What’s In Our Nappy Bag?

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

I never had a real nappy bag with Immy. They were expensive (during an already expensive time) and the one time I did bite the bullet and order a bag online it was sent right back because it weighed a tonne…before I even put anything in it! After that I decided that I would just make do with a favourite satchel bag that I had previously lugged around my laptop in. It wasn’t perfect as it didn’t have any pockets or sections (and you will see that I like pockets and sections ) but I divided all of our nappy change requirements into a couple of large toiletry bags and it was fine.

With AJ (and now with two lots of kids stuff to lug about) I was eager to explore whether nappy bags had changed much during the past four years. I really wanted a bag with lots of sections and pockets so that I would know exactly what was where at a moments notice (is there nothing worse than digging around the bottom of your handbag looking for your car keys…especially with kids in tow…and especially when it’s raining!)  I settled on an OiOi Faux Buffalo Carryall in Mustard. And it is divine!

Here’s a peek at what’s inside our nappy bag….

The outside pockets are usually home for an assortment of baby toys, and a range of other items that I like to get to quickly – travel packs of tissues, snacks for the big girl (a Nude Food container or piece of fruit fits just fine in the front pockets – just don’t forget the fruit is there!), a water bottle and my phone. My purse, a pen and small notepad are packed away safely in a zipped compartment all of their own.

The biggest, single compartment is home to spare clothes and bibs for AJ, and hats for each of the girls. You’ll always find at least a couple of wraps in here too. I am in love with wraps, especially muslin ones and use them for all sorts of things – to wrap the sleeping baby, as a burp cloth, to lay on a nappy change table (or the grass) if I don’t have a change mat, laid on the floor as a play mat, and as a breastfeeding cover (bonus, it’s big enough to cover my tummy if I am not wearing a breastfeeding tank!) This section of our nappy bag is also large enough for my iPad if we are heading out somewhere for my work or a lunchbox if we will be out for most of the day.

The second large compartment is actually divided into three and this is where all of the ‘essentials’ go – nappies in one side, a change mat in the middle, and all of the other ‘stuff’ in the third.

What other stuff? Well, at the moment there’s;

• Baby wipes: Great for wiping sticky fingers, public toilet seats or communal high chairs

• Cloth wipes in a re-useable wipes container: Both of my girls have been prone to nappy rash, especially if I regularly use disposable baby wipes so I now primarily use a dedicated set of face washers as cloth wipes that I wash and reuse. When we are out, I will wet one, use it to wipe a baby bottom and then pop it into a plastic bag to wash when we get home

• Sunscreen

• Nappy sacks for dirty nappies or used cloth wipes

• Small, cotton make up pads: I find these handy for cleaning scrapes, applying creams and even wiping bottoms when a nappy is just wet, not soiled

• Bandaids and antiseptic cream

• Nappy cream: I use the Weleda Calendula Nappy Change Cream religiously as a barrier cream on my precious baby’s backside. It is not cheap but it works really, really well to prevent nappy rash

• Dettol hand sanitiser: Having worked in child care for so many years, I am a soap and water kind of girl when it comes to hands and hygiene but I always have a small bottle of hand sanitiser in my nappy bag for those occasions when soap and water are just not an option straight away. Dettol have released a NEW Cucumber and Melon variant that provides long lasting moisture. Available in a 200mL pump pack, or in a convenient 50mL bottle just right for nappy changes in the park!

What’s in your nappy bag?