Building Your Values-Based Baby Registry: Diapering
Ohh friend, get your arms ready for some serious diaper changing ahead! A woman I know told me that whenever she changed her child’s diaper she reminded herself that she was physically showing love to her baby by providing a safe and clean environment for them. The gift of love in every diaper. I found that helpful to reflect on during the tough ones (the middle of the night, the wiggly ones, the ones through tears). Sometimes I’d even just say it out loud to my daughter while changing her so she knew.
Changing Pad
Keekaroo Peanut Wipeable Changing Pad $140
Give it up for my sister for this one. What a perfect changing pad. It’s soft, it fits right on a standard dresser and it is WIPEABLE. The last thing I wanted was more pourous surfaces around the diapering process. This is ideal. It is also made of a waterproof, nontoxic Dura-soft material so it’s firm but comfortable for your baby.
Diapers
Coterie Ultra Soft Diapers, Monthly Supply $100
This is my unapologetic bad & boujee item, y’all. And it’s also the one that gets literally shit on constantly - both literally and figuratively. I did a lot of research and Coterie came to the top of my list so I bit the bullet and spend the cash for these super-soft eco-friendly diapers. They are automatically shipped to our house every month and it’s a dream. An expensive dream, but a dream none-the-less.
Other brands that were recommended (and had similar standards for not containing parabens, phthalates, fragrance, cholorine, artificial dyes, lotion or were petroleum based) were: poof, dyper, eco boom, andy pandy, thrive, honest, hello bello and pampers pure.
Diaper Inserts
Sposie Overnight Baby Diaper Booster Pads -3 pk $33
You don’t have to put this on your registry, but they ARE a lifesaver if you have a kiddo who tends to leak through their diaps. My sister gave me an extra pack from her son and I totally forgot about them until one night I had already changed 3 outfits and 3 sets of sheets and, in desperation, I peeked in the bag of “you might need this stuff at some point” to see if there was anything that could help and - ta, da! There they were!
We used them for a few months at night and they were a huge help. Some need them longer and some never need them. Just sharing for awareness more than anything because I didn’t even know they existed before my sister passed them along!
Baby Wipes
Hello Bello Unscented Baby Wipes - 1080 Count $36
You will need wipes for years. Don’t be afraid to add a whole bunch to your registry. It may not seem sexy but they are so necessary. Hello Bello is a brand I wasn’t so sure about at the beginning (it’s owned by Kristin Bell & Dax Shepard so felt a little “celeb baby” for me) but they are high quality and super affordable. Hypoallergenic, vegan and cruelty-free, fragrance free, pH balanced, plant-based cloth and without alcohol, parabens, and other harmful additives. Big fan.
(They are also widely available so I can either grab them at my local grocery store or online.)
Wipers Dispenser
OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser $21
It’s nice to tuck your wipes in a dispenser to help keep them moist. (Yes, I said the word!) Choose whatever brand or style you like best for these but I was very happy with the OXO because it’s so simple. (I also like OXO since they are a member of 1% for the Planet, committing 1% of their annual sale to environmental causes.)
If you decide to have more than one changing station (I did not) you might want to put more than one on your registry.
Diaper Rash Cream
Aquaphor 3pk $24
You know that Frank’s Hot Sauce commercial about how they “put that sh*t on everything”? That’s what I heard about Auqaphor. Diaper rash? Yeah. Red skin? Uh huh. Chapped cheeks? Also, yes. Well, this is one of those areas where I opted for the lore of mothers before me instead of choosing a super natural product. It has worked well for us and we have hardly had an issue with diaper rashes.
Side Note: When our daughter was really little we used pure coconut oil after every diaper as a barrier. We only used diaper cream when she appeared red or irritated.
Diaper Rash Cream Paddle
One of my bffs gifted me this spatula with a comment along the lines of, “trust me, you do not want to get those long nails all up in there!”. She was correct. ;) You can squirt or scoop your diaper cream of choice right on this little spatula and spread away. Just wipe it off with a wet wipe and you’re good to go. It’s made of soft silicone so gentle on those baby bums.
A “Diaper” Bag
Product of the North Elkin Diaper Bag Backpack $99
I searched “sustainable diaper bags” ad nauseum and ended up getting the Parker Baby Co. bag that literally 3 other families at daycare have. It’s nice, it works. I have no complains, aside for it’s unoriginality. If I were to do it again, I don’t think I would get a “diaper bag” - I would just get a backpack that I liked that had a front pocket where things are easy to access. The one I’ve linked here does happen to be designed as a diaper bag so it has nice features (it’s wipeable, comes with a changing pad, etc.) but you could easily just buy a changing pad and pack a little cooler vs. feeling like you must find a bag with insulated pockets. Just my two-cents.
Changing Mat
KeaBabies Portable Changing Pad - $12
IF you get an official diaper bag they might come with a changing pad. If not, they are nice to have on the go. Would 100% making sure it’s waterproof/wipeable. We use this whenever we’re traveling or doing a change on the go.
Note: I don’t have this particular brand but it seems like a good price/size/design.
Wet Bag
Parker Baby Co. Wet Dry Bag $18
You don’t need this but I would recommend traveling with a waterproof bag (even a Ziploc would work) in case you need to swap out a dirty outfit. The nice thing about this one is that you can toss it in the wash and use it for other occassions like pool days, beach days, etc.
Diaper Pail
Ubbi Diaper Pail $70
A basic trash is not going to cut it for diaper smells. This Ubbi steel option is very popular because it doesn’t absorb smells like plastic. That does not mean it won’t smell. You gotta change this baby often. I like the look and that it has a lock feature because once the little ones are mobile, they will absolutely try to get into the diaper pails. I also like that it just takes normal trash bags.
Down side - you do have to use your hand to open it (vs. a foot pedal) so take that into consideration when making your own seleciton.
Swim Diaper
Beau & Belle Reusable Baby Swim Diaper (Size N-5) $16
Friends, do not, I repeat, do not, get a swim diaper that doesn’t snap. Sliding a dirty swim diaper off your babe is not something either of you want. Snaps are where it’s at. I made that mistake. This adorable flamingo diap is from Beau & Belle, a small family owned company out of Colorado that’s putting out quality and affordable products that are available on Amazon.
Other optional items you may want to add to your registry:
A Diaper Caddy - I found that a nice looking basket worked well but some people prefer a caddy. I’d just recommend it’s wipeable because it’s totally possible things will leak or other germs will spread.
On-the-go Diaper Bag Dispenser - If you have a dog, you probably already have those little poop bags. Get some for your diaper bag! If there’s not a nearby trash, you can safely stash your dirty diaper in your bag. They do have little dispensers for these bags if you want one. [Ubbi On-the-go Bag Dispense $5]
