The Definitive Guide to Diaper Bags

I have a friend who bought a minivan upon the birth of her first child. While her son took up a mere 22 inches of space in the car, she filled it with entire mega packs of diapers, a stroller that was never folded down, and a complete chest of drawers in the very back to hold extra clothes, wipes, toys, snacks, and random infant whatnot. The amount of baby supplies in that van could have outfitted an entire daycare, but she enjoys spending time shopping and eating out, so having all that stuff on hand made her feel secure. It was a rolling nursery, but it kind of made sense based on the amount of time she liked to spend away from home.

It was no surprise when this friend purchased a very large, vinyl-covered diaper bag (aptly named The Mothership, by Fleurville) when her second child arrived. The bag is big enough to hold the large diapers her toddler son needs, plus his goldfish crackers, sippy cup, and a couple of crayons to keep him busy, while leaving plenty of room for newborn diapers, burp cloths, and the nearly 10 million wet wipes mothers of multiple munchkins go through each day.

Take a look at your purse and car. If either one is large or overflowing, there's a good chance you could use a big diaper bag. You'll be at your wits' end with a slimmed down model that only fits a spare diaper and a couple of wipes. Where will you put your wallet, your cell phone, your grocery list, gum, mints, sunglasses, keys, lipstick, checkbook, hairbrush, tissues, spare nursing pads, formula powder, tube of diaper cream, teething rings, etc.? If you tend to over pack on vacation and your stuff takes up more than 50 percent of the closet space in the bedroom, go with an oversized bag. Big bags are great for moms of multiples and they're also a good choice for the family with a preschooler and a new baby.