You’ll be changing diapers multiple times every day.
Yep, lots of poop. Lots of pee too. So it’s important to be prepared and have all the necessary items to make your life easier
We’ve got A LOT of stuff in here, so definitely pin this now so you can come back to it later!
As The Moms At Odds, you know it’s kind of our thing to disagree on the “right” way to do things. Well believe it or not Jo and Rachel both agree on some diaper products, specifically: 8
Changing Pad | Changing Pad Covers |
Waterproof Changing Pads | Diaper Caddy |
Portable Changing Station | Diaper Bags |
But of course we didn’t do everything the same, read Jo and Rachel’s specific favorites about:
Diaper Bags | Diaper Pails |
Diaper/Rash Creams | Diapers |
And finally, we both agree 100% that you should skip:
Wipe Warmer |
Related The Absolute BEST Baby Wipes
Related What Brand of Diapers Wins Over the Rest?
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The
Ones We All Agree On
Some things are just so awesome that we can’t debate their value. When it comes to diapering, there are a couple items that we both agree are necessities:
Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad
Both of us decided to forgo the separate, designated changing table. In our opinion the best (and cheapest) option is to get a good-quality changing pad and put it on top of a dresser in baby’s room.
The Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad is an amazing deal for a great product. It’s sturdy, easy to clean, and the sides are raised so baby doesn’t accidentally roll out. (Jo has even used it as a sleeping surface for baby during travel!)

Summer Infant Ultra Plush Changing Pad Cover
On top of the changing pad you’ll want to cover it with something soft and cute that matches the nursery. Jo uses Summer Infant Ultra Plush Changing Pad Covers and loves them. Definitely get at least 2 (preferably 3) as infant poop explosions can take a lot of prisoners.
But also know that you can prevent some blow outs by using the best diapers.

Boppy Changing Pad Liners
You definitely won’t want to be taking off the entire changing pad cover every time your baby makes a mess.
These waterproof Boppy Changing Pad Liners are the perfect size to put on top of your changing pad and are much easier to clean. Get at least 2 packs of them as in the beginning you’ll probably go through at least a pack/day.

Munchkin Portable Diaper Caddy
Between the wipes, creams, lotions, and not to mention the diapers themselves, all of the items you need for changing your baby add up. You’ll definitely need some sort of caddy to hold everything.
The Munchkin Portable Diaper Caddy is a great one because it has 5 different compartments, is very durable, and looks great in the nursery (especially since it comes in multiple colors).
Skip Hop Baby Pronto Portable Changing Station
If you ever plan on leaving the house with your baby, this is an absolute must. Inside this compact little kit you can fit everything you need to change your child – diapers, wipes, creams, poop bags, and the pad itself. Throw this in any purse or backpack and you’re instantly ready to roll.
Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Bags
I will admit that I was skeptical about these bags, I mean couldn’t I just use plastic grocery bags for diapers? Yes, but these are so much better.
First, the Munchkin Arm and Hammer Diaper Bags are rolled up in the little dispenser making them much easier to carry in your diaper bag or purse then a bunch of crushed plastic plastic bags. Second, they smell great and cover the poo aroma.
This may not seem too important until you have to change baby at a friend’s home who doesn’t have kids and probably doesn’t want that stink bomb in their trash. Or baby has an explosion while you’re out and you have to carry poo covered clothes around the rest of the day. Then you will truly appreciate the awesomeness of these bags.
Additionally, we both agree that Amazon is one of the best places to create your baby registry
(or any registry
for that matter). You can getting EVERYTHING you need for baby in a place that’s very convenient for your friends and family to purchase from. For it’s registry clients, Amazon gives an extended 90 day return policy window. You also get a 10% Completion Discount (or up to 15% if you are an Amazon Prime member
) 60 days before your due date for the items you haven’t received.
Related Are Name Brand Diapers Worth the Cost?
Rachel and Jo’s Faves
We didn’t do everything exactly the same. Here are some areas where we each had our own specific favorites
Skip Hop Duo Carry All Diaper Bag Tote
Since, my diaper bag usually doubles as my purse, I need to be able to easily find my wallet and keys without digging around and pulling everything out.
The Skip Hop Duo Carry All Diaper Bag Tote has lots of pockets for keeping diaper, wipes, clothes, snacks, and everything else organized and accessible. It is also great quality, mine is still going strong after 3 years of nearly daily use.

