogs, but I need to carefully consider what to pack for the baby while still trying to travel light.
These days, I carry a large diaper tote that holds all of the baby necessities.
My Diaper Tote
I received the Skip Hop Grand Central Diaper Bag as a baby shower gift.
I love it because it’s stylish and modern — and it holds everything I need for baby!
It has innovative sections to organize everything we need without feeling over-packed.
It also comes with a little foldable change pad to provide some cushion for the baby on the hard changing stations in public rest rooms.
Must-Have Items In The Diaper Tote
Here’s a list of what I pack in my diaper tote:
Portable DVD player — Since our baby is still in a rear facing car seat, we use the Insignia portable DVD Player for his in-transit entertainment on road trips. We pack an assortment of educational DVDs and the cords to keep them charged — either via the wall outlet or car charging port.
Digital thermometer — I have been so blessed… my baby has never run a fever. But the ARC Instatemp non-touch digital thermometer takes the guesswork out of a fussing baby.
Baby Ibuprofen — Motrin infant drops are great for temporary relief from minor teething pain, fever, colds, etc.
Gas relief drops — The Little Remedies Gas Relief Drops provide fast relief for baby gas discomfort.
Gripe water — Zarbee’s Baby Gripe Water is a great all-natural remedy for colic, fussiness, and hiccups.
Pet waste bags — For the baby, these handy little bags keep soiled diapers contained when there isn’t a garbage bin near by!
Extra diapers — Even though we do elimination communication, we still use a diaper back up.
Diaper wipes — These are a must-have when traveling with baby. We use Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes.
Diaper rash cream — Because we do elimination communication, we haven’t had to deal with diaper rash. But we always carry a travel-size of Desitin Rapid Relief Diaper Rash Remedy Cream — just in case. (We use coconut oil at the first sight of redness while at home.)
Extra sets of clothes — Because blowouts happen!
Baby sun hat — In case we end up outside on a sunny day.
Baby earmuffs — Ems for Bubs provide adjustable hearing protection for loud events.
Selfie stick — Because we are creating memories everyday!
Teether toy — Sophie The Giraffe Teether is a toy for baby to chew on during his teething stage.
Multi-purpose cover — The Milk Snob Multifunction Cover is great for blocking out the light when baby is napping in his car seat. I can also use it for modesty if I’m nursing in a public space. And it also works great as little blanket for baby, if I need one.
Baby carrier — The Boba Wrap is a long piece of fabric that folds and stores easily in the bottom of the diaper tote. It’s always nice to have a fabric baby carrier available for hands-free baby wearing.
Burp cloth — He doesn’t spit up much, but when he does…
Pacifier clip — The Nuby Plush Pacifinder is a cute little toy that has a clip that attaches to baby’s clothes and tethers either a nuk or a rattle. Our baby likes to drop the items his little fingers try to grasp — so we just attach it directly to his clothes or his car seat strap. That way, the toy stays within his reach even when he decides to throw it.
iPad and stand — This serves as my portable baby monitor to use anytime/anywhere when I put baby down for a nap.
Bottle of water — You never know when you’ll need it to drink, or for a clean up. Babies can be messy, and sometimes you need a little more than diaper wipes!
(I still exclusively breastfeed my baby, so there’s no bottle or food packing in my diaper tote yet.)
About half of the above items are used on every trip. The other half are “better to have and not need” items.
Even though I have been so blessed to have a healthy baby with no issues to date, no one wants to be making a trip to the drug store with a fussing, irritable baby — if they happen to run a fever or start feeling sick.
I believe these 20 or so items are a well rounded assortment of baby items that make the most sense to tote around with you wherever baby goes — while keeping it minimal.
Here’s my video with a few more details about the must-have items I keep in my baby diaper tote:
And here’s what we pack when taking baby and the dogs Jeeping!
I’m a new mom. I work from home and I write — mostly about my outdoor adventures, DIY projects, newly discovered products, and helpful tips as a first-time mom. I also like to share details about the alternative choices I’m exploring as I enjoy this journey called motherhood. My family includes a toddler, 2 stepchildren, 1 dog, 1 cat, and a wonderful husband. My pre-pregnancy life was full of freedom and adventure, so I have a fresh new perspective when it comes to walking away from a career to become a full time stay-at-home Mama.
