Carrying all the crap... tell me of diaper bags!

irishfrisky · June 2017

Im trying to start slowly shopping for things, but due to the shock of this all STILL not wearing off after 15 weeks, a diaper bag seems like a nice, innocuous place to get my feet wet.

What kinds of things do you look for in a bag? How much do I need to plan to carry? Are there really awesome brands I should know about? My other option is to make my own but since I'm already making the nursery drapes and bedding Im not sure how aggressive I'll want to be with crafting plans, especially since I haven't started baby knitting yet!

am+mommy · June 2017

I'm on #3 and I've yet to find a diaper bag I love and want to carry around with me.

CubsFan7 · June 2017

I did a diaper bag with my son but I won't with this one. I never used 99% of the stuff in the diaper bag. This time, I'll just carry a diaper pod to hold some diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes.

Example of a diaper pod: https://www.thefluffypenguincompany.com/products/diaper-pod-ladybug-spots

Also, I'll also be breastfeeding so I don't need to carry bottles around.

ElizabethSchuyler · June 2017

We use a backpack and one of its great qualities is different pockets so I can separate diaper stuff from food/bottles, clothes, and of course whatever I want to carry. You can find an amazing purse to do all of this too. I don't think you need to buy a diaper bag at Babies R Us necessarily if you can find a bag that suits your needs.

av2323 · June 2017

https://www.petunia.com/diaper-bags/sashay-satchel-glazed

I have this style of Petunia Picklebottom. I love it. It has been carried for 18 months now and doesn't look used at all. The glaze makes it easy to wipe down. It has 2 bottle pockets on the outside, several pockets on the inside, comes with a wipes case and changing pad. It also converts to a backpack which is amazing while trying to wrangle a kid. It is a tad smaller than other diaper bags but I found that it kept me from lugging around a bunch of stuff I didn't need. It easily held formula, wipes, a change of clothing, diapers, toys, snacks, and my stuff. I seriously can't say enough good things about this bag. I signed up for emails and was alerted when they had a sale so mine wound up being $99. Worth every penny.

bannaners · June 2017

I love my petunia pickle bottom! It converts from purse to backpack and fits all the things. Been using it over 2 years now and still looks great! It's plain black too so looks good with everything.

hippiestinkmom · June 2017

irishfrisky said:

Im trying to start slowly shopping for things, but due to the shock of this all STILL not wearing off after 15 weeks, a diaper bag seems like a nice, innocuous place to get my feet wet.

What kinds of things do you look for in a bag? How much do I need to plan to carry? Are there really awesome brands I should know about? My other option is to make my own but since I'm already making the nursery drapes and bedding Im not sure how aggressive I'll want to be with crafting plans, especially since I haven't started baby knitting yet!

It REALLY depends on your baby, what kind of packer you are, and a host of other stuff. As a babysitter I would carry ALL KINDS of bags and my own mother had two boys while I was old enough to remember details so I knew her style well.

For me I'm doing CDs and I'll need something substantial to hold the extra bulk. I like slim bags with lots of pockets in a not-cutesy but fashionable print. For disposable you won't need a particularly large bag unless you tend to be an over packer "just in case".

My mom had a comparatively TINY bag for my brothers compared to some bags I see now. If it held a small travel box of wipes, four disposables, a travel bottle of powder, a onesie for accidents, a couple pacifiers, and two bottles she was good. Hers also had just barely enough room to fit a couple snack bags of crackers.

ariasbabyblog · June 2017

I use an earlier version of Okkatots Travel Depot Diaper bag https://okkatots.com/product/okkatots-travel-depot-diaper-bag-black/
Mine isn't quiet so flashy, but I've been using it for 2 years and it is still in like new condition. It's easy to clean, easy to keep organized and it has enough space for me to fit everything I need for 3 kids. It is also a backpack style which I HIGHLY recommend. We used a across the chest style for one and I was always smacking him in the head when I bent over to pick him up or any such thing. The backpack stays put and I think is easier to carry. My only complaint is that I with the back panel that sits against your back was a little stiffer. It's very soft and folds over when you aren't wearing it, which I find annoying, but it doesn't actually take away from the usefulness.

