What to Put in a Diaper Caddy: The Essentials You’ll Actually Use

Before having a baby, it’s easy to think you need to turn every corner of your house into a fully stocked changing station. After two babies, I’ve realized you really don’t.

A diaper caddy was one of those simple things we used constantly, especially during the newborn stage. We primarily kept ours in the living room during the day and moved it into our bedroom at night while the baby was sleeping in our room. If we were spending time on the lower level of our home, we could bring it down there too.

Instead of buying multiple caddies and stocking every room, we had one with the basics and moved it wherever we needed it. When you’re waking up multiple times a night with a newborn, the last thing you want to do is walk into the nursery searching for wipes or a clean onesie.

Here’s what I actually keep in a diaper caddy—and what I think you can skip.

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My 5 Diaper Caddy Essentials

If I were setting up a diaper caddy for a newborn today, I’d start with just five things:

1. Diapers

Obviously, you’ll want a small stack of diapers. You don’t need to fit an entire package in there. Keep enough to get you through several changes and refill it as needed.

2. Wipes

Keep one package of wipes in the caddy so you always have them wherever you’re changing the baby. I’d rather move one caddy around the house than have packages of wipes sitting in every room.

3. Diaper Cream

I always keep diaper cream nearby. Even if you don’t use it during every diaper change, it’s one of those things you don’t want to realize is in another room once you already have the diaper off.

4. Burp Cloths

Burp cloths are useful for so much more than burping. Spit-up, drool, milk—you’ll find yourself reaching for them constantly during the newborn stage, so I always kept a few in the caddy.

5. Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is another simple one that I always liked having in the caddy. It’s especially helpful when you’re doing diaper changes around the house rather than at your regular changing station.

That’s really it. Those are the five things I consider the true diaper caddy essentials.

A Few Extras That Are Helpful With a Newborn

During the newborn stage, I kept a few additional things in our caddy that I eventually stopped needing.

One or two extra onesies were especially helpful overnight. If the baby spit up or had a diaper leak, I could change her without going into the nursery and digging through drawers in the middle of the night.

I’d also throw in a couple of pacifiers if your baby uses them. We sometimes kept the NoseFrida in there, too, since it was another little baby item we wanted within reach.

With my first, I also kept Aquaphor in the caddy during the early newborn days when we were using it as part of his care. Follow your pediatrician’s guidance when it comes to caring for your newborn’s umbilical cord and skin.

Should You Put a Changing Pad in Your Diaper Caddy?

If you plan to change your baby in different places around the house, I’d include a portable changing pad.

We have a larger changing pad that we could move around when needed, but looking back, a small portable changing pad in the caddy is probably the more practical option. It gives you a clean surface for a diaper change without turning the caddy itself into something huge.

If you already have a changing station wherever you plan to use the caddy, you obviously don’t need another changing pad just for the sake of having one.

You Don't Need a Diaper Caddy in Every Room

One of the biggest things I’d tell a first-time mom is that you don’t necessarily need to buy multiple diaper caddies.

We primarily kept ours in the living room during the day. At night, we moved it into our bedroom because that’s where the baby was sleeping. We also have a lower level in our house, so if we were going to be down there for a while, we could simply bring the caddy with us.

That was the entire point of having a caddy for us: it was portable.

Especially during those first few months when you’re feeding and changing a baby throughout the night, having everything next to you is so helpful. You’re already sleep deprived. You don’t need to be walking back and forth to the nursery at 3 a.m. because you forgot the diaper cream.

What I Keep in Our Diaper Caddy Now

As the baby gets older, the diaper caddy gets even simpler.

We no longer need to keep extra onesies in ours, and a lot of the newborn-specific extras have disappeared. Now it’s mostly diapers, wipes, diaper cream and burp cloths.

That’s one reason I wouldn’t go overboard buying organizers or filling your caddy before the baby arrives. What you need will change pretty quickly.

What You Don't Need in a Diaper Caddy

You’ll see diaper caddy checklists with seemingly everything you could possibly need for a baby. I don’t think that’s necessary.

You don’t need to turn your diaper caddy into a second diaper bag or mini nursery. I wouldn't fill it with toys, a huge stash of clothes, blankets, feeding supplies or every baby toiletry you own.

Keep the things you actually reach for during diaper changes and those middle-of-the-night newborn moments. If you find yourself constantly walking to another room for something, add it. If something sits untouched in the caddy for weeks, take it out.

My Simple Diaper Caddy Checklist

If you’re setting yours up before your baby arrives, this is where I’d start:

• Diapers

• Wipes

• Diaper cream

• Burp cloths

• Hand sanitizer

• 1–2 extra onesies for the newborn stage

• Pacifiers, if you use them

• Portable changing pad

• Any newborn care item you're currently using

• NoseFrida or nasal aspirator, if you want it nearby

You can always add things once your baby is here and you figure out what you actually use.

Do You Really Need a Diaper Caddy?

I think a diaper caddy is worth having, particularly for the first few months.

It’s not because you need another baby organizer. It’s because newborns require so many diaper changes, outfit changes and middle-of-the-night wake-ups that having the basics within arm’s reach makes life a little easier.

And you don't need a fancy setup. A simple felt caddy with a handle and a few compartments works perfectly. The handle was more important to me than having a million little pockets because we actually moved ours around the house.

After two babies, my diaper caddy philosophy is pretty much the same as my philosophy with most baby gear: start with less. You can always add something later.

FAQs

What should I put in a newborn diaper caddy?

At minimum, I’d keep diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloths and hand sanitizer. During the newborn stage, I also like having an extra onesie or two, pacifiers if you use them, and a portable changing pad.

How many diapers should you keep in a diaper caddy?

You don't need to fit an entire package. Keep a small stack that will get you through several diaper changes and refill it when it gets low.

Do I need a diaper caddy upstairs and downstairs?

Not necessarily. We used one caddy and moved it around the house depending on where we were spending time. A caddy with a handle makes this really easy.

Should I keep clothes in a diaper caddy?

I think one or two extra onesies are helpful during the newborn stage, particularly if the caddy is in your bedroom overnight. As the baby gets older, you may find you don't need them anymore.

Is a diaper caddy worth it?

For us, yes. We used ours constantly during the newborn months because it meant we didn't have to go back to the nursery every time we needed to change the baby. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on one, though. A simple portable caddy is all you need.