Diaper Dude Bag
Although it was originally purchased for my husband, the Diaper Dude
quickly became our favorite diaper bag.
Unlike a regular diaper bag (which is often more purse-like) the strap fits across the body more like a messenger bag. This style is much easier to carry while you’re jugging kids. It has lots of pockets that are easy to access so you quickly find things that you need.
As a bonus, my husband isn’t embarrassed when he has to be carry it. It comes in TONS of colors and even different sport team logos.
Related Stop Packing Your Diaper Bag Wrong
Diaper Champ Diaper Pail
The best thing about the Baby Trend Diaper Champ
is that it doesn’t require special bags. You can use 13-gallon kitchen trash bags. The handle is also easy to open, drop in a diaper, and close one handed with a squirmy baby.
It does a decent job containing poopy diaper smells, though some escapes when you open it. While it can hold a lot of diapers, I empty it frequently to keep the room smelling fresh.
Ubbi Steel Odor Locking Diaper Pail
As far as nursery fashion goes – no diaper pail compares to the Ubbi
. It’s sleek, stainless steel design is unparalleled, and it comes in lots of amazing colors.
Not only does the steel look great, the odor-blocking technology does a great job of masking bad smells. Seriously, we change our Ubbi once/week and it never stinks in our nursery.
And like the diaper champ Rachel recommends, the Ubbi also uses regular trash bags so you don’t have to buy any special ones.
Munchkin Arm and Hammer Nursery Fresheners
To further ensure you have a nursery that smells like daisies, be sure to pick up some of the Arm & Hammer nursery fresheners
. I stick one every few months inside the diaper pail and that takes care of any extra smells
Aquaphor Healing Ointment
This stuff if awesome for preventing diaper rash and works great for mild rashes too. My sons seem rather prone to diaper rash and Aquaphor
is always our first line of defense.
Its gentle on their skin and helps avoid rashes. Putting it on at bedtime, helped keep full diapers from irritating their skin. While I also use it for mild irritation, I break out the big guns for full blown rashes.
Added Bonus – It is also good for all sorts of other non-diaper irritations, like dry and chapped skin.
A+D Diaper Rash Treatment Cream
I love the consistency of A+D
. It’s very smooth so it comes out of the tube easily and doesn’t stick to your fingers.
The gel feels cool to touch so baby gets instant relief from a hot, irritated diaper rash. For that reason we always use it on new rashes right away. Definitely get the one with zinc oxide (the one labeled “Treat” rather than “Prevent”) to take care of those tough rashes.
Desitin Baby Diaper Rash Paste
My first son unfortunately, had lots of diaper rashes. Often Desitin would clear it right up.
The zinc oxide helps keep moisture away from the skin. Desitin is also really thick protecting the skin from rubbing on the diaper as well.
Triple Paste Medicated Ointment
Triple Paste
is the only thing I’ve found to take care of really stubborn diaper rashes.
It’s thick and has a consistency almost like toothpaste (so it sticks to the fingers some). This thickness dries out any excess moisture in the diaper area and is the next best thing to letting your child air-dry.
Baby Powder
So now you’re thinking I’m the worst mom ever, but let me tell you baby powder
works SOOOOOO well for diaper rash and we’ve had some nasty ones.
I know that baby powder is not recommended because inhaling those tiny particles is really bad for baby lungs. I didn’t use it until my son was older, used cornstarch based powder (instead of talc), and I always tried to avoid puffs of powder.
I would carefully pour into my hand as far from his face as possible then apply it to the diaper area without making powder clouds. For the worst rashes, I layer baby powder, Desitin
, and Aquaphor
.
Brand Loyal – Pampers
I’m a Pampers girl. For me you can’t beat the protection, softness, and quality of Pampers Swaddlers for infants, and Cruisers for crawlers/toddlers.
I’m a big believer in quality over quantity when it comes to diapering. If you’ve ever thought about trying generic diapers, you have to check out our Name-Brand vs. Generic Diapers Debate.
No Diaper Brand Loyalty
Honestly I prefer Huggies Little Snugglers
if it’s on sale, but I’ll use whatever is cheap
I recommend trying different brands to save money and figure out what fits your baby the best. I recently tested several diapers and found that I really like Huggies but I’ll only splurge for them when I find a sale.
We both agree and say, “just skip it!”
Some items just aren’t worth the hype! Save your money and pass on these.

Baby Wipe Warmer
I promise your baby will get use to room temperature wipes. If you want it a little warmer for some reason, simply hold it in your palm for 10 seconds.
Some moms swear by wipe warmers, but we just do not see any reason why. Aside from being unnecessary, the most common complaint is that they dry out wipes. They also can breed bacteria and mold. Yuck…
Now you’re ready to diaper your babe! Keep reading for more baby essentials…
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