magono20 · June 2017

We have a Skip Hop and I couldn't hate that bag more! I chose it based on the pattern and it was a bad decision. It wasn't wide enough and I would have to pull everything out of it to get to stuff in the bottom. I do however have the Skip Hop Clutch and it is AMAZING! you can throw diapers and wipes and some small stuff in it and carry it anywhere. I just leave it in the car and then throw it in the stroller. We do a lot of traveling, so its great as its a pad for those gross changing stations and it has everything you need right there. I would HIGHLY recommend that. We have given one to every friend that has had a baby.

kissthesky32 · June 2017

I have a Petunia Pucklebottom boxy backpack that's fine. I loved the pattern, but have always been pretty meh about the actual bag. Around when #2 was born, I started just using a Northface backpack and it's been way better. It's comfy to wear, has tons of pockets, and fits everything in a way that doesn't make me take everything out to find what I want. I still use my nice diaper bag if I'm getting dressed up, but the backpack is my go to for everyday stuff.

ShePersisted · June 2017

I got three different bags with DS and honestly in the end none of them were what I really wanted. I think what worked for me is a good tote and then two small bags inside them - one for diapers, sheet, hand sanitizer, wipes and plastic bags. and another for food stuff like formula packets, snacks or even creams etc. Then I had a change of clothes and a wrap in the main tote. It worked very well and I could use really stylish totes. Also I did not have to carry the whole bag every time I was running to the restroom to change the baby. I just needed my diaper pouch. You think you need to carry all this stuff but honestly for the first 6 months that's all you need especially if you are breast feeding. I tote with two sections one for diaper stuff and one for food stuff works just fine. I actually used a Michael K and Coach tote and looked stylish enough instead of carrying my mommy bag everywhere.

MississippiCatfish · June 2017

I've been using a backpack style recently and highly recommend at least trying one on. They aren't always as cute to me, but it's worth it, because I'm usually carrying one kid and trying to hold another ones hand. Even if you only have one baby, it can be tough to get a DB to stay on your shoulder while you carry them, even in a carrier or car seat. eta I don't mean "only one baby" in the eye roll annoying kind of Way. Sorry. Just, carrying a baby and a bag that keeps sliding off your shoulder is annoying, whether you're chasing other kids or not.

cottingham3 · June 2017

This is baby #4 and I loathe diaper bags. I never love what we end up with. I usually have one "pretty" bag that really doubles as my purse (insert wallet). I do not like to go huge. It just gets too heavy and everything gets tossed around in there. DH always insists on a back pack style for him. With our last, we stopped using the pretty bag about 6-7 months and went straight for the backpack.

One thing I like is compartments. I like for things to stay organized and I get all flustered when stuff just flops around and gets jumbled up!

My DD is insistent that if its a girl, we have a Vera Bradley diaper bag. I can promise my DH will not be taking that bag when we are not around! lol

pawcall · June 2017

I loved my skip hop duo. These days I carry a 31 bag full of 6's medical crap.

kwaldy · June 2017

Backpack diaper bag was the best investment. Although the one we loved from amazon ended up falling apart. Luckily it was cheap

c+mpeachey · June 2017

Well I love nappy bag shopping.....its a mummy item that needs to be practical, but i always insist on it being a pleasure for me to use and own and be in public with. I figure it will be my only bag for a couple years so I am happy to spend good money on it.

So....fav brands for beauty, practicality and style are Oi Oi. IlTutto. Sachi. Look on line for the different styles in each brand. I fpund Sachi to wear a little faster. Il tutto is unbelievably beautiful and quality is amazing.....but you pay for it. Oi Oi is my go-to. Good quality and lovely styles and lots of colours to choose from but also not going to break the bank. Check em out! I am looking at this one possibly.....(ugh link wont post) OiOi faux buffalo. Possibly in turquoise.

froggy994 · June 2017

With my first I used a Vera Bradley diaper bag. It was ok. It was a one shoulder bag which was hard to manage sometimes while carrying the baby and bag. The bottom cloth in the outside also wore out kinda quickly.

