Changing mats and bags - necessary or no?

[Annie75]

Hello - bit confused about these. Do you actually need a changing mat (spongy/foam mat) for home, or can you just change them on a blanket on the bed? Not sure how much wetness is involved!

And what about when you're out and about? Is it worth having a separate fold-up mat to take with you (I presume the foam ones are too bulky to take out with you).

And changing bags - useful or just another bit of baby kit we're persuaded we need... Would a big handbag do too?

And if I do need any of the above - does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks

[ChipButty]

You don't need a special bag. Think small foldaway waterproof mat useful but you can get by with a towel, no problem. When are you due?

[LucyJones]

I think a changing mat is a good idea - the wetness will soak through a towel onto the bed, and the sloppy poos ofa newborn need to go on plastic
You can join Boots parenting club and get a free Huggies changing bag for out and about with a mat inside for when you are out.

[skirmish]

changing bag = huge waste of money. use a freebie for magazine!

use the free huggies mat from boots

[PandaG]

changing mat at home useful imo, for the time when the wee everywhere at the wrong moment.

fold up change mat useful too.

Don't bother with a separate nappy bag, waste of money imo, just use a biggish handbag/shoulderbag. You will need a big bag for the change of clothes/drink/nappies you will invariably need.

[Clary]

I had a mega bag and mat of course but tbh they are not necessary.

A big handbag that will fit some nappies, wipes, plassy bag for messy bits and change of clothes (sounds a lot but not really) is fine.

Most places have those changing stations now eg in the ladies' loo or in a special baby room and you can always wipe with wipe and paper towel if you are bothered.

[skirmish]

plus, changing mats have these really weird pockets of air that a tiny baby seems to roll around on!

[ShrinkingViolet]

changing mat - good idea - wee and runny poo will osoak through blanket onto bed.
Thin fold-upable changing mat for out and about - also good as public changing facilities not always/ever good.
Changing bag - up to you really, depends how much stuff you need to cart about, what kind of buggy/pram you have, whether you tend to drive to places (and can then leave a bigger bag of stuff in the car, only taking a smaller bag with you), whether your DH wants to be seen in public with a baby pink/blue bag, or will insist that you carry it at all times.
(oh, and if you bottle feed, an insulated bag of some kind is useful)[ShrinkingViolet hopes everyone just ignores the bottle part if it's not relevant to them, but y'know sometimes other people might just need to know emoticon]

[Clary]

tho yes sorry mat for at home is a good idea

[Hulababy]

Not necessary but can be handy.

I had a Kipling Super Nanny bag, which came with a travel change mat. The bag was good as it was shower proof, had a waterproof ining, plenty of seprated pockets, was nice and ig, fit the pushchair handles well, but also looked fine to carry as a bag too.

I did use a change mat at home, just to protect the carpet and without the need to keep washing towels, etc.

[skirmish]

dont get the black bag from mothercare - looks like it will fit everything - IT DOESN'T! if you want anything out of it, you need to empty the contents, and then need some kind of logistical scientific degree to get it to all fit back in again!!

[pinkrangerstartstowaddle]

loved my having my changing mat, wehn ds weed it didnt go all over the sides!

Also used my changing bag loads, carried so much stuff around for the 1st few months, have got one this tine round to but only paid £12 for it soo a bargin!

[mylittlestar]

definitely need changing mat at home - bath time, unexpected wees, runny poos... a towel on the bed would have never coped with the amount of 'surprises' ds threw at us the minute his nappy was off!!

I think a changing bag is pretty important too. Only because I am one of them mums that likes to be prepared! And ds was always sick so needed changing every time we were out!
So I always have change bag with little fold away change mat - which is good because some baby changes are minging and i'd hate to put him directly onto them! (bag and mat came as a set from mothercare), nappies, baby wipes bibs, change of clothes, vests, drinks, calpol, few toys...
I never go anywhere without that!!

