eaving the house with a baby isn’t the most relaxing of things to do.
In fact, it can be extremely stressful to remember everything you need to take with you and still remember to actually take you baby with you too!
We have used our experience, and a little of non-baby-brain common sense, and put together and easy to use baby changing bag checklist that you can download for free and print off as many times as you want to make sure that you don’t miss anything out of your baby changing bag.
We recommend to either print off a copy and get it laminated, and team it with a dry wipe board pen for repeated use whilst only printing one page.
If you don’t have access to a lamination machine or can’t get your hands on one, we recommend printing several copies – double-sided – and use these only when taking longer trips out of the house to avoid wasting them.
Changing Mat
A portable changing mat is a powerful weapon in your changing bags arsenal. It not only protects the baby from the floor or other dirty surfaces but also your baby from those surfaces or floor. It also helps with the baby to get familiar with when its time to change their bum and know its not play time.
Nappies/Nappy Bags
The single most important ingredient to the changing bag would be the part that is actually changed. Nappies and plenty of them, you can never be to prepared for a post-apocalyptic downstairs-disaster. Don’t forget some nappy bags too, no one needs a stinky nappy ruining the vibe, especially when you don’t have a nappy bin available!
Going hand in hand with the nappies is the wipes, these are important not only for changing of bums but also for cleaning hands, wiping faces, and all manner of clean up duties. A truly powerful member of the team changing bag.
Cream
Some people prefer to let their children be au-natural but for those who want to use it, nappy rash cream or something similar is a great thing to have in your bag. If you use something like Sudocrem which is antiseptic then this can be used for any scrapes of grazes as they start to run around and (defiantly) fall over.
A change of clothes is super important as it acts as a backup for all manner of things that could go wrong and cause the need for a change of clothes.
This can include but are not limited to; being sick, food spillage, falling over, getting wet, or even just stripping off and leaving their clothes somewhere they cant be found. (Yes, that happened)
Whether you are breastfeeding or using formula it’s always a good idea to have some extra milk with you upon leaving the house. This helps with issues such as baby doesn’t want to eat their food but is still hungry or is particularly hungry and finishes all the milk they would normally have and still wants more.
Bottle
Of course, if you have milk, whether formulated or expressed you’ll need a bottle to give it to your baby in so make sure you have a clean/sterile bottle with you for when the time comes.
Toys
This is one that parents generally have mixed opinions on, some say that toys shouldn’t be kept in the changing bag as it can cause little hands to rummage through.
I say it helps to avoid bring any extra bags, don’t pack the whole toy box, just pick two, maybe three, toys to keep your child entertained if the time arises.
Muslin
Another item with a million uses. A muslin can be used to clean up, as a bib, a comforter, a blanket plus a huge range of other uses.
Teether/Teeth Ring
This one you can ignore if your little one has all their teeth but then again, having one handy can be, well, handy.
If your little one gets any sort of discomfort or sore gums from teething you can whip the teether out for instant relief.
Water/Water Bottle
Its obviously important to make sure your baby gets enough fluid but carrying a water bottle can be heavy with everything else you need and cause shoulder and/or back pain. A fun tip is to take your child’s favourite flask or beaker and buy a bottle of water at your destination to avoid the heavy lifting.
Food/Snacks
If your little one has moved onto the baby food stage it’s always handy to have a jar of food in the bag at the ready. As well as the jar of food, make sure you pack a fruity pouch or yogurt, baby crisps, or other fun snacks to avoid tantrums!
Food Bib
If you are packing food and snacks you are going to want to pack a baby bib.
Especially if you are out for the day and you have dressed your little man or lady up in a nice outfit, youll want to make sure you protect that as best you can. Failing that at least you have a spare change of clothes packed!
With food, a baby bowl and spoon go hand in hand and will be needed if you plan on feeding your child whilst you are out. If you are struggling for space you could lose the bowl and spoon feed straight out of the jar.
What Size Changing Bag Do I Need?
There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. If you have twins or more children of a young age where you might need two of some items then it would be wise to look for a twin changing bag.
We have reviewed the best baby changing bags on another of our posts that can be read here.
How Important is a Changing Bag?
A changing bag could quite possibly be the most important part of your baby arsenal. Its homes all the important things and quite regularly of my bit that I need too. It also doesn’t have to be heavy or large, a decent changing bag will be laid out to house everything you need in it and more.
When Do I Need a Changing Bag?
We would recommend having your changing back purchased and filled before your baby is even born. This means that you are ready for any eventuality that can arise after the birth and you haven’t got to compete with baby brain whist trying to pack your changing bag. If you do forget though make sure to download our free changing bag checklist so you haven’t have to remember!
Where Should I Keep My Changing Bag?
There are a few different places that would be suitable to keep your changing bag. If you have a car and plenty of back up materials inside, you can keep your changing bag in the car. Personally, I prefer to bring everything in from the car overnight and we keep ours next to little ladies cot as to act as a back up if we need a spare of something or run out we can just quickly grab it.
Does Price Play a Factor When Buying a Baby Changing Bag?
In Short, no. A £100 bag will perform the same way as a £50 bag but there are lots of features that affect the price of the bag. You can get baby changing bags that offer portable chargers built in so you can charge your phone, slightly larger in size or suitable for a baby and a toddler/two babies. You can even get ones that stretch out into travel cots so little one can have a nap whilst you are out and lay down. You can even go to the other end of the scale and get designer changing bags which can set you back thousands of pounds, but ultimately offer the same functionality.
