How do you organise baby bags when out and about?

[ridl14]

Hoping not to get ridiculed! My baby is 7 months. I feel like I'm packing as if for a weekend away just to go to a baby group with him. First time mum obviously.

I was given a large cloth duffel (?) bag by a family member to use as a nappy bag. It's got good capacity but is basically one big sack and I find it really hard to find things in it and bring a cloth tote as well. Also feel like stuff just ends up everywhere and I find the chaos overwhelming but also need everything visible or in an easy to reach place or I end up packing double.

The weather changing constantly isn't helping! Left in freezing fog this morning and it was really sunny and warm by the time we went to a cafe after my baby group.

In an attempt to sort myself out I now have:

• a pram organiser, thinking to put keys, phone, wallet, wipes, muslin at least, hopefully eliminate the need for my tote.

• a secondhand Bugaboo with a much more accessible pram basket underneath than the last one.

• a pram parasol (hopefully not as urgent if I don't have his sun hat for shade)

• I've sorted the nappy bag contents into different mesh bags which has helped

• thinking to put a caddy in the car with spare nappies, outfit, blanket

Current nappy bag contents:

• thin cloth blanket, muslin for wiping, large muslin for feeding cover (which tbh I hardly use)

• two toys

• jumper, spare vest x 2, spare leggings x 2, a hooded tracksuit all in one in case of cold, sun hat, knitted hat, baby sunglasses

• changing pad with nappies, wipes, bags, nappy cream

• Ziploc bag with some toiletries (is this ridiculous? Probably) travel size moisturiser, teething gel (no teeth yet and not used yet)

• baby sling in two parts + hooded cover for sling in case of rain/cold

Side pocket: hand sanitiser, saline spray (baby has a cold currently), thermometer

Tote had a bib, container with his food, Ziploc bag with cup and baby spoon

How do I ruthlessly drop some baggage?

Far, far too much. I like be prepared but this is insane.

Surely you keep your keys, phone and purse in your bag.

You don’t need toileteries or a theremoter on a trip to a baby group. You just need one spare set of clothes. Why do you need a pram and a sling at a baby group? If you’re taking a pram leave the sling in the base of that.

At 7 months he will only be having 2 meals a day so feed him at home.

Honestly its a lot....

my rucksack has:

• one spare outfit in a zip lock bag. A jumper goes on top for luck in winter
• A couple of spoons and 1-2 pouches in a ziplock bag
• Travel change kit has at most 3 nappies half a pack of wipes and a tube of nappy cream.
• Snack pouch ( like a pencil case but fabric. It has baby biscuits, fruit roll ups for if i am in a jam) your baby is too young to need this
• pack of dummies

Pram has a couple of toys attached with tethers which were ignored
My stuff: hand sanitiser, tissues, phone, keys maybe a sippycup gods in my regular handbag which just goes over pramhandles.

You dont need all this stuff

Pouches for everything.

Pouch/wet bag with change of clothes.

Pouch for snacks.

Pouch with a couple toys in.

Pouch for makeup.

Wallet.

Keys.

Drink.

Easy to transfer relevant stuff between bags. I just used like make up bag/pencil case type pouches.

Sounds a bit excessive @ridl14, and u say that as an overpacker 😂 Although I appreciate that it’s super overwhelming at first!

• nappies
• wipes
• hand sanitizer
• change of clothes
• small toy
• dummy if used

I’d also fling a blanket & rain cover in the pram basket.

My lifesaver was a back pack with plenty of compartments . It meant I was hands free too .

This is crazy!! Sun hat and baby sunglasses?! It's October tomorrow!
1 spare outfit and an extra layer. You don't need to take a thermometer out with you, not teething gel! What do you need moisturiser for?!

I used to have

Spare set of clothes and an extra jumper if the weather called for it
Nappies, wipes, nappy bags and sudocreme
A toy.
A snack or lunch if we were out at eating times

Thanks, I will drop the toiletries etc and just leave at home.

Phone keys etc do go in my bag (tote) but I'd like not to need a bag for myself at all just use a small one on the pram, less to carry when I don't have pockets.

He's on 3 meals now, I'm usually out between 9.30 and 13.30/14.00 as we go to a cafe afterwards and group is 1h30 anyway. Trying to keep mealtimes consistent.

No idea why I have moisturiser in there 😭 you're right.

And yet I used the sunhat! It was really sunny, he fussed and fed to sleep on me as the group was ending. Put him in the sling to go to our cafe as I've found transferring him into pram can wake him up if he's not fallen asleep in it.

Thank you! I know it's too much for sure and does feel overwhelming. I'm definitely panic packing too.

Thanks for the list and like the pram basket top!

He's not going to burn now though, he will need some vitamin D!

This is great! I have just got mesh bags for everything (and a wet bag is in the nappy bag in case of a big mess on clothes but have still not used it, probably more pointless hoarding).

