When I was pregnant, I researched all different kinds of newborn and infant diaper caddy essentials and must-haves. I wanted to be the most prepared for my little bundle of joy at the diaper changing station with all the right organization and nappy-changing needs. Below is a checklist of all the essentials I keep in my baby’s diaper changing caddy beside our changing station setup.
What to Put in a Diaper Caddy
1. Diapers
This one diaper caddy essential really goes without saying. My diaper caddy is large enough to fit about 25 diapers. This usually lasts me at least a few days before needing to restock.
Now that our little one tends to sleep through the night, I usually also include a few overnight diapers for those last diaper changes right before bedtime.
2. Wipes
Wipes are another obvious baby changing supplies to have on hand. I usually keep at least two on hand. One wipe package for active use, and another unopened package for when I unexpectedly use that last wipe in the middle of a changing frenzy.
3. Wipes Container or Warmer
One thing that helps maintain my diaper caddy organization is having a separate wipes container or warmer. My wipes storage container doesn’t contain a warming component. What it does have is a weighted plate to hold down the rest of the wipes while pulling out only what you need. We go through phases of using it often, then not so much. While arguably not a true essential on our list of diaper station must-haves, it’s still nice to have and makes the space much more tidy.
4. Disposable Diaper Sacks
These are a game changer, especially if you’re like our household and don’t have a diaper genie for those stinky diaper changes. We usually organize our diaper changing caddy by keeping a box of these in the bottom of our diaper changing caddy. The diaper sacks that we use are even nicely scented!
5. Diaper Rash Cream
Another diaper changing caddy essential that’s in the name itself. We usually have about 2-3 of these lying around the house anyways. Our favorite diaper rash cream comes in a spray bottle. This leads to less of a hands-on mess and no more wiping that diaper rash cream off anything else but your baby’s skin.
6. Diaper Cream Spatula
If you’re diaper caddy consists of a paste instead of a spray, this will definitely save you minutes of clean-up time afterwards. Most diaper cream spatulas are made of a gentle silicone material. These are usually cheap enough to have multiple on hand.
7. Windi Gass Passers
For the first few weeks after bringing home our baby, this essential was always within easy reach of our newborn diaper caddy. This was one of those “panic buys” that was in our Amazon cart within a few days to help our little one’s gas. The relief that our newborn felt immediately after using these was priceless. I usually kept a box tucked neatly inside our diaper changing caddy for easy access. Read about our other “panic buys” that made the cut.
8. Thermometer
I previously mentioned that this is a nice addition to your infant’s first aid kit. I actually keep this essential in our portable diaper changing caddy since its the time and place where we use it the most. If you need to learn more about why it’s the best time and place to take your infant’s temperature, especially if they’re less than 6 months, ready my guide to taking your baby’s temperature and which thermometer is best for you and your baby.
9. Vaseline
This is an essential for the who aforementioned diaper station essentials that helps make things more comfortable for your baby. This isn’t an essential that I necessarily reach for daily anymore, but I don’t want to be searching my house for a tub of Vaseline when my baby isn’t feeling well and potentially has a fever.
10. Portable Changing Pad
Although we have a changing pad in our master bedroom where our baby sleeps in his bassinet, sometimes it’s more convenient to change our little one in the living room or in another area of the house. A portable changing pad is not only essential for our baby’s comfort against hard surfaces, but this can also make clean up a lot easier for those blowouts or untimely trickles.
11. Lotion or Ointment
One newborn essential that’s important to keep on hand outside of those after-bath massages is lotion or body ointment. I tend to keep a jar or bottle on hand for any rashes that I may notice on my baby’s legs or torso during those diaper changes. We prefer to use Tubby Todd’s All Over Ointment for my infant’s random eczema flare ups. I usually don’t see any redness or residual rashes after using this ointment for 3 consecutive days. It’s one of the best products I recommend!
12. Extra Clothes
If you’ve been a parent for any amount of time, you know that an outfit change on the changing table is inevitable. As countless as this occasion will occur, an extra outfit (or two) is an essential in your portable diaper organizer.
13. Hand Sanitizer
This essential definitely made the cut to our baby changing station setup. We always have hand sanitizer on hand readily available for those messy diaper changes.
14. Toy for Entertainment
We have a specific highly-captivating toy that stays tucked away and hidden in our diaper changing caddy that our little one plays with only during diaper changes. This helps distract him and we only allow this specific toy to be played with during diaper changes so that the “new” doesn’t wear off.
Extra Baby Essentials to Keep in Your Diaper Caddy
Even though these may not be directly associated with diaper changes, I’ve definitely found it convenient to keep some of these things close by to swipe some of those boogers or clean out that ear wax if my baby is entertained enough. These have definitely made the cut to be added to our list of diaper caddy essentials.
Nasal Aspirator
I’ve definitely sucked out some snot on our diaper changing station when my baby was at his stuffiest. We keep our nasal aspirator close by for this occasion.
Boogie Wipes
We keep these close by and organized separate from our regular baby wipes. These help us to avoid rubbing our baby’s nose raw when wiping his nose.
Ear Wax Removal Tool
We keep this special tool in our diaper changing caddy by default since we use it so often at our diaper changing station. This is essential for removing ear wax, boogers, and dirt thats deep under the nails. Usually, I’ll even keep a set of nail clippers with this tool as well!
How to Choose the Best Diaper Caddy
Different kinds of diaper changing caddies exist with various features to accommodate your changing essentials. Your diaper caddy will fill up very fast! Several traditional “basket style” caddies have handles for easy transportation. Other diaper caddy organizers are in a “tower style” and are meant to stay stationary.
Usually, the basket diaper caddies have dividers that can be moved around and rearranged with velcro attachments, allowing for a more customizable setup. These types of diaper changing caddies also have pockets on the outside to keep those smaller essentials from becoming lost at the bottom of the organizer.
Keep in mind, you’ll probably want more than one diaper caddy. In our 1500 square foot home, we have three! One in the nursery, one in our master bedroom, and one in our living room. If you have a home with multiple stories, you’ll definitely want a diaper caddy on each story at a minimum.
Final Thoughts on Diaper Caddy Essentials
Having a well-stocked diaper caddy can make diaper changes so much easier, especially during those exhausting newborn days. Keeping all your diaper changing essentials organized and within reach helps save time, reduce stress, and makes caring for your baby more convenient throughout the day.
As your baby grows, your diaper caddy setup may change, but having the basics nearby will always make life easier for both you and your little one.