The Military PCS Diaper Checklist for Families With Babies
A PCS move with a baby comes down to one rule: carry your own diaper supply and do not count on the store at the other end. This checklist gets you there. Work it top to bottom.
Before you leave: do the math
- Count your diapers per day. Newborns run 8 to 12 a day, dropping to 6 to 8 later in the first year.
- Multiply by your travel days, then add the days before your household goods arrive, then add three more. Moves run long.
- Buy that number before you go, in the right size by weight. If your baby is near the top of a size, buy the back half of your pile one size up.
- Pack a two-week wipes supply. You will not want to hunt for wipes in a new town.
The car bag: never goes on the truck
- Diapers for every travel day plus the first three nights
- Wipes, changing pad, rash cream, two full outfits
- Trash bags and hand sanitizer for roadside changes
The gap plan
- Size your buy-ahead pile to cover the gap between the old store and the new one, not the drive. Lodging with no car and a delayed shipment is where families run out.
- Before you arrive, find the nearest store and the commissary hours at your new base.
On the road
- Change every 2 to 3 hours and at every stop. A soiled diaper left on too long is the top cause of rash, and a rash in the car is a miserable way to move.
If money is tight this month
- A move is expensive. Call 211 for a local diaper bank, and know that WIC does not cover diapers so you are not missing a benefit you already had.
A sponsor-backed diaper subscription for military families is on the way. Add your family to the waitlist at thetoagency.co/list.