Diaper Bag Confusion

[djbailey]

I am expecting my first child in early January and just started researching diaper bags a couple days ago. I have now thoroughly confused myself.

I'm looking for suggestions on 2 different bags; one to take for all day excursions (so something large) and one to take on quick errands like a run to the grocery store (so something small).

I am really into multiple pockets and organization so the JuJuBe line appeals to me based on reading the posts of others on the board. I will be the person crying at the changing table if I reach my hand into a diaper bag and can't find what I'm looking for within seconds. I'm definitely looking for a bag that has no black hole issues.

For the small bag I just don't want to go overboard.

I am planning on breast feeding, so I don't need something gigantic to fit loads of bottles or formula.

I haven't seen too many comments on the organization of the Reese Li or the OiOi bags so I'd be interested in hearing about those as well.

Thanks for the help!

[tnrnchick74]

JJB is perfect! I cant live w/o mine

[the2bobs]

I started out w/ Fleurville Sling Tote and loved it but as baby gets older your bag gets bigger (toys, food, etc). I'm now onto the Kate Spade Aubrey Diaper Bag and it's big, very nice, but weighs a ton once I fill it up. And DS is only 11 mos old!
Friends warned me to stay away from messenger style bags b/c you want to be able to access what you need quickly, so totes work well.

[MamaKath]

JJB makes great bags! SkipHop has some awesome ones. I like the Chelsea Henry bags also. If you are into utilitarian function LLBean Diaper Bag and Lands End Little Tripper are shoulder bag diaper bags that have straps long enough for messenger, light interiors, and definitely enough pockets.

I would start with your small/medium bag. In the beginning, you can always use a backpack on an outing until you see what you need. I found that messengers and shoulder bags (usually with an easily converting strap so it can be both, lessens strain on shoulders) to be the easiest; they keep your hands free also as your little one gets older/more mobile. Next would be a backpack. Lastly would be a tote (falls easily off the shoulder).

I would also choose some accessories that make changing bags easy. Cosmetic bags, changing pods, a mama wristlet (so you don't need a seperate purse) all make it easy to find things in a flash, even without tons of pockets. JJB has GREAT accessories!!!

HTH~

[tnrnchick74]

I started out w/ Fleurville Sling Tote and loved it but as baby gets older your bag gets bigger (toys, food, etc). I'm now onto the Kate Spade Aubrey Diaper Bag and it's big, very nice, but weighs a ton once I fill it up. And DS is only 11 mos old!
Friends warned me to stay away from messenger style bags b/c you want to be able to access what you need quickly, so totes work well.

I LOVE my messanger style bag for my newborn! I can see the advantage of getting a back pack style in a few months, when he's up crawling/walking. I HATE tote styles - I can never find anything!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ok, my advice is to not go all out on the diaper bag till after the baby is here and you have some time to work out what kind of diape bag mom you are. Me? I carry a small bag with just 1-2 diapers, wipes, changing pad and a small change of clothes for baby. But, in the car I keep a large bag with full changes of clothes for everyone, lots of diapers and all those extras. That bag that lives in my car is the 1st diaper bag I bought. I thought I would want to have a bag that could carry so much all the time but I really didn't. I'm the kind of mom that would take a Fold N Go changing pad stocked with diapering essentials then toss my lipstick, keys, ID and $ into the pocket of it rather than lug a diaper bag around. It was trial and error to know what I would want to take with me. A lot of that preference stemmed from trying to find a diaper bag that worked with my baby carriers.

What sort of purse do you carry? Are you a big purse person or small purse? Your tendencies won't likely change when it comes to diaper bags.

I just don't want you to be stuck with diaper bags that aren't really practical for your day to day life.

