Unexpected Diaper Bag Essentials
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When you leave the house with a baby, being equipped with everything you could possibly need could be the different between enjoying your day out, and having to come home early due to a fussy baby. We all know the usual items for a diaper bag - wipes, changes of clothes and DIAPERS! I wanted to recommend a few others that you may or may not have thought of and that will save you in any meltdown situation!
For starters, you need a good diaper bag. With Zane, I started off using one that I found at a regular retail store, but quickly learned that a good diaper bag has several essentials that you can’t find anywhere else.
1 - Stroller clips: A necessary feature is stroller clips, which allows the bag to hang from the handle of your stroller, freeing up the storage compartment underneath for shopping and other bags! Without stroller clips, you’ll be forced to put your bag under the stroller, leaving no room for jackets, shopping bags or groceries. It sounds like something silly now, but when baby arrives you’ll understand what I’m talking about!
2 - Insulated pockets for bottles and food: An amazing feature in some diaper bags (including this one!) is 2 insulated side pockets for bottles or other food. This means you can go to the park in the summer with a bottle of milk or water and it will stay cool! Or you can keep a bottle of water or formula warm. This is a lifesaver when you are somewhere (like the park) where there is no hot water or microwave in sight!
3 - LOTS OF POCKETS: This diaper bag from Elfe Juvenile products has 8 diaper different compartments. It means you can stay organized, find things easily, and most importantly, fit EVERYTHING that you need into 1 bag.
4 - BACKPACK BACKPACK BACKPACK: I can’t stress this enough. When you have a crying baby or one that just needs love, you need your hands free. Having a diaper bag that goes over your shoulder might look cute, but its super impractical. I can’t recommend enough to find one that’s a backpack. And there are so many awesome styles now, that you don’t need to compromise style for functionality.
Next up on my list are a few teethers from Nuby. We used SO many of their products with Zane and I’m loving being able to discover even more of what they have to offer with baby #2! A teething baby is generally a cranky baby so with the help of the products below, you can help you mini remain soothed while you’re out and about:
1 - Fruity Chews: These unique teethers will help your teething baby find relief. Their unique texture will provide comfort and the small delicate grip is perfect for your baby’s little hands to grasp!
2 - Beaded PaciFinder: Thanks to this, you won’t lose any more pacifiers (or have your mini throw them on the floor!). This Nuby one comes with a silicone teether too so whether your baby needs to be soothed or needs to chew on something to sooth her gums, you’ll have it all!
3 - Happy Hands Teething Mitten: These mittens are perfect for babies that still can’t grasp a traditional teether and that tend to chew their fingers instead! The soft silicone will soothe their gums and you can easily clean it can even be machine washed!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, finding the right pacifier is crucial to a happy baby. I don’t think there’s a logic behind why some prefer one shape over another, so I recommend buying a few different ones, figuring out which one your baby prefers, and then STOCK UP!!! Always make sure to get the appropriate size - the nipple in the bigger sizes will be too big for your mini and will make them gag!
I love these NaturalFit pacifiers from Chicco:
1 - NaturalFit 2-Pack Soft Silicone Orthodontic Pacifier 0M+
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of brining bibs! Lots. Of. Bibs. Babies drool, they spit up and they drop milk and food all the time. Unless you feel like packing 10 shirts, bring bibs! They’re small, light weight and can be easily switched! I love the Cheeky Chompers Neckerbib! They’re reversible, so soft, have easily attachable snaps at the back and come in an array of colours and patterns to match any outfit!
If you have any questions about the products, don’t hesitate to drop me a comment below or send me an email! You can find them all by clicking the names of the products, or by visiting the Elfe website!