Honest advice: is a shoulder bag a bad idea?

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Mums - I need your honest advice!

I've been looking at changing bags for our first baby (due next year) and I have fallen in love with a shoulder bag by Jem & Bea.

Only problem is that a mum friend told me the other day that a shoulder changing bag ends up being a massive faff, and a rucksack is much more practical with a newborn as you can keep both hands free.

I'm not really a rucksack kind of person, so am I just making my life difficult going for a shoulder bag, or should I go for practicality with a rucksack instead?

Thanks in advance!!

I had a shoulder bag and ended up getting a rucksack. Much easier if you're going to use a sling.

I had a shoulder one for ds. And for Dd (12 weeks now) we have a backpack (which can also turn into a shoulder bag and a messenger bag).

I used the one that came with my pram as I couldn’t find a changing bag I actually liked. If you have found one you like get it, I personally find backpacks ugly and wouldn’t use one myself. Mine just got bunged under the pram and I would carry it to a toilet when the baby need changing. I’m not sure why you need a backpack if you have a pram, if you use a sling I can see the attraction.

Don't be seduced, OP! I fell for a Pacapod shoulder changing bag with DC1 and it was the biggest waste of money (with the exception of a changing table, maybe).

I'm on DC2 now and using a good quality rucksack with lots of compartments. I have wetbags and zip bags to keep things organised inside. So, so much easier.

I can’t really understand the need for a specific changing bag (although like PP I fell for it for our PFB baby). 4 children on I just use a Longchamp navy bag with long enough straps that if you desperately need 2 hands you can temporarily turn it into a rucksack by putting one strap over each shoulder. You can get a portable changing mat from JL / Motherxare / anywhere and just stick everything else you need in the tote bag. I have plastic freezer bags for spare clothes etc as then you can see what you have / what you need to add for a day out.

And just to add the longchamp bag was one that had been loitering in the back of my wardrobe as my “gym bag” (ie unused) from my carefree childfree days, so I didn’t buy it especially.

You dont need a specific changing bag at all! Find a backpack you like and use it! I had a multicolored hype one 😂

Yeah, use a backpack.

We had a shoulder bag to start with and very quickly changed to a rucksack and it was cheap off amazon and so much better than the shoulder one was. Also lo hated the pram so we ended up changing to a slight and the baby carrier and it's so much easier to carry the changing bag on your back and the have lo in the sling in front

Yes, total pita. Backpack all the way.