Diaper bag essentials: 10 things you should always pack

A trip to the clinic, a family lunch, a weekend balik kampung: with a baby, every outing starts with the diaper bag. Some parents pack for every possible disaster. Others carry the bare minimum and improvise. Most land somewhere in between once they have had one day out without a spare set of clothes.

This checklist covers what is worth carrying every time.

The checklist

1. Diapers

Plan on roughly one diaper for every two to three hours you will be out, plus a couple of spares in case of delays.

2. A change of clothes

Spit-up, leaks and food happen. Pack at least one full outfit for your baby, and a spare top for yourself if you are feeding. A muslin cloth over your shoulder saves a lot of laundry.

3. Diaper cream

A small tube makes each change quicker and keeps the diaper area comfortable when you are out for hours in the heat. Our Baby Diaper Cream leaves a light layer between your baby's skin and the diaper, keeping the area moisturised and helping protect it from wetness between changes. It is made with sweet almond oil and seven plant extracts, including centella asiatica, chamomile and green tea, and absorbs quickly without feeling sticky. Use it on damp skin folds such as the neck too.

In a Mama's Choice satisfaction survey of 103 mothers in Indonesia (2022), 95% felt their baby's skin was more moisturised after use. It is suitable from birth and halal certified by BPJPH, Indonesia.

4. Bags for dirty diapers

A few scented nappy sacks or small plastic bags let you seal a dirty diaper until you find a bin. A wet bag keeps soiled clothes away from everything else.

5. A basic first aid kit

Plasters, a small antiseptic for grazes, a thermometer and a paracetamol suspension at the right dose for your child's age (check with your pharmacist, and never give medicine to a baby under 2 months without a doctor's advice). Add any medicine your child takes regularly.

6. Wipes and hand sanitiser

Wipes clean bottoms, hands, faces and high chairs. Choose fragrance-free ones for a young baby. Keep hand sanitiser for yourself, and wash your hands with soap and water when you can.

7. Feeding supplies

If you breastfeed, pack breast pads and a muslin or cover if you like one. If you use formula, carry measured powder in a dispenser, a flask of freshly boiled water and a clean bottle, and make up each feed when needed. Expressed milk keeps in an insulated bag with an ice pack. For older babies, add snacks, a spoon and a bib.

8. A portable changing mat

Public changing tables are not always clean, and sometimes there is none at all. A wipe-clean mat you can unfold anywhere is worth its space.

9. A light blanket or wrap

Shopping malls and cars can be cold with the air-conditioning on full, and the sun outside is fierce. A thin cotton wrap works as a blanket, a sunshade or a feeding cover.

10. Something to keep your baby busy

A favourite toy, a board book, a teether or a dummy. A few calm minutes are worth a lot.

For outdoor trips

If you are going to a park or the zoo, add sunscreen suitable for your baby's age, a hat and an insect repellent. Repellents with DEET or picaridin are suitable from 2 months when used as directed. Read more in our guide to DEET and children.

What to look for in a diaper bag

• Style. Backpacks leave both hands free and spread the weight. Totes are quicker to reach into.
• Easy to clean. Bags go on floors, car seats and café tables. Wipe-clean fabric helps.
• For everyone. Choose a design your partner or a grandparent will happily carry too.
• Lots of pockets. So you can find the wipes with one hand while holding a baby in the other.
• Useful extras. Insulated bottle pockets, a built-in changing mat, stroller straps.

Our Expandable Diaper Bag

The Expandable Diaper Bag holds everything on this list. It has a large main section and pockets for wipes, a water bottle and up to 3 milk bottles, with insulated bottle pockets. When you need it, the back unzips into a padded space with a mesh cover, which works as a changing area or somewhere for your baby to lie during a rest stop. Always stay with your baby while they are lying in it.

You can carry it as a backpack, by hand, or strapped to a stroller. The polyester wipes clean, and it weighs 1 kg. Closed, it measures 33 × 24 × 40 cm.

At home or in the car, the Multipurpose Organizer Caddy Bag keeps diapers, wipes and creams in reach, with five compartments inside and five pockets outside, and it folds flat when you are not using it.