As a first time mum i’ve got to admit that the first version of my changing bag was a little ridiculous to be honest! It was so heavy the weight of it was capable of tipping the pram backwards and I literally packed everything but the kitchen sink in there. Now I’ve been a parent for 6 months I have streamlined not only what is in my changing bag but also my favourite brands and products that I prefer to buy for River. So I thought it might be useful to share with you what’s in my baby changing bag!
The number one thing I never ever leave home without is a healthy stack of nappies! Now I have tried and tested a few different brands over the past 6 months, but I have finally found my favourites. The Mama Bamboo ones are so good on River’s skin as they are made from bamboo which has an impressive list of qualities such as being antibacterial, temperature controlling, moisture absorbing and breathable. Basically he has NEVER had nappy rash ever since wearing these! On top of that they are really well fitting which means I can have more confidence that River’s daily poop explosions wont end up down his leg or up his back, which trust me has happened A LOT with other nappy brands.
On top of that they are an Eco friendly company assuring that that the products are free from alcohol, chlorine, preservatives, phthalates, latex, PVC & PAHs as well as their nappies being 80% bio-degradable (& packaging is 100% bio-degradable by the way!) They are the ONLY brand to use compostable packaging & are carbon neutral through their partnership with the Bamboo Village Afforestation Programme.
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Next up in the baby bag it’s wipes. Again sticking with Mama Bamboo, and these wipes have actually won awards, that is how good they are. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen me post many things about my desire to live a more sustainable life hence why I became Vegetarian 4 years ago.
11 billion (mostly plastic) wipes are thrown away every year in the UK! It’s a shocking fact I know… but these wipes are made from sustainably certified natural bamboo fibre an incredible alternative both for the planet and for your little ones skin. I recently discovered that a lot of nappies and wipes that are sold and labelled as biodegradable, actually require special soil conditions which aren’t found in the UK. So here we all are buying what we feel are “eco friendly” products that don’t actually even biodegrade in this country. How frustrating is that? But when I discovered Mama Bamboo I was pleased to finally discover a brand that is compostable in the UK, so I simple pop them in my food bin to breakdown.
They are 99.4% purified water, and are the perfect level of wetness which helps me clean up River’s poop explosions without using an excessive amount of wipes.
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So thanks to the Mama Bamboo nappies I haven’t ever needed to replace the original tube of this that I brought 7 months ago. Like I said previously, I road tested a few other nappy brands in the early days which sadly caused a few minor skin irritations. Weleda is a high quality skin care brand and their baby range is particularly brilliant. The white mallow cream cleared up the few skin irritations that River had over night so for that reason I always keep it in my changing bag.
Next up it’s my favourite changing mat… Freerider is a brand I am very fond of, I have one of their changing bags which was kindly gifted by the brand when I had River. The bag is great quality, it’s a lovely soft leather and to be honest it doesnt even really look like a baby changing bag it just looks like a really nice backpack, but my favourite thing is the matching changing mat. Again its good quality leather with an easy wipe double layered inside. It rolls up neatly and secures with a popper, so its compact and easy to grab along side a nappy and the wipes with baby perched on your hip as you head to the bathroom to change bubba.
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Back to my mission to ensure parents use brands that are eco friendly.
These nappy sacks from Mama Bamboo are 100% home compostable. Like I said my wipes go into the food bin, and these will break down in home compost in just 30 days leaving nothing behind; no chemicals leaching into the soil; no micro-plastics; and no waste into our rivers and oceans. Round of applause don’t you think??
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Sophie the giraffe is about as famous as Beyonce amongst any parent with a teething bubba! River loves slobbering and chewing on this teething toy when his gums are hurting him. This little gal is so essential that we actually have two, one stays in the house and the other in the changing bag so that we always have one with us! She is the first teether made of 100% natural rubber, and food grade paints. My only issue with ‘Soph’ is she is quite expensive compared to other teethers at £15.00!
I’ve recently learnt that you never quite know when teething pain is going to hit your little one. So I don’t leave the house without checking I have a few sashays of Ashton & Parsons teething powder in the bag. River really seems to respond well to this stuff, that and breastfeeding seem to do the trick.
It also comes in a gel which some parents prefer, but its a traditional herbal medicinal product that has been used and recommended for years and years.
Since the 2020 pandemic began hand sanitiser has become a staple part of life and I doubt anybody leaves home without some these days. But the usual stringent sanitisers on the market didn’t feel suitable to use on River’s precious delicate skin. But Milton have brought out a baby friendly plant based version which is great for keeping mine and Rivers hands clean without drying and leaving alcohol residue on my fingers which let’s face it, he shoves into his mouth every 5 minutes.
I think besides nappies & baby wipes the next most important thing in River’s changing bag is at least 2 spare outfits at all times! On one particular day River had one poop situation followed by 2 projectile vomit situations when we were miles from home… that meant four changes in clothing that day! Luckily this was during my over the top changing bag phase so I actually had 4 spare outfits in the bag thank goodness! But now I tend to stick with 2 sleep suits and 2 vests which seems to be enough now he is a little older. My favourite sleep suits have got to be from Next as their designs are super cute and have some fun prints that are cool enough to put him in day and night and my favourite vests are from M&S.
Probably the most used item for any mum is muslin cloths or “muzzy’s” as we call them in our house. Soooo useful, even when River doesn’t need them anymore I am pretty certain I am still going to have them dotted around the house as they are so multifunctional! I tend to throw 2-3 of these in the changing bag every time we head out and to be fair I often get through them. So these are a must!
So there you have it, the main contents of my changing bag… Its a simple but effective list!
I used to pack sooooo much stuff and then after a few months I realised it just wasn’t needed. A good tip is to keep a second back up bag in the car, as on more than one occasion I have gone out and forgotten to pick up the bag, so having a spare in the car was a godsend and prevents those ultimate parent fail moment!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post… Let me know if you have any changing bag must haves on Instagram @Shanie_Ryan.
Mwah xXx
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