Worth buying a changing bag?

[Inbl00m]

Hi everyone

If you invested in a changing bag pre-baby do you use it and has it paid off?

I've read various bits of advice ranging from "Splash out, it will last you years" to "Don't bother, get a cheap bag, you won't need to carry a lot of stuff around after the first few months".

Confused!

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Hello, this thread is a little old and the links are out of date. Take a look at this handy page for a round-up of the best changing bags.

Knappy? I've no idea why I typed that.

You need a big bag, it was my birthday shortly after DS was born and DH gave me a beautiful orange leather bag which was the same colour as the pram/pushchair so I used that whilst I had a pushchair.

However, the free one we got from Boots has had the most use as DH used it as it was plain and light and didn't get dirty.

I like bags so a changing bag was important for me. Had an OiOi hobo which I loved.

I didn't bother with first baby as I thought they were a waste of money- just used the free boots one or a rucksack. Now that DS is 2 the boots one is falling apart. I'm expecting number 2 and have just bought a lovely one in mama and papas sale. It's bigger and will fit everything I need for 2. Maybe I should have just got a decent one the first time but to be honest you can just get by with a normal roomy bag if you prefer

Never bothered, never regretted it. But I'm very happy to carry round a selection of crappy plastic carriers and don't care how it looks. Since I was using cloth nappies, I wanted something I could stuff a dirty one into and eventually throw it away...

I have a pacapod and still use it 2 years on. It's a lovely brown leather one that passes as a nice handbag (albeit very large!). I find the separate pods useful as they keep me organised and I like the fact that I can just take the little changing pod to the baby-change, rather than lugging the whole bag. It also has clips to hang it securely on the buggy so you don't have to carry it.

Only downside is I'm on my second one after returning the first due to a broken zip pull (their customer service is excellent), and the same is starting to happen to the second one.

A waste of money and a marketing ploy.

You don't need a special bag to carry around nappies any bag will do. We had twins and used the free Boots changing bag and it worked just fine. It is currently filled with crumbs, snotty tissues, half eaten biscuits and raisins. So glad I didn't spend £100+ to store this stuff!

If you decide not to get a changing bag then buy a big beach type bag and use cheap soap bags to organise stuff.

I did without a changing bag but found that they are actually useful. I got sick of forgetting things. Now our pfb ds is 19 months I have a small child's rucksack full of books and toys for when we meet someone for coffee or whatever. I also have several soap bags in different places for different occassions. One for the swimming stuff. One in the car. It just saves having to remember to move them back and forward.

We just used our regular leather shoulder/ laptop style bag.

Added a double wet bag as used reusables nappies so dirty in one side clean in the other. Meant dh or myself could just move this between bags. Brought x2 double wet bags though to allow for one in wash (£10 each).

Thanks for all the replies, lots of brill advice!

So what do you reckon you'll do op? Changing bag or not changing bag??

I recently saw a 'momybag' organiser. Looks great for £9.99 as can go in and out of any bag used

Jo Jo MB have a fold up changing mat with compartments for wipes and nappies, good for turning a normal bag into a change bag, but having used it, it's a faff having the wipes in a pocket folded away, as great when using them to change the baby, but I grab a wipe for snotty noses, cleaning hands, wiping away food mess etc.

Plus if you are formula feeding, you need to be able to keep bottles upright, so formal change bag is good for that.

I've bought the one that matches the pushchair (silvercross wayfarer) so I can keep all baby's stuff in there hanging on the handle and I can still have my normal handbag for my stuff. I couldn't believe the price of some of the vile changing bags in the baby depts. mine was £40 which I thought an ok outlay. I'm lucky I live within a 10 min walk of town anyway, so I reason that I can always go home if he ruins two outfits!

Any bag with sections will do, but I found a changing bag useful as they usually come with fold up baby mat, cool sections, zip sections etc. Expecting my second so I've just dusted off my four-year-old Babymel changing bag which worked well with my son. Can't be bothered buying another (they seem far too expensive these days), but I might if it was on offer.

Certainly now my son is 4 I still take a bag out that I can fit a change of clothes in - but as I don't need nappies or milk don't bother with a proper changing one.

Mine has been worth every penny, I still use it every day and DD is 13 months old now. It still looks as good as new. The changing mat attached to the front is very useful and there is plenty of space inside for everything (nappies, wipes, sippy cup, muslin cloths etc). There's no way I could it it all in a handbag. I put the changing bag on the pushchair, so I can still carry a handbag.

By the time I had newborn twins and a 2 year old I just used my normal cross body type handbag that I could hang off the pushchair. I had a washbag type thing I kept nappies/tiny fold up change mat I got from a magazine/spare vests/nappy bags. Always had some wipes in my bag and snacks/drink for toddler went in a plastic bag or something-but we usually went to places that served snacks and drinks anyway.

However, I breastfed -if you formula fed you might want something different- though even then I think a separate lunch bag/cool bag type thing might be easier to have under the pushchair, but if you'll be using a car or sling more than pushchair then a rucksack would be good?

Today's so far:

Waking up at 7 and realising I had slept through the whole night

Finally getting round to packing hospital bag (finally I feel ready for baby arriving!)

Realising not long now til I meet my pfb baby boy. (Officially 18 days but I have a feeling it's going to be sooner)

Sorry, wrong thread!

I used a sling so a bag (rucksack) was essential without a pram/ pushchair to lug everything.
If you go to a lot of things it is handy to have a bag ready packed all the time.

My changing bag is a gift for my self and it is worth it. Everywhere my baby and I will go, I always bring this. I put bottles, bibs, baby's cloths, formula and other things that we need both.

I was going to buy one but got put off.
My mum suggested waterproof 'wash'' bags (soap bags or swimming costume bags) inside a tote, canvas or rucksack, or a large size handbag 'organiser' insert in a normal bag and some sealable placcie bags for mess/nappies.
They didn't have the stuff we have nowadays and a lot of stuff in Mothercare she is entranced by ... but she said TBH this wasn't one of the things she said "wow! I wish I'd had one of those to make life easier!" about.
Actually she said "personally I didn't want to carry my lipstick in the same bag as S*tty nappies" and suggested as a PP has, own handbag + cheap tote.

Seasavage I love rucksacks. Might have to buy one DH can use which isn't polka dot or leopard print haha!

I'd second the Skip Hop small changing mat/nappy holder. I was still using it until my son was potty trained, kept it by the door stocked with nappies & wipes and could throw it in my handbag before we left the house. Single best thing I bought.