The Handbag Vs the Changing Bag
Published on Thursday 19th July 2007
In my years BC (that’s before children) I loved a good handbag. I filled it with the essentials: purse, mobile, lippy, kitchen sink… but as I approached the birth of my first baby it dawned on me that my handbags days may be limited.
As I planned for the birth and trawled the shops – online thankfully - (I loved John Lewis  for sound advice and especially car seats) I discovered that part of the essential kit for any new parent was a changing bag.
New to the concept I soon realised that this must have bag (yes a changing bag is a must have – but perhaps of a different kind!) carried all the essentials for baby’s day: nappies, wipes, bottom cream*, basic spare clothes, handy muslin squares and a spare blanket. And boy did it come in handy.
 Look for a bag with a surface that’s up to wear and tear, a wipeable refill case and be sure it has plenty of compartments within it. There are lots on the market to choose from – if you’ve got cash to burn and you can’t quite cope with anything that looks remotely functional head to Alexandra Bee (pictured). Cath Kidston have an attractive wipeable range and JoJo Maman Bebe is always well stocked.
If you’re anything like me then over the year you’ll lose your handbag to the changing bag (there’s just so much to carry / remember / juggle at once). The contents of my much loved handbag crept slowly into the changing bag, and the odd time the Mulberry did make it out, it soon became casualty to general baby goo. I found that having everything in one place was far easier.
My smallest child is almost fully potty trained now and I can see a new handbag on the horizon. I’ve had my eye on a Marc Jacobs Stam for a while now…
*N.B Bottom cream is now not advised to be used in the first month. See Tips Limited for new baby care skin advice.
|
