Whats in my Changing Bag?

Oh the classic ‘Whats in my handbag’ post, I haven’t done one of these in a LONG TIME (If you fancy a laugh at some of my old posts, I did a couple way back in 2013 & 2014). I don’t know why everyone (including myself) finds these posts so interesting, but they just are – aren’t they? I think there is something secret and intimate about a handbag and that little peep into something you wouldn’t normally see usually tells so much about a person.

Anyway, this time it’s a bit different as I’m bringing back a classic post idea but with a parenting spin, as this is a ‘Whats in my Changing Bag?’ post. As a new Mum I knew that all parents carried round a changing bag, but what did they really contain? At a guess I’d say nappies and some wipes, but changing bags seem so big – what else would we need? Well, it turns out this has to be your bag of tricks – you need to have EVERYTHING your baby could possibly need and cover every eventuality too. It took me a while to get the hang of things, thats for sure! Babies keep your on your toes and you never know whats going to happen! So, today thought I’d share some of my essentials to get you started if you are a new Mum, or if you’ve been a parent for a while, maybe just to share tips as I’m sure we all do things slightly differently!

So, firstly, let’s talk about Violet’s amazing changing bag. I know she’s only 3.5 months old, but we’ve actually tried and tested 5 changing bags now (I know, eager beavers) and I’ve got two clear favourites. Firstly, I love our Babymule for being a handy rucksack and tardis, honestly you can fit SO MUCH in there – this is perfect for days I am baby wearing as it’s impossible to carry a bag with a side strap with a baby attached to you. The bag being on my back balances the weight nicely. For other days when I’m going out with the pram, my go to bag is our Pacapod, as featured within this post. I love our Pacapod as it’s really spacious, it comes with various pockets, pods and accessories which are oh-so-handy and of course, with it’s Dove Herringbone exterior it’s just damn stylish for a changing bag too. Mumsy, it is not – I’d wear this bag when I go back to work and no one would even know it’s actually a change bag!

The bit that really stands out is of course the pods (hence the name Pacapod!) – these handy little sections are perfectly designed for keeping everything you need for nappy changes and bottle feeds, all organised into their own little sections, so when you go to grab something in a rush you aren’t turfing the whole bag out, only to find it in a crumpled heap at the bottom (my first experience of a changing bag with no compartments – nightmare with a screaming baby!) You’ll know exactly where everything is and and access it within seconds. You can also totally detach the pods, which is ideal – for example, if we are out at a restaurant I just take the change pod to the loos, saves dragging a massive bag and carrying a wiggly baby. You can also hang the pods from the pushchair handle if you don’t want to take out your whole bag.

The pods come with a padded change mat and an insulated bottle cover too.

So, the big question – What is in my changing bag? 

Changer Pod: 

• Nappies – we love Mamia from Aldi!
• Wipes – Usually WaterWipes (also a tip for buying these is to buy them in boxes of 12 from Amazon it’s cheaper!)
• Nappy Sacks – essential incase you can’t find a bin or are at someones house
• Wet bag for dirty clothes (comes within the pod)
• Hand Sanitiser

Feeder Pod: 

• Pre-made bottle of formula
• Spare sterilised bottle – I always carry a spare bottle and emergency ready made formula!
• Pots of pre-measured formula powder – if we are out for a long journey
• Flask of hot water – in the buggy basket as it’s huge, but thought I should mention!

In the main section of my bag, I keep…

Warm Hat/Sun Hat – you never know what the weather is going to do so I’ve always got both types of hat with me, as it’s so important to keep your babies delicate head protected at all times.

Socks – babies socks fall off ALL THE TIME so I’ve always got spares with me.

Baby Sunscreen – again, you never know what the weather is going to do so we carry this with us so we’ve got it to hand should the sun come out (usually wishful thinking)

Emergency formula – I always carry a bottle of ready-made formula. Violet doesn’t actually have this formula so she gets a bit of an uncomfy tummy if we use it, I always pre-make enough of her comfort blend at home but carry this as an ’emergency’ bottle incase we get stuck somewhere, I always think ‘what if the car broke down’ or something like that. Sadly, they don’t do comfort formulas in ready-made or I’d buy that.

Baby Dove Lotion – This is mainly in her bag for after swimming as she gets such dry skin, its handy to keep for out and about though, plus I often use a dash as hand cream too!

Spare Vest – If there is going to be a nappy disaster, usually the vest will be the first thing to go, pack spares!

• Spare Change of clothes – including something warm like a cardigan/jumper

• A soft toy/rattle – something to distract the baby or that they can play with in their pushchair to keep them occupied! At the moment Violet loves this soft bunny toy and her taggy blanket.
• Dummy Steriliser – this has got to be the best invention EVER! This little Milton Steriliser ball sterilises dummies in 15 minutes, so if you drop one on the floor, you have a clean back-up all ready to go. No need for the ‘mummy spit’ technique ever again!
• Muslins – Not in the photograph (bad blogger) but muslins are essential, I usually carry two as I use them for so many things – for wiping up dribble/sick, a light blanket, a sun shade clipped to the buggy.

So that is our changing bag – I’d love to hear if there is something different you keep in yours! 

 

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Post written in collaboration with Pacapod