I just bought a Lands' End Little Tripper and I love it for it's size and storage capabilities. A bit too utilitarian looking for me but it'll do till I get a JuJu Be for Christmas. :)

Beth

[MamaKath]

What sort of purse do you carry? Are you a big purse person or small purse? Your tendencies won't likely change when it comes to diaper bags.
:ROTFLMAO:Ain't that the truth! No matter how hard I try to break myself of it, lol!


I just bought a Lands' End Little Tripper and I love it for it's size and storage capabilities. A bit too utilitarian looking for me but it'll do till I get a JuJu Be for Christmas. :)


Ditto on the LE LT. I just got it and it is a great utilitarian bag. Can be a purse or diaper bag easily. Not at all trendy though! At least the blue is now all one color not black with a blue pocket. Wish they would come out with a cuter color/print but hey it is LE. LoL! The JJBs are so cute especially in comparison.

[melonkelli]

I've been using the Little Tripper for almost 5 years! It's worked out great for me with three kids (4, 2, and 9-months). I usually carry a small purse, so I wasn't interested in a giant bag. This one holds enough for all of the kids:

Diapers for 2 kids, a change of clothes for each of the smaller kids, underpants and shorts for the older kid, two tiny books, two tiny cars, a soft doll for the baby, two straw cups in the bottle pockets, a burp cloth, a small first aid kit, a bag of crayon rocks, klippies for making a bib, a pile of napkins, my cell phone + wallet + keys + pen + small canon camera, assorted coupons, a small container of dry cereal for baby, a bag of Os, dried cranberries, and an emergency bar for mom. Whew!

Things to consider:
1. Who's going to be carrying the bag. Is this something Dad will be willing to carry, too? How about Grandma? Are you willing to leave it with the sitter, or is this just for you to use when you're out with the baby?

2. How is it going to be carried? I don't use a stroller (we ride in the car or the kids walk and I sling the baby), so having something that can hang on the stroller isn't of interest to me. I need something that can be carried over one shoulder (when I'm wearing the sling) or across my body (when I'm carrying the baby's carseat or with the older kids).

3. How much stuff do you carry now? It's not like you're going to be carrying less stuff with a baby/kids around, right?

The Diaper Bag is something that can wait until you look around and see how getting around with a baby works for you. Maybe you need a backpack? Or maybe it's really important that your diaper bag makes a fashion statement. Who knows at this point.

You'll most likely get a diaper bag from the hospital, so the immediate need to carry diapers + etc. is covered.

Best of luck!

kelli

[bubbaray]

Another (double) vote for the LT. I have two, one is pink. Hmmm, I need to get it out again and start using it more!

I do what Beth does, I keep larger diaper bag in the cars stocked with more diapers and a change of clothes for each kiddo.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Another (double) vote for the LT. I have two, one is pink. Hmmm, I need to get it out again and start using it more!

I do what Beth does, I keep larger diaper bag in the cars stocked with more diapers and a change of clothes for each kiddo.

Can I third the LT? When each kid goes to the church nursery, they have to have their own bags, so the LT is monogrammed and goes with the little one who has more stuff. We also have a LLB diaper bag/touring bag that goes with DD, but I prefer the LT.

And...I keep the larger bag in the car with extra backup supplies and some food for emergencies. When we're away from the car for a long time, I hook the Dash to the stroller and use it.

[wendibird22]

I have 3 bags I'm using.

1. A large bag from One Step Ahead (discountinued unfortunately) that is huge, black with a red interior and lots of organizing pockets inside and out, shoulder straps, a detachable long messenger strap, changing pad, wet case, and a mom's wallet (which I move from bag to bag to purse...very handy to not have a purse and diaper bag). This is the going out for the day bag.

2. A generic bag that I got at my OBGYN office. I use this for daycare. Doesn't need to be organized just needs to hold a change of clothes, the day's supply of BM, and that's about it. I keep it packed as is and it only goes to/from daycare.

3. A medium size purse with a big open middle. I use this for short errands to the store. It is not huge, but big enough for my wallet, a small toy, a small container of O's, and a ziplock bag containing 2 diapers and a travel pack of wipes.

