The Tribune

By BIANCA CARTER

I remember being a first-time mom and not having a clue about what I needed to put in my diaper bag. There were times when I had packed way too much or too little. And nothing’s worse than not having exactly what you need. Needless to say, with everything I was learning as a new mom I picked up very quickly on what I needed to bring. Here are a few things you may want to consider packing in your diaper bag:

Wet wipes

I know you’re thinking this one is a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times I forgot to pack the wipes. I know you’re wondering how anyone could forget this most important item, but you will realize that for some reason, just before you are ready to leave the house, you need to do a diaper change, and there you go – now you’ve left them on the couch. I really think babies know when you’re leaving the house and plan a giant mess just when you think you’ve gotten it all together, which by the way takes forever. I started hiding a small wipes-to-go in my bag so this would never happen.

Hand sanitiser

You never know when you’ll need to use it or lend it. I didn’t like people picking up my baby without having clean hands, especially when they were really young, so I was always prepared. Also, another thing I hated was not having a decent place to wash your own hands, and a lot of times public rest rooms don’t have any soap!

Tide to Go pen

Some people swear by the power of the wet wipe to remove stains, but I always preferred the stain removing sticks. No idea why I became so clumsy while pregnant, but everything got on me for some reason. I don’t think I realised where my belly was, because I would always get stuff on it, and I hate getting dirt or food on my clothes. I’m the same way with my kids. I especially hate it when they brush their teeth with their clothes on. Toothpaste doesn’t come off that easy; it always leaves a white stain.

Zip lock baggies

I recommend keeping a couple of sealable clear bags hidden away in your diaper bag. The diaper blow-out is a real thing, and most of the time you’ll need to do a wardrobe change. Zip lock bags are great for dirty stuff that you don’t want touching anything else or smelling up the place. They’re also good to keep old pacifiers in. You know, the ones that fall on the floor and you have to replace them with a clean one. Yes, you have to bring two pacifiers everywhere you go; one will fall always on the floor!

Medicine kit

Calpol, Ovol, gripe water, diaper cream – the essentials. When you’re out and about, the last thing you want is a fussy baby. Although babies can be fussy in general, you don’t want them to be uncomfortable. If you pack it, you’ll always have it if you need it.

Love and hugs!

• Bianca Carter is a certified lactation counsellor and founder of Bun in the Oven.

For more information, e-mail her at info@babybunintheoven.com. Follow BITO on Facebook at babybunintheoven, and check out the BITO Blog every Monday and Thursday at http://babybunintheoven.com.