[Annie75]

Blimey, you lot are a font of knowledge . Okay, so general consensus seems to be yes to home changing mat and fold-up one when out, but generally specific changing bags are a bit of a waste of money...

Thanks for the speedy replies!

[moljam]

we just had normal biggish bag,not changing bag plus fold up travel mat for use at home and when out.i take small bottle of dettox(free in bounty bag)when using changing stations out and about.

[Jojay]

Changing bags with insulated pockets are V useful if you bottle feed. Otherwise, any big bag would do.

[Roskva]

I wished I had my fold up changing mat with me one day last week - I changed dd in the car, and she peed all over the back seat

[PregnantGrrrl]

definately needed a big changing mat at home in the first few months. pee-tastic at night otherwise, especially when you're half asleep and only realise mid-way through the event!

Any bag with a pocket or two will do though.

[Mumpbump]

Mat for home is a good idea. I used to carry a towel around with me for changing ds out and about in a normal bag. It depends on how organised you like to be, but I think changing bags are a luxury, rather than a necessity... But some are gorgeous!

[MuffinMclay]

Changing mats are great - avoids getting poo on the floor or having to keep washing towels. I found it helpful to have 2 - one for upstairs, one for downstairs - to minimise the effort involved.

Changing bags are a waste of money. I used mine for a couple of weeks, then found it was really annoying and a normal big bag would do fine.

[ekra]

What everyone else says. Large changing mat and portable changing mat are very useful.

Changing bags? I have had 2 and found both of them too big - even though I thought I chose wisely the second time round. It's only for some of the baby stages that you need to carry a lot of stuff around. I do like the fact they are waterproof on the inside, a built-in insulated pocket and have pockets galore but I'd rather have had that in miniature and used my regular bag to take any additional items I needed.

So my advice, if you do buy a changing bag, would be to get a small one. The ones that do up with a flap over the top are annoying. Do they make any with just a zip? And make sure the strap style fits over your particular pushchair. Again, I mostly found the strap annoyingly long.

Actually, just don't bother getting one at all

[cryingoutloud]

I think that a changing mat for at home can be useful and having a fold away mat has been a life saver especially when you have to change the baby on a surface that already had unmentionables on.

But as for the baby bag I stop using mine within 6 months and have had a subsequent child and now we just use a trendy big bag. I don't think they're that usful but have friends who still use there's.

[Chirpygirl]

Padded changing mat for at home is a must, and they are very handy for nappy free and massage times.
When she was little I had a big mat downstairs as that si where she was changed during the day and a small folding one upstairs for night changes after the night she pooed on the duvet at 3am and we all had to move to the spare room for the night...
I do have a travel mat (the huggies one) which comes out with us but I tend to use a handbag for going out. All you need is a makeup/toiletry bag to put creams/liners/wipes in (I use cloth) and another small bag for nappies and you can take it everywhere, having said that I have just ordered one of these

[trixymalixy]

I just bought this bag, which has 3 massive compartments so can fit tons of stuff in. At £40 for a leather bag you can't go wrong. All the proper changing bags I looked at were really plasticy for the money.

When babies are really wee they pee everywhere when you change them so you definitely need something waterproof otherwise your bed would get soaked, but you can get changing mats really cheaply.

For out and about when my DS was younger I bought some disposable pampers changing mats. Now he doesn't pee everywhere quite as much I have a washable fabric one with a waterproof back, which I got from www.treehuggermums.com.

[lljkk]

Some kind of dedicated bag for changes is good. With nappies and plastic bags and wipes and clothes, just refill as soon as you get home and it's always ready to go.

I never bought a changing mat for out and about, but other parents frowned at me, clearly though I was mad, and eventually another mother forced a soft terry folding mat on me.

It's not like baby was weeing everywhere (or at all, really) mid-change, I think they were concerned about hard/cold/less than hygienic surfaces baby might lie on during changes.

Like I hardly ever washed the terry changing mat, after it was forced one me LOL.

[jetjets]

Message withdrawn