With my second, I used the jujube BFF backpack bag. I really like it. The backpack part is super nice and easy with the kids. It also has a messenger bag strap option. Lots of patterns. It's easily washable. Lots of compartments. Sometimes I wish it was bigger by then I'd just load more crap into it. So this is my favorite one. It's still looks nice so I'll keep using this same bag with my third.

Eventually you'll stop carrying it and needing so much stuff unless you go for longer trips.

Ladybentspoon · June 2017

I agree completely with using a backpack. We keep the majority of the stuff (extra diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, etc) in the car and only keep a few of each in the backpack. You can always come back to the car as needed.

TeacherMama7 · June 2017

I had a shoulder strap Skip hop one, I think it was called downtown Chelsea chic or something like that. It was big which I needed for the first year. Recently I got a nice backpack that's cute from nordstroms (Herschel brand) and it's perfect for just bringing spring s diaper and wipe and a couple other things. I love it!

hippiestinkmom · June 2017

I always hated backpack ones personally. Messenger bag ones that can go cross-body are my favorites. Knowing my mom she'll ignore the one I want and buy me a Kate Spade DB. Which is cute, not gonna lie, but it won't match any of the stuff I have for Honeybee. DX

irishfrisky · June 2017

I found a discontinued skip hop messenger bag that seems to have everything I might want. But then I also found a skull and crossbones diaper bag at target so now I have decisions to make.

MaximumEffort · June 2017

I have a petunia pickle bottom I bought on eBay from last time (6 years ago). I love it and it's so cute. I have used it to travel across the world with my DD and was useful from infancy until she was a toddler. It's has pockets for bottles, key rings, a changing pad and multiple compartments. Best part is it can be over the shoulder or made into a backpack.

DuchessOfCambridge · June 2017

I'm being irresponsible and splurging on a Henri Bendel diaper bag for myself. It's just so cute and I want it. I very very rarely buy nice bags for myself and they usually last a really long time because I only take them to work so I don't feel that bad splurging. We'll see how it works out for me especially after hearing all the issues a tote bag plus baby wearing can cause!

https://www.henribendel.com/fi/west-57th-baby-bag-279755.html

cwalker042 · June 2017

@DuchessOfCambridge I love that bag! If my mind wasn't set on a backpack style I would have had to copy you!

ETA: I don't think that's being irresponsible at all, especially if you plan to have more children. You'll want a good durable diaper bag to last through all of your children.

cwalker042 · June 2017

Anyone have or looked at the Honest city backpack diaper bag? I really want to see it in person but cannot find a store that carries it in their store.

https://www.honest.com/baby/honest-city-backpack

hippiestinkmom · June 2017

@DuchessOfCambridge See I'd carry that bag! Super stylish. Kind of reminds me of the Kate Spade Watson Lane Betheny bag. If Mom WERE to get me a Kate Spade bag, I'd probably want this one:

https://www.katespade.com/products/holland-walk-adamson-baby-bag/PXRU5199.html

MississippiCatfish · June 2017

@cwalker042 have you looked at Lily Jade? I love their leather DBs and the fact that they all convert to backpack!

https://www.lily-jade.com/designer-diaper-bags-p/meg-chargry-jde-slv.htm

TeacherMama7 · June 2017

@DuchessOfCambridge that bag looks a lot like my first one! Almost the same. I had the downtown Chelsea chic by skip hop.

cwalker042 · June 2017

@MississippiCatfish I have not but will be! Thank you!!

cmessamore · June 2017

With DS1, I used one that looked like a wide brief case with lots of pockets, I filled that sucker and it weighed more than my baby, and I barely used any of it. With DS2 I used a small one strap backpack that my pediatrician gave us with formula samples inside. It was PERFECT! It was small, easy to carry around, and had just the right amount of pockets. Unfortunately, I got rid of it after DS2 because I thought I was done having kids! (Whoops!) For DS3, I use a thirty-one tote! I love it! It has small outside pockets. And inside I keep a change of clothes in a large ziplock bag, so the clothes don't get yucky with all the other things in there (I also keep an extra shirt for me in there because babies are messy). I also keep a bottle. A bottle of water. A formula dispenser (now that he's weaned off). A couple jars of baby food. A baby spoon. A bib. A diaper changing pad. Diapers. Wet wipes. And butt paste. And a couple small toys. And I add or take away things if needed. It holds my wallet. And it also has plenty of room if the other kids need me to carry things for them.

