Alternatives to chaning bags

[swmum]

I know there are a lot of nice ones out there but I think most changing bags look a bit like school bags! Think bugaboo etc.
Or they are so expenisve that you have to use the same one every day to justify it and I'm someone who likes to change their handbag every day to match what they are wearing. Yes feel free to call me a poser and laugh at me!
Anyway, I'm trying to think of a way to use my own bags (big ones that is) and just put a small 'baby' bag inside them. Has anyone else foudn that worked for them?
Then I can just take out the baby bag and pop it in a new handbag every day.
Was thinking a nice, large toilet bag - maybe Cath Kidson. And then an bottle carrier and mini change mat thrown in too.
Will this work do you think?
I know it's trivial but I'm nearly 37 weeks and frankly bored! Therefore mind wandering all over the place! And it's nice to distract oneself from the imminent stress of child birth by thinking about handbags instead!

The title should read 'changing' bags by the way. My brain is just scrambled!

Get a Skip Hop Pronto or OiOi change mat - these are good-size change mats that fold and also store nappies, wipes etc and can clip onto the side of your pram.
Personally I prefer to save designer handbags for when I am out and about on my own (on those rare occasions, or when husband is pushing the pram).
It's not obligatory to have a changing bag but sometimes they are handy - esp with an older child and you need to take toys, crayons, snacks and you don't care if it gets food slopped on it or it gets rained on. Plus they hang over the handlebar which is useful. But sometimes I use mine, sometimes not. I get irritated with a handbag, a pram and sometimes an umbrella too (and then your phone rings...)

I am pregnant with DC2 and just bought a plain black changing bag from Mothercare for £30. Not the most stylish but to be honest its only hanging off the back of the buggy so who will notice it. I also have a DD2. I never had a changing bag for her but in hindsight it would have been useful. I just used one of my backpack bags. The problem is you end up emptying the whole bag to find something in the bottom of it whereas the changing bag has lots of compartments. I am probably one of those mums that carries around too much but I would suggest you think about what you will need to carry. For me (for say half a day out) I would need: nappies, wipes, changing mat, cream, nappy bags, bottles, milk, food, change of clothes, toys, spare blanket. Now DD is potty trained I also need a change of clothes for her and the mobile potty. Quite alot of stuff! Having said that my friend always took the absolute minimum and fitted evrything into a tiny wash bag. You may just have to try and it and see. There are also some back pack style changing bags which may look better.

If you only have one baby and you breast feed you should have less to carry so a little bag inside your own bag might do the job. I guess you can just try and see but I think as babies get older (and eat food/make a mess and play with toys) you will need more stuff.

I'm nearly 39 weeks so sympthise with the mind wandering!

another vote for the SkipHop Pronto or similar
tbh I normally just sling that under the pram and take a normal (not even v large) handbag

on the half-day out described below I'd need the Pronto stocked with two nappies, tiny pack of wipes, a flat tin of bum balm and a spare babygrow for emergencies.

Norks for milk, food from wherever I'd be eating lunch, muslin (for bib) is a permanent fixture in my own handbag. Toys attached to pushchair / carseat depending on how we travel.

I sling it all in the basket under the pram.
And spent the money I saved indulging my orla keily handbag fetish.

Good tips ladies. The skip hop it is! Thanks!

And mazzystar you're right about under the pram. Have a bugaboo and the bag under it will hold loads.

Looks good sazzelsA - thanks. And you are right about the toilet bag thing. Much better to have a mat as well.

We never use a changing bag - nappies,wipes etc get chucked in whichever bag is going out with us. If I feel a real urge for a changing mat, I add a big terry square to the bag too. This means I can get everything in my handbag for a day out with the sling.

You can get the Pronto from Jo Jo Maman with 10% discount for Mnetters, thats the cheapest I've seen it.
MrsB what flat tin of bum balm do you use, haved been looking for sth small?

I use a £2 PVC shopper from Primark to lug my DS's stuff around in!

Matalan have some great large summer bags for around £3. and i see that most baby stores sell travel change mats.
ebay have some stylish change bags although i know you dont want to buy one but if your a handbag shopper then i would seriously think about branching out and buy changing bag too
i keep bidding on those yummy mummy bags but they do all go for high prices even though they are considerably less than store prices.
I think there is a limit to what is necessary.

I came to the conclusion that most of the barrier-type creams are just vaseline anyway, so we use variations on the theme, inc Smith's rosebud salve (but I certainly didn't pay £7 for it), some weird Italian beeswax thing, badger balm and plain old vaseline. Once you have a tin the right size you can top it up from the big pot - in fact I noticed in Superdrug a teeny weeny oblong tin of some lip balm/gloss stuff that'd be ideal for refilling.

if she's rashy I use the teeny Sudocrem from the Bounty bag (been refilled a few times now...)

Thanks MrsB, good idea to decant. I really like the Weleda Calendula nappy cream, will just stick some in a small pot for DS.

I often didn't bother with the change bag once ds was a bit older and just stuck everthing in my normal handbag (they have always been on the large side but normally full of my junk not baby stuff).

Would say though that if you are planning on a long outing you might find you need additional storage for your PFB if you're anything like me I went a bit overboard! I made sure I had a couple of changes of clothes for him, enough wipes to cope with any eventuality, a toy for distraction, at least 2 more nappies than I thought I would need, mini pot of cream, my breast pads, teething gel, first aid kit- the full works. I might not have needed all that stuff every time we left the house but it certainly meant that I was prepared for anything and made us really flexible as I could change our plans and go wherever and whenever I wanted without worrying that I didn't have x y or z. Really stress free. (Until I forgot the whole blimmin thing and had to borrow everything I needed from the other mums at mother and baby group, oh the shame, and sadly not just the once)