How To Pack A Cloth Diaper Bag + Free Printable

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Are you looking for the perfect list of essentials to pack in your (cloth) diaper bag?

Every mom-to-be or new-mom day-dreams about packing the perfect, cutest diaper bag to feel prepared as well as show off. I know this, because that was me!

We all want to know what the best items are to pack to make sure we have everything we need “just in case”. You don’t want to under-pack or over-pack. I made this list for the mom who wants to pack her cloth diaper or regular diaper bag and have it ready to go when it’s time for an outing. 

After having 4 babies and working daily with other moms, I have curated the perfect list of essentials you will need to carry in you diaper bag. 

Below is your free checklist, print it out or keep it on your phone so you always have it with you!

The Cloth Diaper Bag Checkist:

1. The Bag. Let’s talk about the bag itself. Because this is the most important part.
   
   Basically, there are 2 types of bags to choose from. The tote or the back-pack style.
   
   This is my entire list of the BEST cloth diaper bag suggestions (click link) for you to choose from that are super affordable, with all kinds of accessories and compartments, that look FRIGGIN FANTASTIC!
   
   Personally, I would choose a backpack style. You are going to want your hands to be free and be able to carry your baby in a front wrap or carrier without having to hold on to a shoulder bag.
   
   When you have all the baby supplies packed, the bag can start to feel pretty heavy. You are going to be happier carrying that weight on your back instead of your shoulder. Especially if you are going to be walking for longer than 10 minutes.
   
   There are so many new backpacks designed as a diaper bag to give you the ultimate organization and enough room for everything. There are some really nice vegan-leather cloth diaper backpacks like the very popular and trendy Freshly Picked, but you can also get one that looks and feels just like it, like these for more than half the price! It’s your personal preference. But most importantly, you want to pick a bag that you love, that you want to use, that feels comfortable, easy on the go and that you think is super cute, because this will be the bag you carry with you everywhere for the next couple of years.
   
2. The Diapers. Before you pack your (cloth) diapers, think about where you are going and how long you will be. This will also be dependant upon how old your baby is and how many diapers he/she is going through in an hour. I typically go with 3-5 (cloth) diapers on a basic outing. Be sure to check out my shop for some really amazing cloth diapers that you cannot find anywhere else.
   
3. The Wipes. Grab the wipes of your choice, cloth or disposable. You can store wet cloth wipes (try these bamboo wipes from my shop) in a mini cloth wipes wet bag, which you can find some in my shop that perfectly designed for wipes (wet or dry). OR you can add dry ones to a mini-wipes wet bag or disposable wipes travel dispenser. But add a small spray bottle (like these that have a clip-on pouch you can easily attach to the outside of your diaper bag for convenience) of plain water to use for spraying your wipes down when you need to use them.
   
4. Travel wet bag. You’ll need a medium-sized wet bag for dirty diapers, soiled clothing changes. This is a zippered bag lined with a PUL (water-resistant) fabric to safely house your soiled/wet clothing and diapers from the rest of your nice diaper bag. A wet bag makes it convenient to dump all of your dirty clothes and diapers into your laundry when you get home.
   
5. Change of clothes. 2 changes of clothes, onesies are the most convenient. Make sure to change these out over time if you haven’t used your packed extra set in a while, you don’t want to have something your baby has outgrown or the wrong season at the time when you really needed that extra change of clothes. I absolutely adore this gender-neutral set of 8 onesies for just about 20 bucks!
   
6. Rash cream/spray (cloth diaper safe). Using a spray is SUPER convenient and you don’t have to use your fingers. My favorite is an all natural, cloth diaper safe spray, CJ’s Spritz. I sell this in my store because I completely trust these natural ingredients and I will only promote top notch quality products. It’s made with all-natural ingredients and has the power to heal and protect better than any other rash creams I have tried. CJ’s Butter comes in many different forms including balm, spritz, a stick and more. CJ’s Butter is Pediatrician Recommended, Safe for both Cloth & Disposable Diapers, Contains No Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates or Gluten.
   
7. Toy/teether. Pack your baby’s favorite small toy and/or teether for easier diaper changes and baby entertainment. I love these BPA free silicone sensory teether rattlers made with natural wood and in so many cute colors.
   
8. The Sacred Paci. You’ll want to have that back up binky when something happens to the one you brought. And keeping them protected in a little silicone case like this one , that hooks onto your bag, will give you more comfort knowing its convenient, protected and sanitized. These are my favorite pacifier wipes that you might want to throw in your bag too, so you can wipe off the binky safely if it falls on the ground and you have no other way to clean it. I also love these clips that you can use to clip onto your baby’s bib that attaches to the end of the binky so it stays safe when baby spits it out.
   
9. Feedings. If bottle feeding, have an extra bottle ready to feed. Extra formula or breastmilk. Be sure to have a mini zipper cooler with a small ice pack for the bottles and breastmilk. This insulated breastmilk cooler and double baby bottle bag is exactly what you will need to keep your bottle feedings fresh and organized. Plus it comes in several cute gender neutral/grey designs!
   
10. Snacks (older baby). If giving juice and snack, have a sippy cup ready with a small spill-proof snack container ready to feed. Cheerios and goldfish are the quick, easy go-to snacks.
    
