Baby Travel: How to Pack a Diaper Bag

Hi. I'm Jennifer Durbin, and I'm here to tell you how to pack a diaper bag. It can be a bit overwhelming packing a diaper bag for the first time. Do you take everything you have with you or just grab a diaper and go? There's a happy medium, and I'm here to tell you how to get there.
 
The first thing you're going to need, of course, are diapers, wipes, a changing pad, and some diaper cream. Those are must-haves for any diaper bag. After that, you want to think about comfort items. If your child uses a pacifier, don't leave home without it, and get one of these pacifier pads, that way you don't have to go digging through your diaper bag to find the pacifier in a pinch.
 
If your child is eating solid foods, make sure you have spoons with you. If you're still nursing, make sure you bring your Hooter Hider. 
 
You also want to have your child's favorite toy on hand just in case they get a little fussy. If your baby takes a bottle, make sure you've got one of those as well as some formula.
 
And don't forget your trusty Ziploc bag. It's perfect for a wet diaper or soiled clothes. Also take some snacks with you. Take them in a small container so they don't take up too much space in your diaper bag.
 
If you're going to be eating out or shopping where there's a grocery cart, make sure you have a cart cover. They're great and keep your baby germ free. At a restaurant, you also want to have a table topper and some crayons to keep them occupied during your meal.
 
Those are the basics for your diaper bag, but what about the stuff that you'll need? You definitely don't want to be carrying a large diaper bag and your own purse.
 
Try to downsize to a clutch, that way you can throw your clutch in the diaper bag, and you're good to go. You can also grab a larger clutch and put one diaper, a pack of wipes, and a changing pad in it, and you have a small diaper bag for quick trips into the grocery store or the doctor's office.