Diaper Essentials You Absolutely Need to Have

 Baby Registry Must Haves Diaper Edition - Everything you need for diapering your baby with product reviews and recommendations  Baby Registry Must Haves Diaper Edition - Everything you need for diapering your baby with product reviews and recommendations

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 BagsDiaper Pails
Diaper/Rash Creams Diapers

And finally, we both agree 100% that you should skip:

Wipe Warmer

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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

Rachel discussesSince, 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

Jo discussesAlthough 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

Rachel discussesThe 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

Jo discussesAs 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

Jo discussesTo 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
Rachel discussesThis 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

Jo discussesI 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
Rachel discussesMy 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

Jo discussesTriple 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

Rachel discussesSo 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

Jo discussesI’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

Rachel discussesHonestly 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…

Breastfeeding –  Must-Have Breastfeeding Accessories

Sleep –  Essential Items you NEED to help your Baby Sleep Better

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About Author

Jo & Rachel

Jo and Rachel first had the idea for 'The Moms At Odds' in 2016 when our babies were turning 2 and we realized that we were very different parents.

As a mom, Rachel immediately felt this strong connection to her son and instantly decided she wanted to become a stay-at-home mom. Though Jo obviously loved her son as well, she counted the days until she could go back to work and interact with other adults.

They both struggled over getting their babies to sleep and while Jo believed in sleep training, Rachel looked for alternatives like dream feeding and no cry methods. As time passed and their children grew older the differences started to really add up – pacifier use, drinking during breastfeeding, organic foods, screen time, diaper brands, and on and on.

During this day and age, it’s so easy to look at our parenting differences as a bad thing. After all, we’ve all seen jokes and articles about “Mommy Wars” over one subject or another. Instead, we choose to embrace our differences and show you that in many areas there is no wrong answer. What works for one family may not work for another, and that’s perfectly fine. We can still all get along and raise perfectly healthy, beautiful children.

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