In my car in a pocket on the seat back I have another large ziplock containing a few diapers, a travel pack of wipes, a multipurpose waterproof pad (for diaper changes or diaper explosion in the car seat). I actually have never had to use any of these supplies but I do like the piece of mind of having them on hand.

I have never traveled with a change of clothes for me or DH and only a change of clothes for DD when she was really little (4mos or younger) and I was going to be gone longer than say 2hrs.

DH likes the large diaper bag. He'd rather take that and be well stocked even if it means have a huge bag. He's a worrier. Me, I'd rather travel light.
For me the most important was having things that could live in each bag (even if that meant duplicates) so as to not have to pack/unpack things depending on which bag I took. Right now I can reach into my closet, grab any one of the 3 above and not have to put anything in their other than a fresh sippy.

[Tammy]

I used my free hospital bag for almost a year until I got tired of digging for everything. Then I knew exactly what features I was looking for- and I got a JJB Be All. I questioned the messenger style at first, but it's perfect for me. I can flip open the bag and get everything I need with only one hand. No digging at all- it's all in the organized pockets, or right there in the main compartment, but easy to get to. There's plenty of storage room in it. I used to overpack when dd was younger, and now I still carry plenty but I can fit my cell phone and wallet too just fine. I recently got a great deal on a Packabe (the backpack style) as well and look forward to using it sometime, but it's much deeper than the Be All and I didn't want to be digging for everything with a younger baby.

[ahrimie]

[QUOTE=What sort of purse do you carry? Are you a big purse person or small purse? Your tendencies won't likely change when it comes to diaper bags.[/QUOTE]

this is soo true! i'm a big purse person.. though i don't like to fill it to the max, i like the look of it :P

i shamefully admit, i carry a big designer tote as my diaper bag... sometimes i wish it were a real diaper bag with pockets and things but other days, i'm happy with what it is. i'd say it's a love/hate relationship :)

[vonfirmath]

Ok, my advice is to not go all out on the diaper bag till after the baby is here and you have some time to work out what kind of diape bag mom you are.

Double-Triple this!

I was planning on breastfeeding as well. It didn't work out as I'd wanted so I ended up carrying around BOTH pumping supplies and formula supplies. (lucky the pumping didn't have to go in the diaper bag. I had a second bag for that)

[ThreeofUs]

I have two, one of which is a really slim, cool Lodis backpack that carries my stuff (keys, cell, wallet) and a diaper change.

Then I have a timi & leslie backpack. It's big, but I use ziplocs to manage the confusion of diapers. I had a sectioned-off bag and didn't like the way everything would end up in confusion when it hit the floor. Which it did all too frequently. ;)

You'll come up with your own system. I'd start by thinking about what you'll take and how you'll want to be reaching for things. A minimum might look like:
-diapers
-changing pad
-moisture barrier
-wipes
-change of clothes
-pacifier (maybe)

I also keep a big bag in the car with toys, clothes, blankets, etc. (contents vary depending on the trip) - but that definitely becomes a black hole!

GL

[BeachBum]

For me, I needed a big bag for a newborn. I was a nervous nellie 1st time mom and wanted to be fully prepared for anything! As baby grew and I got more confident I downsized and left a lot of "emergency" supplies in a bag in the car.
My suggestion is to buy only 1 large-ish bag now. You will probably be a heavy packer at first, and if you do decide you want a smaller bag later you'll know better what you want. That large "newborn" bag will become a good travel bag, or overnight bag for later.

As for organization, I get what your saying. But I also like some room for misc. stuff. I want to be able to cram an extra outfit in, or extra mom stuff, or whatever. If the bag is too specifically organized then I found it wasn't flexible enough for me.

[Swimfreak78]

I love my LL Bean diaper bag. Lots of pockets to organize. If you get the "touring bag" it's the same bag virtually with the exception of the chaning pad.