Why Pack a Minimalist Diaper Bag for a Newborn?
When I imagined becoming a parent, I pictured families I’d seen around the city with their babies. They pushed babies in strollers, schlepping blankets, bottles, and toys underneath it, along with a suitcase-sized bag on their shoulders. They looked burdened and harried as they hurried along with their little ones. It’s understandable, of course – when you’re a new parent, you have more important things to think about than what to pack in a diaper bag for a newborn. Still, the sight did not make me eager to enter this phase of life.
But could it be easier?
I was dabbling in minimalism when I got pregnant, and as I prepared for my son to arrive, I thought about things like how to handle baby clothes and which products were truly essential to buy.
I also considered how I could cart my baby around the city without stooping under twenty pounds of stuff. Once he arrived, I knew I’d be way too overwhelmed to put thought into this, so I considered how to make it easy.
Guiding Principles for What to Pack in a Newborn’s Diaper Bag
This article explains how to do just that. Before launching into specifics, here are some guiding principles for what to pack in a newborn’s diaper bag:
1. Only pack as much as you’ll need during a specific outing
Think ahead about how many hours you’ll be away from home, how often and how much your baby eats, and how often you tend to need to change diapers. This doesn’t need to be an exact science. The point is that you don’t need to bring tons of extra items “just in case.”
You won’t know this from the beginning – so I’ll give you some estimates below. But after a few weeks you’ll learn your baby’s habits and be better able to prepare.
2. Clean out the bag after every few uses
It’s hard to make time for this when you’re taking care of a baby. But if you don’t, you’ll end up shoving things to the bottom of the bag and forgetting them, then wondering why it weighs a ton.
Just take a look inside after each use or before you pack it for the next outing. Note anything that’s dirty or that isn’t needed for that day.
3. Each time you go out, make a mental note of what you ended up using
This used to happen all the time when I traveled. An item would go on my “essentials” list and I would put it in my suitcase every time, but realistically I never used it. If you’re not mindful, it’s easy to fall into this habit.
At the beginning it will be hard to know what’s essential, but as you get more experience going out with your little one, you’ll learn what can be left behind.
Which Minimalist Diaper Bag Should You Buy?
In addition to what to pack in a diaper bag for a newborn, you may also be wondering what minimalist diaper bags are available to buy. As I described above, as I prepared for my baby’s arrival, I considered how to make my life easier during the newborn phase through minimalism. When I shopped for a diaper bag, I wanted something large enough that it would hold everything I needed but not so large that it would encourage me to bring more than I needed. I also wanted something I could carry easily, even while carrying a baby at the same time.
I want to make it clear that you don’t need to buy a diaper bag. You can repurpose a bag you already own and designate it as a diaper bag. However, I use mine daily and found it to be a worthwhile investment.
I ended up choosing the Lenappy backpack. There are a few things I like about it:
- It’s a backpack, which is kinder to my back
- It’s the right size – large enough to fit what I need with room to spare, but small enough that I’m not encouraged to stuff everything in there
- It has lots of internal and external pockets, so it’s easy to organize and find what I need quickly
- It comes with a wipe-clean pad for changing
- I also just appreciated it’s chic and minimalist design, which made me feel less like a frumpy mom
However, others that also look good for minimalist purposes are listed below, in order of least to most expensive:
- RED ROVR mini Roo Backpack
- Ruvalino Diaper Bag Backpack
- Skip Hop Diaper Bag Backpack
- BEIS Ultimate Diaper Bag Backpack
What Should You Pack in a Minimalist Diaper Bag for a Newborn?
Below, I’ll outline exactly what to pack in a diaper bag for a newborn if you’re going a minimalist route.
1. Diaper Change Essentials
We call a baby bag a diaper bag because that’s the most likely thing you’re going to need while you’re out. Babies, especially newborns, are known for constantly producing body fluids that need cleaning up! That being said, I think we can sometimes overestimate how many diaper changes our baby is going to need in the amount of time that we plan to be away from home.
- 2-3 diapers – realistically, you won’t need more than 2 if you’re out for a few hours. But I understand the urge to be absolutely sure, and these don’t weigh much.
- Mini packet of wipes – I think it’s worth buying mini packs of wipes because a full pack can be so heavy.
- Wipe-clean changing pad – you can use this if you need to do a change outside of a bathroom, but you can also use it on top of a diaper changing station in a bathroom if you’re worried about cleanliness.
- Mini diaper cream (optional) – Only bring this along if your baby is particularly prone to diaper rash or currently experiencing one
2. Hygiene Essentials
I mentioned that babies are known for constantly producing messy body fluids, and that’s not limited to those caught by diapers. Your newborn will often have a runny nose, spit up, and, once they start teething, a lot of drool.
