MCNP Blog Carnival: What's in our diaper bag?

This post is written for the MCNP EB/Expo Blog Carnival with the theme "The Modern Cloth Nappy: The Practical Choice for Moms Today"  We aim to share and spread the knowledge and encourage moms to switch to cloth diapers.  Please scroll below to read the other carnival posts about switching to cloth, cloth diaper styles or preferred diaper for specific times. 

With my N, cloth diapering was a part-time endeavour.  We switched to cloth when she was about 6-7 months and only during the day time and at home.  Back in 2008, there were few moms who were into cloth diapers and there was no support or information group like the MCNP yet.  I remember using Next9's first generation diapers - the velcro and sized Tushy Wushy diapers.   At that time, we were afraid of leaks and chose to go disposables at night and whenever we had to go out.

In our efforts to go green, we decided to fully cloth diaper baby E.  We reused the cloth diapers previously used by my daughter N and niece A.  I also purchased assorted brands during various online sales.  We have about 50 cloth diapers, enough for fully cloth diapering a baby, as long as you wash every other day.  It is a mix of assorted diapers - pockets, all in ones, all in twos.

our trim diapers

For our day-outs, our favorite diapers are our trim diapers - grovia All-in-one or all-in-two or bitti tutto.  We prefer not to bring pockets because they add to the bulk of our diaper bag (but our pockets are excellent for overnight use!).

Aside from diapers, we also use cloth wipes.  When E was younger, we needed about 7 diapers for whole-day affairs while 3-4 diapers were sufficient for half-day jaunts.  Now that E is about 14 months, we now just bring about 4 diapers for whole day affairs.

We also need to bring a pair of clean/dirty zip bags to store the new and used diapers. Since we opted to use cloth wipes, we needed to bring a pouch to hold our cloth wipes.  Previously, we brought wet cloth wipes but found that we weren't able to use them all and it could be a breeding ground for bacteria so we switched to dry wipes.  

what's in our diaper bag?

We also needed to bring a small bottle of water spray to we the wipes.  Since E is eating solids, his poop has become more solid, allowing us to just drop it in the toilet bowl when he does his business outside.  He also has become aware of his toilet habits and gives signals when he needs to go so sometimes, we are able to let him poop in the toilet!

Finally, a changing pad is a must – especially since changing tables at most public bathrooms don’t seemed to be cleaned at all! Other must-haves include a receiving blanket, some lampin (for when we need to wipe up some spills or mess), change of clothes and a baby salve. 

Are you a cloth diapering mom? What’s in your bag? Hesitant to try cloth diapers? Share your concerns. If you are interested to learn more about cloth diapering, join the MCNP EB/Expo on 24 March 2013!  Visit the FB page or click the poster below for more details!

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Check out the entries of the other participants:
Buntis' The Art of Cloth Diapering
Ash N' Boo's The Modern Cloth Nappy: The Practical Choice for Moms Today
ms. Masungit's Cloth Diapering Away from Home
Adventures on Planet Mom's Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Skeptic
Changing Nappies in High Heels' Why Cloth Diapers
Organized Junk's Cloth Diapers: Know your Stuff
Kingdom Cow's Why We Chose Cloth