Change bags, do I need one, are they useful?

[Spinosaur]

I am on baby number 3, due october. I have never used a change bag, just stuffed everything into various bags to hang on the pram. I am not a very organised person :). I was wondering if anybody thinks it is worth buying/can recommend a suitable bag as this time round my DS is still in nappies so I will have two lots of gear to transport. Should I carry on with my shoving or try to transform into a person with organisational skills? Any advice, thanks.

well you can make do with a decent rucksack with lots of compartments.

so you dont really really need one.

or you can spend £50+++ on a change bag.... up to you

or you could get the free one from boots baby club but i dont think its big enough for 2 childrens worth of nappies and stuff!

I didn't have a change bag, I had a deep sack-like bag that was my Mum's last present to me before she died. It has 2 internal pockets and it washes, and that was good enough for me. I used clothy nappies so needed to carry a packet of mini-plastic sacks to carry dirty nappies home.

It's been pretty good - it has detachable fabric handles (they're buckled on both ends) which have acted as emergency restraints in kiddy chairs with no straps before now!

You can put nappies, changing mat, bottles, change of clothes, muslins, toys, your purse, phone, keys, packet of chewing gum, plate of baby food and/or snacks, bottle of water for you, nappy cream, hand lotion ALL in one bag instead of having multiple bags. You don't need to be organised - just bung everything in one bag.
I got my changing bag free with my pushchair, but you can find some second hand ones if you don't want to pay a small fortune on this website:

here

Bought one with ds1. Ebayed 4 months later as so heavy. I'm an old pro now - can get it all in a big leather handbag

You don"t need an actual change bag and getting one won"t transform you into Ms Organised.But I always had a separate bag with things I needed for the babes that I re filled if necessary when I got in.Just meant I could pick it up and go out so much quicker! Spend the money on something else for yourself!

Theyre always awful, even the 'nice' ones. Just find a rucksack or bag you like and put your stuff in it. Honestly. I use a large handbag.

i was given one by a friend, and I will use it, but quite frankly, i wouldn't have bought one.
It just seems that it's just a bag for nappies - you can put those in a rucksack, as everyone else has said.

I got one for free from Boots parenting club 2 years ago. It's been really useful.

Not sure if they still offer that when you join?

A normal bag is just as good, but get one with drinks holders - even if you bf, they are useful for drinks for you, and juice or water as your baby gets older.

I just knew that that big shelf of bags was just another collection of 'things you are told you need, but can do without really' :) I will carry on in my own way and have two smaller bags in one bag, to keep the nappies separate, and share all the other gubbins between them. I only have two more pay days until maternity pay kicks in so I will indeed save the money, and spend it on something else, like a massage! Thanks for talking sense to me everybody.

No and no.

Another vote for just using a handbag, and when I was using one I was cloth nappying, cloth wipes, and FF, so the worst of both worlds for stuff!

You don't need a change bag as such, but a pouch into which you put change mat, nappies, nappy sacks, bum wipes and cream, so it's all together in one place and you don't have to rummage, is VERY handy. I believe you can buy just the change pod from pacapod which is brilliantly designed and fits easily into a normal shoulder bag.

Actually I love my pacapod but it was pricey...

I've only got one because I was given it....not spending a load of cash when I have loads of bags.

Naaaah.
I got a mini back pack and use that. Black diamond Bullet I think it's called. still cost me about £30 tho.

enough room for nappy kit, change of clothes etc when they're little, and nappies and packed lunch when they're bigger.

jreally useful not having something that will slip off a shoulder when you bend over etc.

never saw the point of big courier bag style ones with all the pockets. and it upsets me how over priced they are. some are very pretty though!

I found the only thing flexible enough was a plastic carrier bag - I did get a Baba Bing bag off Ebay once ds started on food, but it didn't fit reusable nappies in and just didn't work for what I wanted.

A handbag-style bag that fits over the pushchair handles would look better, though. I find a rucksack gets in the way though.

I would just get/use a bigger handbag tbh (or a rucksack if you don't do handbags) Just make sure there's at least one division in it to keep baby stuff seperate from you stuff.

And clear it out/restock at the end of every day you used it.

I spent £30 on a big courier-style bag in Babies R Us, but tend to use the freebie one from Boots' Parenting Club which is smaller and lighter day-to-day. I do find it handy having the bigger one for when I'm going out for a whole day/night though, but I like to be very organised!

I have a rucsack (so much easier when carrying baby as can have it on back) and then in that I bought a cheep wash bag that holds nappies, wipes, cream, nappy bag. So when I need to change I just grab that. I never bothered with a changing bag just did not like any of them.

I use a picnic rucksack ... you know ... one of the ones that comes with plates, knives, forks, etc in it. Emptied it out and it has a section for nappies, etc, a section for other junk and a bottle holder on the side.

Also great, because it zips completely open, if you've lost something in the bottom.

i have a big bright yellow leather hang bag. with handles fits everything and does for over night. but just now look at kids school bags thats when i got one macthing my buggy. just try to thing about where ur going to hang ur bag.

Not all change bags are £50 + have a look on amazon and ebay. My mum just bought me a lovely one for £19
When I had dd I got one for £15 from an online store and it is still going strong (after 2 years of having loads of crap in it and on it!)

Also the change bags come with a fold up changing mat which is handy..

www.amazon.co.uk/Brown-Baby-Diaper-Nappy-Changing/dp/B0058T6NJA/ref=sr_1_6?m=A1QAZ6Q8EMR7U7&s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1313008188&sr=1-6

www.amazon.co.uk/Fashion-Baby-Diaper-Nappy-Changing/dp/B0058T3P0K/ref=sr_1_7?m=A1QAZ6Q8EMR7U7&s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1313008188&sr=1-7

I've never had a dedicated changing bag, just use my own bags/rucksacks, depending on where I'm going and how long we're going to be out for, but found this sort of thing very useful:
www.amazon.co.uk/Sunshine-Kids-Change-Travel-Changing/dp/B000EDJ19Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313958369&sr=8-1
from amazon, john lewis, wherever - a changing mat that has little pouch for nappies and includes a slim plastic box for wipes (really useful, so you don't have to take a whole thick pack of wipes with you).
You can then throw that in your bag/the buggy/DP's bag. I have two (the other one is a more expensive one from Skip Hop, but the mat is bigger, which is useful sometimes), so I have a good chance of finding one before leaving home.

Ohh, ohh, I like the bag with the elephants! Thank you ivortheengine Hadn't seen one I even vaguely liked before (all too bloody floral or more importantly £50+, plus, anyone suggests I'm gonna be a 'Yummy Mummy' and I'll smack 'em one). Despite saying I will not buy anything until 25wks, I may just have to get this and hide it (along with the baby monitor, swaddle, pram toys and various knitted bits and pieces by MIL). Going with the iCandy peach, in blackjack and I'm hoping this matches... :)