Remember when you helped me out with your advice about cribs, car seats, bumper pads, potty training, and music?
Today it's time for your help with diaper bags.
You know the drill, whether I know you or not, whether we've met or never heard of each other, whether you live next door or halfway around the world, whether you've just had your first baby, never seen a baby, or your baby's baby is having babies, it's all good. I want your opinion.
What's the most important stuff?
What do you love?
What do you hate?
Which pocket can you not live without?
Do you wish it was a backpack?
Did it come with something you can't live without?
Is the only important feature how cute it is?
Did you get a pink one and now you're on diaper duty for eternity because your husband won't carry the pink bag?
Is the $150 diaper bag really that much better than the $30 version?
Please. Educate me.
I have two diaper bags and I hate them both! One is too big and one is too small. They are both ugly and only somewhat useful...So I'm looking forward to the rest of the advise!
ReplyDeleteGet a bag that your husband feels comfortable carrying. Whatever falls into that category you should definitely purchase.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason to spend 150 on a bag is if you want a label. They all perform the same function but you do carry it a lot, so spend what you feel comfortable spending. Big but not too big (it will get too heavy) I like having a changing pad, but most of them come with those.
We got a backpack style when Gabe was born, thinking it would be easier to carry, and it was, but not easy to get to everything. I like the messenger or side bag syle. I also like being able to attach it to my stroller handle, most satchel-types do that. By the time Simon was born we were basically using the free ones from the hospital (till they fell apart)and other ones that we had purchased for Ian and Gabe, amazingly they are still in pretty good shape.
The best thing we ever did is to designate a bag just for church. It contains church-appropriate toys and has it's own wipes and diapers. This way I don't have to rifle through our diaper bag on Sunday morning and take out all the loud toys and make sure we have supplies.
There is it, my novel on diaper bags. I love giving solicited (and unsolicited) parenting advice!
This is the one I have: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2591372
ReplyDeleteI love it!! It's small enough that I don't feel like I am caring a huge diaper bag but it has plenty of room for everything. If I was bottle feeding I wouldn't like it.. no real space for bottles and formula stuff. I know someday I will need a bigger bag. As he gets bigger so does all of his stuff.
I put my wallet in the front pocket and my keys and phone in the side pocket and all the diapers, wipes, extra outfits, socks, nursing cover, etc in the inside. It's suprisingly roomy in there!
i got a green one so sean wouldn't feel too weird carrying it! he actually picked it out. it's jj cole and i LOVE it. i bought some of the accessories for it also and my favorite is the travel bottle pouch and travel binky holder. the great thing about jj cole is that they make SUPER cute and sturdy and functional bags, but they are in a lower price range than petunia picklebottom {the ultimate boutique-ey cutesy bags!}. i believe cuteness was a huge factor when we bought ours :)
ReplyDeletethis is the one i have {http://jjcoleusa.com/mode-tote-bag} in the green squares with gray trim. and i bought this accessory pack too {http://jjcoleusa.com/travel-pod-set} in chocolate & green. the bag came with a changing mat and so did the travel pack, but i love having two. i keep one in the bag all the time, and i use one at home if i'm changing her on our bed or floor or couch :)
the bag has lots of great pockets and a comfy shoulder strap {have i done enough advertising for jj cole yet???}. you can find them all over. i found mine at sassy babies on 5th south in bountiful.
now you know what to expect if you choose a jj cole bag!
I love my diaper bag too! It's the same as the one that Ariel got. I didn't get the travel pack but I really wish I had two changing pads. I think that's the thing I can't live with out! I also got mine at sassy babies in Bountiful. I also recommend having two diaper bags one for church and one for everywhere else.
ReplyDeleteCam and I say buy a giant purse. You need all the space you can get and they mark it up by labeling it a diaper bag. You should love it too because you have to take it everywhere!!! You almost never use any of the fancy accesories either.
ReplyDeleteHi. I like the church idea. I think I'm going to start doing that....My diaper bag was a gift. My husband's cousin made it. I had her make one for my sister and it cost me about $60. But (for my sister) is was cute John Deere and goes so much with my sister's personality.
ReplyDeleteMy advice...Big enough to become your purse if you want it to. I usually carry a purse too. Because I have to kids in diapers...which means, double the diapers, whipes, and back up clothes. Make sure there are enough pockets for things like binkies, baby tylenol, hand sanitizer, tissues, lotion, blah blah blah. It's amazing how much you need with a baby. I have a changing pad in my car, but that's all. It takes up too much room. That's all. (If you're interested in having one made let me know.)
I have had many. Seems like we all have an opinion. I have a $50 Edie Bauer one I really like but the one I have used the most was one I got on clearance at Target for $5. It is a backpack style one in blue so Lee doesn't mind it. I love that it gives me two extra hands. It also has a zipper at the bottom of the side so I can get the stuff at the bottom. It has 2 bottle holders at the side which is also handy (although I nursed so they always held water for me...which if you want advice on nursing....that is a whole other thing :).
