When you come home from the hospital with that new baby you're pretty much signing up for at least a few days inside recovering, getting to know your sweet babe, and letting your new life make a little more sense. Those first few days and weeks are a blur of milk and diapers and tears and chugging water all day long.
But once you are finally ready to brave the big world with your little, you're going to need to bring a whole bunch of stuff with you. For something so tiny like a newborn, they sure need a lot to stay happy. That's why stocking up your diaper bag with the right things for your new babe will make going out so much easier!
At The Baby Cubby, we have a huge selection of diaper bags that will work for any mama, and you will be able to find the style and design that fits your life perfectly! Check out our site or come in store to check out all the bags we carry, and after you pick your fave, make sure and pick up these essentials for the newborn stage!
A Great Carrier
You're going to want something that gives you a hands-free carry. There is nothing that makes me cringe more than seeing a mama lugging around her babe in a car seat because every mama knows how painful that is on her poor arm. Leave it in the car, and keep a wrap, sling, or carrier in your bag for when you need to head in the store or meet up with your friends for a trip to the mall. I am living for the sweet designs from Solly Baby and their wrap in daisy chain will be cute and functional for any mama out and about.
Diaper Changing Supplies
Newborns seriously go through so many diapers. I swear it's like the only constant of the newborn stage. You are going to want about twice as many diapers in your bag as you think your kid will go through (thankfully those newborn sizes are small so you can shove a ton in your bag) and plenty of wipes.
Plus, here are some extra things to pack that I know will make diaper changes anywhere easier on you and your babe:
Soothers
Unfortunately, while you're out, there are going to be moments where your babe is going to get fussy, sad, and grumpy, and you won't always be able to feed her right away. When that happens, you're going to need to have a few trusty things that your little babe can either suck on to soothe, or can look at, grab and hold to keep them calm for a little bit until they can eat! Keep some pacifiers like this 2-pack pacifier set by BIBS, and do yourself and your little a favor and hook them up with a clip so you're not losing tons of pacifiers throughout the day. I love these Lolli Colour Block Wood and Silicone Pacifier Clip (Midnight Black) by Loulou LOLLIPOP.
I also recommend keeping a portable sound machine in your bag that you can either clip on to your babe's car seat, or that you can slip into the back of your wrap while you're wearing them. Both of my kids loved white noise when they were tiny and I had their sound machine wherever we went. If you have a baby who loves softies, then get them something like Noah's friends plush rattle by Maileg.
Feeding Supplies
The only other constant of newborns is that they're going to want to eat. They're going to eat like all the time. It's kind of one of the ways I relate to them the most. Unfortunately for mama, that means that you're going to be on call in a lot of ways. Whether you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby, you will need to have the goods in your diaper bag, mama! Keep a full bottle of breastmilk or one prepped for formula (these ones from Comotomo are great because they feel natural like mama, and make it easier on your babe if you're splitting time between bottle feeding and breastfeeding). You should always have a few of your fave burp cloths--I love how soft and absorbent the Cotton Muslin ones are from Little Unicorn. And with both my babes, I was able to save their little necks from getting soaked when drinking bottles, and these baby bandana bibs by Copper Pearl are so cute!
If you're a breastfeeding mama, keep your cover in your diaper bag. Even though I think it should be known that I am all about a free-feeding mama life, I know that there are definitely times when covering up makes everyone feel a little better. Covered Goods makes the perfect multi-use nursing cover that you can use while nursing or also use to cover up your little's car seat while they're sleeping or to keep them out of the sun. Every time I nursed out in public, I needed to change out my nursing pads, so I kept some washable nursing pads in my diaper bag like these super soft and comfortable ones from Bamboobies.
Extra Clothes
Since newborns are known for making a mess of themselves in the most silent of ways, you're going to want at least one extra outfit, and a couple of things that you can add on in case your babe is getting cold while you're out:
- L'ovedbaby organic short sleeve kimono bodysuit
- Parade Organics essential basic 2-way zipper romper
- Quincy Mae pointelle pajama pant
- Quincy Mae 4-pack baby socks
- KicKee Pants basic knot hat
Because, believe me, in the middle of your outing, you'll pick them up and they'll have nasty newborn poop all up their back. It's horrifying and all too normal during this stage.
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Now that we have another baby in the house, we are up to our neck in diapers! I really wanted to cloth diaper this time around, but with the baby so small, all the diapers I have are still too big. We decided to use disposables until Everett, our newborn, can fit into the bigger cloth diapers. Of course I turn to a brand I trust, Parent’s Choice from Walmart, when purchasing diapers for our precious baby. I love Parent s Choice Diapers because they are super absorbent and also have the ‘wet’ line on the front, which indicates when the diaper is wet. Another thing I love about Parent’s Choice is the price! Going through 10+ diapers a day really adds up, and these diapers are very affordable, which definitely helps since I am currently on maternity leave. By using Parent’s Choice Diapers over other brands, you can save up to $240 annually, which is a lot of money! You can find the new and improved diapers at these Walmart stores .