Until DD2 was toilet trained a few months ago (so about 5 years of small ones), I just stuffed 2-4 nappies and a pack of wipes in my handbag and bought anything else while out or went back home if baby needed a big change (which only happened once when DD projectile vomited at the zoo). I BF though so didn’t need bottles or similar. I did start with a changing bag but it was a right faff and made me feel like a pack horse so I dropped it after around 2 months. Now I carry wipes and a pair of spare pants for each child in my handbag.

I wish! I've been looking at some. I feel bad if I don't use the duffel from family member but it takes up so much space and I clearly overfill it!

That's fantastic 🙏🏼 I breastfeed as well, why do I have so much stuff. Definitely think I've had some PPA I feel like I have to cover all outcomes, literally rain or shine

Are you ok? Have you spoken to your GP? Xx

I’ve got my second child now - was bringing too much first time around

now a nappy and pack of wipes and a spare vest and leggings is chucked in

bacj of my buggy has a little zip compartment so I thr olittle a load of. Snacks in there and my keys and phone

bring 1 water bottle that we can both drink out of!

Ditch the bag you were given. Your bag when you have a baby is one of your most used items. It needs to be right. Go shopping and get something smaller.
tell them the one they bought will be perfect for holidays.

Ditch the bag you were given. Your bag when you have a baby is one of your most used items. It needs to be right. Go shopping and get something smaller.
tell them the one they bought will be perfect for holidays.

I have children have always managed to need multiple changes of clothes for various reasons so 2 changes of clothes. At that age 2 vests and 2 baby grows. 4 nappies, a spare blanket, pack of wipe, my keys phone wallet, did often used to take some nappy cream. A drink and snack for me and a pouch and snack for them. I put the outfits in plastic ziplock bags. Which were handy for containing the messy clothing until we got home. I shoved most it under the pram

Get your own nappy bag. They honestly won't mind. Almost everyone uses a compartmentalised one.

But equally you're carrying everything but your kitchen sink around...

I take two nappies, wipes, nappy bags, a spare change of clothes, a sun hat, some baby sunglasses, calpol, a dummy and two toys, and my bag is half empty. I'm usually wearing my sling, but if I take the pram, I put the sling underneath. That's it. Phone and keys go in if I've got no pockets but I try to avoid that. A front pocket has magnetic bingo for DS, and his hat and glasses. I lob in a snack pot or two in the morning.

I could probably go down to one toy and remove the sunglasses, but DD is quite sensitive to the sun, so they're handy. I'll replace them with a foldable wetsuit when the weather changes.

All I take is a sterilised bottle and a bottle of ready to drink formula. A couple of baby friendly snacks, nappy, wipes and cream and a couple of nappy bags. A hand sanitizer and a change of clothes for the baby. Usually have a muslin under the buggy.

At 11 months my nappy bag would contain:
Nappies
Wetwipes
Spare clothes (1 trousers, 1 top)
Food
Suncream if sunny
A bottle
A dummy
Phone
Keys

Mine's a complete mess I just chuck everything in mostly.

Insane, with all due respect.

I have a small shoulder bag.

2-3 nappies, a small cream, a folded sheet of baking paper as an emergency change mat, snacks, nappy bags, a thin pack of wipes, two thin extra layers for changes, and some duck food, his drink.

Also fits my keys and phone if needed, but I'm rigorous about buying clothes with pockets.

I also have a very small medikit in the bottom of the pram with essentials - plasters etc.

Taking less is very liberating.

Diaper bag, 2 dc:
2 diapers each, change pad, large receiving blanket for multiple uses. Package of wipes, a few old washcloths, mini Sudocream, Wet Ones anti-bac. Sometimes I've also got bleach wipes which I use for change tables which are never cleaned. Otherwise I wipe everything with Wet Ones anti-bac to economize space in the bag.
Small zip-lock with a few bandaids, med masks, eye drop/saline, lip balm. An extra zip bag for a dirty diaper in case I can't throw it away immediately. Ie, have had to change poo diaper at the side of the road.
Water bottles for 3.
Plastic container with snacks to share.
Handcream, sunscreen, sunglasses.
I hang the bag from the stroller handle and use the bottom stroller basket space for rain cover if nec, an old beach towel, and extra clothes if needed or to put jackets in.

Gratefully, older dc is out of diapers and either wearing a pull-up or real underwear now, but this is recent. I'm carrying extras just in case.

Same age child and I take:
Stroller and rain cover and blanket in the stroller basket, cosy toes if cold when I set out:
Rucksack (cheap karrimore 20 l) with changing mat with three nappies in a zip lock bag, wipes and nappy bags
Spare baby gro and a jumper for him
Muslin cloth
Baby toy hanging on stroller
For me, keys, phone, purse, portable phone charger.
I haven't fed him solids outside the house yet but would add a zip lock bag with a silicone bib, pot of food and a couple of spoons

I don't go far and tend to take the approach that if it all goes disastrously we can go home!