ReplyDeleteWe always used the free one they give you from the formula companies when you have a baby. But I hate carrying around 10 different bags and end up putting a couple diapers and a small thing of wipes in my "purse". I hate the word purse...I carry a bag. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the cuteness. You can make any bag as functional as you need it to be.
ReplyDeleteI would make sure the bag can fit a changing pad though. That is a must!
I have no advice. I'm just glad you're looking at diaper bags. That means you are registering and you won't make me a liar when we put "Registered at..." on your shower invitations. That happened once. I told my mom I was registering at Bed Bath and Beyond and Target when I got married. Well, Target exhausted me and I never got around to Bed Bath and Beyond. Oops. Who needs bed stuff... or bath stuff... or beyond stuff anyway?
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was born I bought the fancy diaper bag with all the extras. I used it for about a month and then I realized that I didn't really want to carry a diaper bag and a purse, so I just bought a bigger cute purse. Unless you are going on an all day/night excursion, A purse is really all you need. However, I also have a separate bag for church. Now that I have 2 kids, it holds toys and books and also snacks, milk, etc. (we got 2 free bags from the hospital, for church they work fine).
ReplyDeleteThe hospital gave us as really nice one for free.
ReplyDeleteWe have mainly used the free hospital ones as well. But I do agree with the others who have said that the husband should be comfortable carrying it too.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am so sick of lugging diaper bags around, I can't wait until I can take a little purse everywhere.
Maybe I need a better one, I'm going to check out these links.
There is a cute bag on http://www.babysteals.com/ today.
ReplyDeleteUmm I had this same dilemma for months- I have been through FIVE- yes FIVE diaper bags. Luckily, I was able to sell each and every one of them when I found out after using them once that they weren't functional, so I could justify buying a different one :)
ReplyDeleteI had the super expensive ones, mid priced,and super cheap ones. Big ones, small ones.... blah blah blah.
I think the reason why i cared SO much about having the perfect diaper bag is because I work- so I have to have one that fits everything my baby will need while at the babysitter's house all day.
I finally ended up with a skip-hop. I LOVE it cause it's not too huge but it still has TONS of pockets for everything. It's totally cute and looks like a big purse, not so much a diaper bag. It has stroller straps attached to it- and they strap onto grocery carts too. It was a really good price too. It's funny cause the bag I spent the most on, I hated the most! Money does not mean best in the diaper bag world!
P.S. Here's a link to the one I have. It's much cuter in person.... and I swear it's not as big as the one the chick is modeling. http://www.skiphop.com/product/21500.html
ReplyDeleteBut- little secret- I got mine brand new on ebay for half the price. I bought pretty much alllll my baby stuff on ebay for half the price.... I go to the baby store- see what i like- then find it on ebay :)
I got one that is like a large tote from Target, they dont make that one anymore but it was like 20 bucks. wouldnt spend much more on that. what i LOVE about mine is:
ReplyDelete-The outside has 2 pouches that are perfect for binkies, and spoons when they start eating foods, and keys etc.
-the inside has two open top pockets for diapers and wipes. i love it cause i ALWAYS know where they are and im not fishing around for one.
-came with a changing pad, perfect for out and about and church
-Large enough for all his things plus toys when he got older but NOT too big!!!!
-Large inside zipper pocket thats hidden for personal products *wink*
-and its brown and logan will carry it no problem.
dont go girly the man wont carry it! lol
I got my diaper bag from Lands End (http://www.landsend.com/pp/LittleTripperDiaperBag~89159_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::ADB&CM_MERCH=SRCH_00001&origin=search) I love it. It's on the smaller side but the inside is surprisingly roomy and the bag is super sturdy. It comes with a changing pad. I wouldn't buy a $30 on a diaper bag, and also you will get a free one from the hospital which are generally pretty good but not as cute as others :)
ReplyDeleteI bought a Zosephine because I wanted something nice to make me feel better about being sleep deprived! I love it. Sure, it's a little bit of a splurge, but I'm worth it!
ReplyDeleteWith #1, I used a diaper bag for something like a year, and then slimmed down to a big purse/tote with a few items. With #2, the diaper bag was gone with a month. You just don't have enough hands to keep it all going.
ReplyDeleteSo, in my most humble of opinions, I think that you need to find something that will be easy and cheap while you figure out what YOU need. A big cheap tote from Target, the Similac bag from the hospital, or something that you already have lying around that you can toss stuff into until you find out what you wish you had, and then when you feel all sleep deprived and grumbly in the first months, you can go out and buy exactly what you want (and know you're getting what you will use) and you will be happy and think to yourself, "finally--something that doesn't smell like baby yack."
Ditto on the separate church bag. We use a big tote from Old Navy (clearanced for $5) and put some of those IKEA fabric drawer dividers (left over from organizing our dressers) into the bottom. They fit well, keep everything organized and standing up (like bottles) and wash out if something gets messy. But church is different--it's not really something that you haul around, it just sits under the pew and acts as a catch all.
Good luck, my dear . . . you are looking quite the cute pregnant lady these days.