11. Cover. Pack a light blanket and a nursing cover (if you like nursing covers). I LOVE these super-thin muslin swaddle blankets that are large enough to double over, made with natural bamboo blankets. Not too hot, not too cool, and can be used as a nursing cover as well. I also really LOVE this practical and super cute nursing cover.
    
12. Burp cloth for spit up and cleanups. This one is non-negotiable. These natural cotton/bamboo prefolds by OSOCOZY make the best burp rags. Not only are they made with all-natural bamboo and cotton fibers (which makes them soooo soft and absorbant), but they also serve multi-purposes when it comes to motherhood in general.
13. Medications. You never know when your baby might start feeling bad. Pack an aspirator ( I used and love this one), baby Tylenol, gas drops, or any prescriptions you baby might be taking.
    
14. Baby food. If feeding baby solid foods, pack your baby’s meal and a spoon (if needed during this outing). Don’t forget that silicone bib that is just for mealtime (the one with the scoop catcher at the bottom and you can wipe it clean with a wipe).
    
15. Baby wrap and/or carrier. Carrying your baby on your front or back is life-changing. You are going to wish you had your hands free for most outings. Especially if you have other small children. You will find your arms hurting and getting tired from holding your baby after 10 minutes. When you carry your baby, you are giving your baby that sense of comfort and bonding while your free up your hands and arms. I highly recommend baby carriers in any form or fashion. This Tula is the one I used for my babies, and it was the best baby device investment I ever made. You will not regret it and you will thank yourself later! There is so much information on baby carrying on Pinterest if you need to know more. But do yourself this favor. Grab a wrap or baby carrier and bring it with you everywhere you go. This will also eliminate having to lug around the car seat. Make feedings easier. And you can also use your carrier at home so you can hold your baby while you work, do chores, help your other children, etc. Carriers are INSTANT crying stoppers! These are my favorite and most economical carriers here that I know you will love and are affordable. There is an entire selection to view in the link.
    
16. Bibs. 1-2 extra bibs, especially if your baby is teething or spitting up a lot. I used these super soft organic cotton bibs that stayed on really well and fit my baby’s necks very nicely. There is no velcro so they can’t be pulled off or irritate the back of your baby’s neck. They washed easily and I love that they come in unisex heather greys.
    
17. Extra socks. You will find that your baby will kick those socks off or they will slide off all day long and they will get lost. You want to make sure those feet stay warm! Pack extras. You can never have too many.
    
18. Portable Noise. I’m also finding more and more moms are packing portable white noise sound machines as well for on the go comforting. This is definitely the one I would buy for my baby to keep in my diaper bag.
    
19. SPF baby sunscreen. if you will be out in the sun, you are going to want to make sure you are protecting your baby’s soft, brand new skin. Keep this SPF 50 all-natural organic baby sunscreen at all times in your bag!

RELATED: CLOTH DIAPERING NEWBORN BABIES

Mom’s Stuff To Pack In The Cloth Diaper Bag

1. hand sanitizer
2. chapstick
3. lotion
4. wallet
5. phone and charger
6. keys
7. tums and Tylenol for yourself
8. water bottle and a small snack for healthy energy/breastfeeding
9. (cloth) nursing pads and (cloth) sanitary pads
10. extra shirt in case you leak through and extra underwear in case you need to change
11. deodorant
12. a hair tie or hair clip
13. gum, nursing cream/lanolin
14. mini package of tissues
15. a pen and notepad ( I always end up needing to write something down when I DON’T have a pen and paper)

5 Final Pro Tips For Your Cloth Diaper Bag

1. Always keep your bag prepared and ready to grab as best as possible. If you know you are going somewhere the next day, pack it up the night before using your free printable (list).
2. As soon as you get home from an outing, make sure to remove your wet bag of dirty cloth diapers, wipes, and clothing right away. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, forget to remove these. You will regret that later. Make it a habit for as soon as you get home.
3. Some travel wet bags come with a wet and a dry side. You can use the dry side for sure, but be wary of this, that if you have clean clothes in the dry side, and you stick a dirty diaper in the wet side, the smell and dampness could seep through to the lining.
4. When you are going to pack cloth diapers in your cloth diaper bag, choose your most economical, quickest-to-change type of diaper, but ALSO choose your favorite ones that you like to show off. Use this tactic to show off your cloth diapering passion while you are out and about in public so that you can take that opportunity to advocate for cloth diapering and share the love to #makeclothmainstream. 
5. I like to gather my personal stuff I need with me in my diaper bag, and fit most of it in a separate, zippered accessory bag that I can easily slide in and out when I just need to reach and grab my own items. This helps keep my stuff organized and separated from the baby’s so I can find it easily.

Don’t forget to grab your free printable checklist so you can make sure your diaper bag is completely prepared. 

Be sure to pin this blog post to save it for later on your Pinterest board so you can come back and revisit the valuable information you read here on the SoCo Blog. When you pin this on Pinterest, you are also sharing it even further for other moms to potentially find it and help her get organized as well. Just hover over the photo below until the “pin” button pops up, click on that button and it will take you straight to your Pinterest account where you can save this blog post to your boards.