IF you had an enormous changing bag which was always full, when did you start to scale it down?

[Whenisitmysleepytime]

Dd is 1yo and doesn't do bottles during the day so I'm starting to find a bit more room in the changing bag.
But I do not travel light. I have something for almost every emergency you can think of.

When did you ditch the giant bag for something smaller?
:)

Oh and she will be my last dc. Ds is 3 and getting more reliable at potty training so don't need so many pants wtc.

DDs are 12, 9 and 8.

I still have a ginormous bag.

DS is 1 and as we breastfed we always had a smaller bag in the fact that it didn't require bottles but what we lacked in feeding equipment I made up for in changes of clothes,snacks for me,and first aid equipment etc! Recently bought him a backpack in a bid to downsize but it carries a lot still so I haven't actually downsized! I'm like a hoarder in my baby bags everything is essential! I think now is a good time as any and if you have a car you could just leave stuff in there as well. Good luck!! :o

I never really had a big changing bag, as every time I tried to fill it up before we were going out DH would scream at me that we didn't need all that stuff. He was usually right, although once we took a long car ride and I insisted we bring a change of clothes for DS and DD. When DS got carsick we were sure glad we had the change of clothes!

Seriously, you probably do not need half of what you bring, especially snacks and meals once they are on solids. I very rarely brought baby food with me when we went out on holiday and as a result my kids always just had some of what we were having in the restaurant and they are both great eaters to this day - can take them anywhere and they just eat what they're given.

I used a small backpack. A few nappies inside, small packet of wipes, bum cream, some snacks and a book.

Oh lord, never had any bag other than my usual shoulderbag thingy I use for work. Just stuffed a couple of nappies, a half empty pack of wipes and sometimes (if a day trip) a romper in with my wallet and keys.

What else should I have put in there?

Nappies, wet wipes, one snack, water... That's all. Unless its a long journey then a bit more. That's for ds who's 2.

Dd (5 months), as above minus the snack and water but spare clothes

oooh teething gel, calpol sachets, spare bibs, spare clothes, toys, bottles, sippy cup with water in, sun hat, warm hat,nappies, changing mat, sudocreme.... :)

Really? Blimey.

And sun cream and mussie and toys and all my stuff! Keys, wallet, phone, etc etc etc.

Well, my eldest was always my muckiest and most accident prone, so I rarely went anywhere he was going to be, without complete change of clothes until he was about 10

Never packed snacks or water... she just has a bit of what we have. Only exception is a night or two away somewhere, where I might pack a couple of Ellas Kitchen Banana Brekkies as back-up. Though she normally has egg and toast or whatever we have so they don't usually get opened.

Don't pack baby spoons etc either - she prefers an adult sized metal one for some odd reason. Makes it easy. Christ I'm a lazy mother.

I have always got spare pants, a complete change of clothes, a pack of wipes and sometimes a drink/ snack if we'll be out for a while. DS is 3. This all fits into his little backpack, which he'll carry if he's in the right mood that day.

dd1 possibly about two years (pfb and all that). She was a prolific poo-er of the loose kind....
dd2 at about 4 months . Nappy and wipes in handbag.... Unless out and about for a full day or overnight. We never went so far that kind friends couldn't lend us a nappy and spare vest, or we were close enough to home for an outfit change if the worst happened. dd2 has suffered no harm from my somewhat neglectful parenting second time round...

I got a small rucksack when DS1 was about one. It doubled as handbag, but with wipes, and a couple of nappies/ nappy sacks and a bottle of water.

DH refused to take any sort of bag if they went out alone. He went out with a single nappy in his combat trousers pocket. He said he didn't see the point of anything else.

I call mine "The Bag of All Things" and dare not leave the house without it!!

Sparkling's DH has my approach.

Though I do like the idea of forcing my small child to carry a huge bag... Maybe I could get some panniers while she's still only crawling....

A friend with 3 kids gave me the tip that she only takes one change of clothes that, if need be, could fit any of the 3 kids (age 1, 3 and 4).

I am useless, you can always guarantee at least 3 mouldy bananas at the bottom of my change bag! Plus the zip compartment contains paracetamol, tampax, spare contact lenses, lip gloss... It is actually the closest thing I have to a handbag

I never used a huge big bag when my dc were small.

I used a 10-15 litre bagpack (never a specific changing I cant bear the look of them) Once they were over 10 months I took with me:
two nappies, a few wipes in a small plastic box.
One spare pair trousers and t shirt
A small toy and a kids picture book
And perhaps a snack and sippy cup of water.

I definately took more stuff when mine were newborn to 10 months.

And I always carried my purse and tissues etc in the front pocket - never a seperate bag

My change bag is relatively small. A pack of wipes, a sleepsuit, a muslin, three/four nappes and a few nappy sacks and I chuck a bottle in when we leave.

I do have a separate little handbag of my own (Change bag goes on buggy), so maybe that helps?

My changing bag clips to our pram and stays there, unless DH is taking him out in which case it is flung into a corner of the room...

Each pocket has something specific in it.

I would say the most fully loaded period was 6 - 9 months, as this meant weaning + toys + still needing changes of clothes

At that point in time I carried:

Changing mat
Water bottle
Purse with household money
phone
Folded up muslin
Wipes
2 nappies
nappy sacks
water cup
packed food for him
Spoons and bibs
toys
sun hat
A small tube of Aveeno cream

Now we often just take one of those fold-up changing pods, plus keys etc in a fabric bag.

Hmm, not yet...! Changing bag has always been a rucksack and I have no idea what it is in it most of the time. There is usually nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, plasters, antiseptic wipes, change of clothes, snacks, beaker of water, a toy or two, old receipts, empty chocolate bar and rice cake wrappers, wallet, phone, keys, maybe a library book or two, sun hat/warm hat, baby cardigan, old leaflets I haven't got round to throwing away... always takes forever to find anything.

Janoschi thats all I ever used to take too. Could never understand why you would want to lug a massive bag of crap about that you would prob never need. Still only take 1 nappy a few wipes and a nappy bag for DS2 who is 2, sometimes even forget about that!

I have only ever taken a change of nappy, a change of clothes (leggings and long sleeved top) and a couple of flannels out with me. Have never understood why people take out so much stuff - my best mate and I met up in town once with our similarly aged babies last year for a coffee. She had a giant chariot pushchair with the shopping basket full, changing bag, another bag and a socking great handbag, all overflowing with stuff. I had DD in a sling with a small shoulder bag. I did not feel at all smug, no siree