Lately, I have seen more than a few moms rocking some pretty impressive diaper bags. Not only are these bags fashionable, they also can be enormous. Though I admire the level of preparedness of these moms, carrying a huge diaper bag everywhere I went with my baby was never in the cards for me.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I developed serious back pain including sciatica. I eventually was diagnosed with a herniated disc and required surgery. Given the strain on my back, we already had decided against the traditional infant carrier/car seat, opting to wear our baby and use a convertible car seat.
But what about the diaper bag?
Although traditional diaper bags are super convenient and often come with great features like a waterproof changing pad and pockets for soiled clothing, they also end up being a catch-all for everything from apples to zebra stuffies. I mean, why pack a single serving of puffs when you can fit the entire container in your diaper bag? Then there’s the regular wipes, the boogie wipes, the extra change of clothes in case there is a blow-out, the extra-extra change of clothes for blowout #2, diaper rash cream, a sweater, a blanket, pacifiers, pacifier wipes, sunscreen and let’s not forget a book or two, toys, a water bottle, the baby’s bottle, the infant formula and a snack for mom. Oh, I almost forgot the essential item for any diaper bag – the diapers.
Ugh. My back aches just thinking about it.
“But hold on!” you might be saying to yourself. “My diaper bag doubles as my purse, so what’s the problem?”
Ok, so now we need to toss in your car keys, phone, charger, wallet, make-up bag, tissues, spare change, hairbrush and whatever else you might need while away from home.
H-e-a-v-y.
Now I recognize that carrying a diaper bag may double as your strength training for the day. If so, more power to you! But if lugging around a ginormous bag is starting to become a drag, read on for tips on how you, too, can ditch the diaper bag.
Go Ergo
First, start shopping for a lightweight, nylon backpack-style purse. When I was pregnant, I found a super cute backpack purse at REI and fell in love with its comfort and convenience. No longer would I have a missile flying off my shoulder every time I bent over (which happens a lot when you have little kids) and your back, shoulders and neck will appreciate how using two shoulder straps evenly distributes the weight of your bag. Typically, these backpack purses have a ridiculous number of zippered compartments, making it easy to find exactly what you need. I finally had to throw away my first beloved purse but found many replacement options on Amazon by searching for “lightweight nylon backpack purse.”
Get Real
Ok, let’s get down to brass tacks here. What do you REALLY need to physically carry with you EVERYWHERE you go with baby? For me, it was 2-3 diapers and a travel size container of wipes tucked into my backpack purse. That was it.
Now, this is not to say I did not have other supplies close at hand. I always kept a bag in the car with extra clothes, plastic bags, books and toys. This bag would be checked and restocked as needed. I carried snacks in a stylish little insulated cooler that typically stayed in the car until I needed it. And I never bothered with boogie wipes. What about the germy changing tables in public restrooms? I simply wiped them down and lined them with paper towels or, worst case scenario, my jacket.
Now I will be the first to admit I was very fortunate in that my daughter was not prone to blow-outs and hardly ever had diaper rash. But there was plenty of room in my backpack purse for an extra onesie and a tube of A+D.
So, are you convinced? Are you ready to boldly go forth and ditch the diaper bag?! I guarantee your entire body will thank you!
Let’s have a little fun! How much does your diaper bag weigh? What it the strangest thing you’ve had in your diaper bag? Tell us all about it in the comments!
