How to Survive the First Year of Motherhood -- Part IV

A transient, expensive and heavy object and, by the end of the year you usually won't even carry unless it's to the movies or the zoo and, by that time, it'll be filled with everything under the sun....except diapers. For now though, you want to be prepared so go ahead and pack away your matching purses with the white blouses, tailored jackets, linen slacks and high heels that are just taking up space in your closet. Make your life at least a little easier and just pack your billfold and checkbook in the nifty little (okay...not so little) diaper bag that Aunt Mary gave you at your shower. While you're at it, you might want to tuck in a few other essentials as well:

Six is usually plenty. It's likely you'll usually only use one or two but it's best to have more than you need. After all, you never know. Just be sure to restock them when you get home and make sure you double check the next time you leave the house. Double check for size, too. Newborns fit his cute little tushie right now but by the end of the month they won't.

You'll need a couple of these. One for used diapers since nobody - not even the pediatrician's office - allows you to dispose of diapers in THEIR trash. You'll start noticing them everywhere you turn...neatly printed, cute little signs in pink and blue and yellow with bunnies and duckies and text that says "Do not dispose of soiled diapers in this receptacle".

Ziplocs are a wonderful thing.

They also come in handy for soiled clothes - funny how those diapers that you so carefully selected for their absorbency don't seem to absorb. And, of course you're going to want to put your sterilized toys and back-up binkies and a bottle or two in yet another baggie. After all you don't want these things floating around loose -- right up next to the dirty diaper baggie and all the other stuff that you just knew you were going to need when you took baby to the grocery store last week. And the pediatrician the week before. And your mother-in-law's last Saturday.

Oh, you're going to come to love your storage baggies.

Pick up one of those small flat plastic travel-size packages and then check it every time you leave the house to make sure they're still moist. You don't want to be out and in the middle of a messy diaper change and find yourself with dried out baby wipes. Besides, you'll find as you go that they come in handy for lots of other things.

Keep it simple. There will come a time when you'll realize that you've become a walking toy box, but not yet. Besides, from this point on it really doesn't matter what toys you pack, he's going to want something you DIDN'T pack. In fact, your keys will be a favorite for a long time. Actually, it might be a good idea to start gathering together the keys that you would otherwise throw out because they don't open anything and put them on a separate bright and shiny key ring...just for him.

Obviously you'll need to pack a change of clothes for the baby. Make things easy on yourself and him - leave the color-coordinated, two-piece outfits with the cute little matching caps and booties at home; pack terry sleepers and don't forget the undershirts. If the diaper overflows (okay - not ‘if', ‘when') it's going to happen from the inside out. Those little undershirts and onesies are incredible wicks. And don't forget to bring the blankets. One thicker one and at least one of those wonderful flannel receiving blankets. I know that the diaper bag comes with a changing pad - and you will use it - but you're going to want to lay a blanket over it as well. And then there's the little matter of ‘burp' cloths. Pack a couple of them and remember, inevitably, the baby's going to miss them and end up spitting up down your collar, down the front of your blouse or on your lap. You might want to pack a couple of laundry wipes.

Mustn't forget these. Even if you're breastfeeding you're going to want a few small bottles of sterile water and, if you're using infant formula, you'll still need the sterile water - you'll just have to add a can of either powdered formula or one or two 8 oz cans of ready-to-feed.

One word here - Lysol. Go ahead and tuck a can of antibacterial spray or wipes into the bag if there's room, at least for now. Eventually you'll reach the point, like so many of us do, where you'll only change diapers at the doctor's office or at home unless you've got an extreme situation (like those diapers that defy any boundary or those that require a gas mask), in which case you'll return to the car to handle it. But until you get to that point, a light mist over the changing station will put your mind at ease; after all, who knows what's been on that thing before you pulled it down for your little one.

So - you've thought of everything and the diaper bag looks like you're leaving for a month-long vacation instead of an hour-long doctor's appointment. You're not quite there yet. Grab a travel pack of tissues. Don't forget your handy-dandy bulb syringe. You might want to carry along a spare binky - or two - for when he spits his out in the middle of the parking lot and don't forget the little things like his A&D ointment and maybe a small bottle of baby lotion and baby powder for diaper changes. Oh, and don't forget his immunization records!