Recently there's been A LOT of controversy over breast-feeding vs formula feeding, I've stayed out of these arguments because honestly, no one can win, no one person is right or wrong.  Like I said in my previous post My 10 Survival Tips for Expecting Moms, you MUST do what is right for your child and you and only you can make those decisions, you can't let what's the new hype or popular argument keep you from doing what is best for your family.

For me personally, I come from the family of the Big Breast Club, breast feeding was not something that came easily to me even the slightest bit.  With Hannah I tried breast feeding probably 3 weeks while supplementing with formula.  Then when I was having problems with my milk production I tried pumping.  Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried or what I did, Hannah was losing weight, she was constantly hungry and my body just couldn't give her what she needed.  So as much as I wanted to be a breast-feeding mommy (cost above all other reasons) I had to make the RIGHT choice for her and me and put her on formula.  I experienced the same thing with Savannah but my milk was even worse off, barely producing 1 oz a day, so Savannah went onto formula much faster than her sister.  Formula was much easier for both girls, they eat well, they are more than healthy and happy and even when Hannah was in daycare it was easier to handle for her provider.

I still remember being in the hospital with Savannah and a family member came to visit, I was feeding Savannah a formula bottle and she said "well, breast is best, that's what I'm going to do when I'm a mom" and I just so wanted to snap and say "well, when your a mom and you realize it's not as easy as it looks, you'll see", but instead I said "research and studies have shown that children on breast milk or formula don't grow any different, they are getting the correct nutrients and that's all that matters".  Regardless of her words or any other opinion both my girls are perfectly healthy, in their correct height and weight percentages for their ages and great eaters, they even sleep better than about 50% of the breast fed babies I know.  

I personally believe that formula was the best decision for me, my girls and my husband.  He loves being able to feed Savannah and I love watching him interact with her during those feeding times.  Having his help made sleeping so much easier as well.  I would get up one time, him the next, because of formula we were able to share the responsibilities of feedings rather than it falling solely on me because of breast-feeding.  Him being able to help with feedings also allowed me to not build resentment or be overly tired and get grumpy which is overall healthier for the entire family....trust me, me and grumpy don't go well together!

Again, this is my own experience and what worked for me and my family, it might not work for you and you might be great at breast-feeding and I applaud that 1,000% but don't feel like formula is the enemy or that you have to exhaust yourself and possibly hurt your child just to not get looked at wrong because you aren't breast-feeding.  Just like picking out the diaper that works for your baby, not everyone likes Pampers Swaddlers but I do, some prefer Huggies but I don't, I feel this debate can go either way, but I don't think there's a right or wrong way to make sure your child is getting everything he or she should be getting nutrition wise.

Not a sermon, just a thought (I've always wanted to put that in an post!!! eeekkkk!)

I remember being pregnant with Hannah and watching literally 100's of videos on "What's in my Hospital Bag" or "What's in my Diaper Bag"...I watched them constantly comparing the bags, what was inside them and which items I could afford or already had from my baby shower.  I'm still slightly obsessed with these videos, but that's just the nosey in me :)

I always felt with Hannah that I over packed my diaper bag, I literally needed a bottle, diapers and some formula and I would have been fine so when we had Savannah I tended to under pack which made it easier to use one diaper bag for 2 girls.  Hannah's almost 2 now (2 in 2 weeks *sad face*) so all she really needs are diapers and a couple changes of clothes so most of what I keep in the bag now is over packing again for Savannah.

The bag I'm currently using is an Eddie Bauer diaper bag, I think I got it from Babies R Us or Target maybe, I can't really remember but I've only ever bought 2 diaper bags and they were never over $40 so it probably falls in the $25-$40 range.  Since I have girls obviously I needed pink but the grey makes it more wearable.  The outside of the bag has 3 pockets in the front, 2 slightly larger pockets on the sides and one large slit on the back.


In the front 3 pockets I keep the following...on the right side I have a comb for the girls hair (mostly Hannah's), a squeezable yogurt (for Hannah or Savannah) and if Savannah wants it I have a screw on spoon that attaches to where the yogurt squeezes from, this keeps it a little less messy.  In the middle pocket I have my wallet (Mr. Louis Vuitton - a gift from my husband, I love that man) this is in the middle pocket instead of inside the bag so it's always accessible to me, probably not the smartest safety reason in the world but oh well it works for me.  And in the left pocket I have some puffs for Savannah, these ones are the Sweet Potato flavor which she really enjoys.


The 2 pockets on the side are a little larger, on one side I keep a bottle for Savannah (sometimes I'll fill this with warm water if I know she will be eating shortly after us leaving the house). The other pocket is usually where my keys, phone, lip gloss, lip balm...it's kind of my mom pocket.


The rear slit or pocket houses a diaper changing pad (this one is from a previous diaper bag but it's so sturdy and the right size I couldn't part with it), a receiving blanket that I use as a burp rag or clean up rag, a waterproof bib for Savannah and a teether to keep Savannah occupied and play with (she's mostly a pacifier kid).



Inside the bag looks a little crazy but it's really not, it's mostly clothes (aren't they always the culprit of a messy space?).  Inside I keep a couple changes (usually 2) for each girl just in case of an accident, one of those outfits I keep in this clear bag which doubles as a wet or messy clothes holder if there are any accidents.  When we had Hannah one of the nurses gave me a goodie bag that had this polka dot diaper holder, I keep 4 diapers for each girl in this, keeps diapers from flying everywhere even if it only reads Hannah on the top (when she was in daycare I had to write her name on everything). Also to accompany the diapers you need....wipes, of course! Right now I'm trying some different brands so I've been buying the individual ones but I think I've settled on Huggies Natural Care for now, not too wet but get the job done and softer. A pink 3 portioned formula dispenser is for Savannah, right now she's drinking 6 oz bottles so each slot has 3 scoops of formula in it.  Finally, I have a little Ziploc baggie that I keep some Wet Ones for cleaning up messes or wiping down a table/highchair, some aquaphor, lotion, baby powder, diaper rash cream and lotion from (Aveeno). 



Again, I rarely have to us half of what's in this bag but I'm of the mentality "better safe that sorry".  However, as the girls get older I'm looking into creating a diaper/emergency/family kit in the back of our Jeep like the one below. 

Once Savannah is 1 (in October) I have high hopes of being able to have the Jeep set up so that I can just have some diapers and a couple snacks and FINALLY carry a purse again :)

So tell me...what's in your diaper bag? Post a video, comment, reply with a blog post...I'd love to see, I'm still obsessed with these subjects!!!