- Tissues – for those inevitable runny noses
- Mini packet of antibacterial wipes – if your baby is little, you’re going to worry a lot about germs, and it’s a relief to have wipes nearby for their hands, their toys, public restroom changing stations, etc.
- Burp cloth – to take care of surprise spit-ups and drool attacks
3. Toys / Entertainment
When deciding what to pack in a diaper bag for a newborn, this is one category that is easy to overestimate. When my son was very little, it actually didn’t take much to entertain him. While he was constantly screaming at home, he would calmly watch his surroundings when taken out to a new place.
A passage from the book, Bringing Up Bébé, by Pamela Druckerman really shifted my perspective on this topic. She describes a trip to the park with her first baby. For the trip, she brings a “giant sack of books and toys for her” and spends “a lot of the day helping her play with the toys and reading to her.” Meanwhile…
On the next blanket over is a French mother. She’s a thin, auburn-haired woman who’s chatting with a girlfriend while her year-old daughter plays with, well, not much of anything. The mother seems to have brought just one ball to amuse her daughter for the entire afternoon. They have lunch, and then the little girl plays with the grass, rolls around a bit, and checks out the scene. Meanwhile, her mother has a full adult conversation with her friend.
That example stuck with me long after reading the book because I still have to remind myself that my son will be fine without numerous forms of entertainment. He can entertain himself!
- 1 small book – your smallest and lightest, preferably!
- 1-2 toys – these could be teething rings, a stuffy, a rattle, or anything that grabs your little one’s attention. But choose compact toys to save space in the bag.
4. Food
Newborns are also known for needing to eat very frequently. At this stage, they only need milk, which simplifies things. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you may not need to bring anything at all with you – in which case you’re very lucky! However, it’s likely you’ll need to bring 1-2 bottles and some pumped milk or formula.
- 1-2 empty bottles – think about how often your baby eats to calculate how much you’ll actually need. For example, if baby eats every 3 hours, and you’re going to be out for about 6 hours, don’t bring more than 2.
- Formula or milk – Again, think about how often your baby eats to calculate how much you’ll actually need. For example, if it’s 4 ounces every 3 hours, and you’re going to be out for around 6 hours, don’t bring much more than 8 ounces. I supplemented with formula and loved the 2-oz and 8-oz Similac bottles, since they were shelf-stable.
- Food packet (for babies over 6 months) – once your baby is over 6 months, you may also want to bring a little packet of food. I recommend the squeeze packets, so you can skip bringing utensils.
- 1 snack bag (for babies over 6 months) – once my son was a little older and not as easily entertained in public, giving him little snacks kept him quiet when he needed to be.
5. Miscellaneous
Beyond the essentials of feeding, changing, and entertainment, there are a few other odds and ends that you’ll want to bring along.
- Swaddle – for newborns, a swaddle is useful if you need them to sleep or just to calm down. But I also used mine as a blanket for chilly weather or even a quick cover on a stroller if there was too much sun. It was really versatile but also light, so it was always worth packing.
- Pacifier – essential in my book for calming a fussy newborn
- Pacifier clip – this invention saved me when my son was a newborn. The pacifier was, as I said, essential. But he had a habit of dropping or even throwing it on the ground. It would then be “contaminated” and couldn’t be reused. The clip keeps the pacifier tied to your baby’s clothes, so they can’t throw it far.
- Bib – my son started teething early and had a lot of drool, plus fairly frequent spit-ups. Keeping a bib on him prevented me from having to change his clothes constantly.
- Extra set of clothes – I wish I could tell you this isn’t essential, but newborns do have blowouts or even spit ups that are beyond what a bib can control. Their clothes are tiny, so it’s worth keeping just 1 extra outfit in your bag in case of emergency.
6. Your Own Stuff!
Then of course there’s your own stuff! While you may be used to carrying a purse, I recommend just adding your stuff to the diaper bag to cut down on how much you’re schlepping. For myself, that was generally a credit card, my keys, my phone, and a lip balm in the front pocket of the bag.
Quick Reference Checklist – What to Pack in Your Newborn’s Diaper Bag
For quick reference, here’s the full list of what to pack in a diaper bag for a newborn:
I hope this list helps you feel confident packing a minimalist diaper bag for a newborn! This can ease a tiny bit of the newborn burden by cutting down on the amount of stuff you need to carry and manage while you’re out and about with your little one.
I’d love to hear from you! Is there anything I missed on this list? Anything that was a lifesaver for you during the newborn phase?