Asivec · June 2017

@cottingham3 I am glad I'm not the only one who can't find a diaper bag they even like. Ill
probably go with a backpack that's not even a diaper bag.

kalenp · June 2017

We bought 2 initially-- DH wanted a backpack one and I wanted a cute one. The backpack one won out.
We cloth diaper and needed something roomy to transport a bag full of 5-6 dirty cloth diapers plus milk back and forth to daycare and the backpack was just so much more practical, particularly when you have a baby + a toddler. We wrecked the first backpack we bought from Babies R Us and just bought another. It's nice to have when baby wearing too-- a cross body or shoulder style would slip, I think, when I used my carrier and I used it daily for the first 15-16 months of each kid's life.

Karrotelle · June 2017

I was complaining to my Mom about how all the large diaper bags cost a fortune and I need a really big one to hold 3 kids worth of diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, and all the extras (the twins and a little one turning 2 in a few weeks). So she went and had one custom made for me! It's amazing! Each end has a bottle pocket, there are 4 larger outside pockets and 5 inner smaller pockets. I am so stoked! She picked fabrics with my fav colour (teal) too! (I hope the pics are sized ok. I'm mobile so I can't tell)

c+mpeachey · June 2017

What an awesome gift @Karrotelle.

mrsrundmc · June 2017

I got this one. I found it brand new resale for $120 and bought it immediately, https://www.rebeccaminkoff.com/knocked-up-baby-bag-1?currency=USD&gclid=CPf8x4Pop9QCFRtYDQodgQMKug

kaitlinliz · June 2017

I wanted a Kate Spade bag so badly but couldn't justify the price nor was I gonna ask someone else to buy it. We just can't swing that. So I asked for a Carter bag. It's dark gray and white with a mint inside and mint changing pad. 13 pockets (inside and out) I refuse to carry multiple bags, my purses are all big so I need room for my stuff as well as baby's. And it's easily washable/wipeable and that's all I care about

2Dash · June 2017

I have a Coach diaper bag and I really love it! After two kids it still looks good. I got it at an outlet in NY so it wasn't that expensive. DH wanted me to get something for me. I like it because it looks nice when you carry it.

That said, when both mine got a little older I tried going places with as little as possible and use this over the shoulder backpack thats small. It also fits under my stroller for park trips.

So one I used for big trips and one for small.

NYTino24 · June 2017

Any suggestions on a one shouldered (left side) backpack that would be good for baby wearing? After two shoulder surgeries, I need to be practical and use something lightweight.

deemariec · June 2017

We bought a nice diaper bag at Walmart for 30 bucks for our 1 year old, it looks more like a messenger bag then a diaper bag which is great for DH cause then he's not hating having to carry it. I agree with alot of these ladies tho that its really comes down to your style and your baby's needs. In our diaper bag it came with a wipe case and changing pad but we don't use the case so we use the pocket that it was in to hold the changing pad, we keep between 4 and 8 diapers in there depending on how long we'll be gone, snacks, a couple outfits (cause that boy still can have diaper explosions) his sippy cup, toys to keep him happy, food for if we stop to eat and he doesn't want to try anything new, and a blanket because we walk everywhere and here the weather changes in a moment so it's used as a quick cover or something we can lay in the grass as a place to rest and play. It holds everything we need and then some without being to bulky or heavy. But before we bought it we made sure what was needed for our day to day would fit. And thought of how well it would work for us both and caregivers and if it would stand up to travel

08-16-08jms · July 2017

Has anyone used this one? Or can you comment on Skip Hop quality?

NYTino24 · July 2017

@08-16-08jms My SIL has that one and it has held up for two kids. The elder is 4. She got a Coach diaper bag and uses the one you posted with a backpack instead.

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