What to pack in a nappy bag

I like to be organised.  I don't always achieve that aim.  So, with that in mind, I thought I would do up a little checklist of things to put into a nappy bag for those who are new parents.  I have based this purely on my own experience with

• Disposable Nappies - I kept a minimum of 5 in my bag at any one time.   When both my kids were in nappies and wearing different sizes, I would keep Lyssy's nappies on the left side of the bag (L for left and L for Lyssy) and Gracie's on the right (R for right and R in gRacie).
• Nappy bag - These are packets of little scented plastic bags which are great for putting used nappies in when you're out, or for concealing the smell of a soiled nappy if you're putting it in someone else's bin.  Also useful for putting wet clothes in.
• Baby wipes - You can get small packets suitable for taking in a nappy bag at the supermarket.  If I couldn't get a small packet, I would take a stack of babywipes from the big packet and put them in a ziplock bag.  They stay moist and that sometimes works better than the small packets!  Cheaper too
• Tissues - A small packet.  Or, like the baby wipes, take a stack and put them in a ziplock bag.  Useful for so many things.
• Nappy cream - I kept a second tube at all times in the nappy bag so I would always have one on hand.
• Jars of babyfood - I would usually make my own babyfood at home, but when I was out and about, it was much better to have a jar of babyfood. It stays fresh as long as you don't open the jar and you could feed baby straight from the jar (which you can't really do with the canned stuff).
• Plastic teaspoons - I would try and take one of my normal baby spoons if I expected to be out, but just in case I forgot (easy to do!) I would keep a packet of plastic teaspoons in the bag in a pocket where they would not get crushed or broken.  Then they could be thrown away at the end of the meal. 
• Baby change mat - most nappy bags come with a change mat. 
• Hat - It's so easy to forget a hat for baby.  I would keep both a beanie and a sunhat in a pocket and they would come out when needed.
• A small jacket - Bond's make these great terry towelling jackets/cardigans that a light and don't take up much room.  You never could tell when it was going to turn cold so this was great.
• Spare change of clothes - or two!  I would keep these in a large zip lock bag to keep them clean. When my kids were toilet training I realised I needed at least 2 changes of pants, undies and socks.  It's always when you forget that you need them!
• Sunscreen - Another easy to forget thing.  I would keep my baby sunscreen in a pocket in the bag and could use it on her or me whenever necessary.  If you were worried about it leaking in the bag, put it in a sealed zip lock bag.
• A rattle and a small soft toy - It's always when you're out and about that you need something to keep baby amused.  I found it useful to always have something in the bag available.
• Aquim Antibacterial gel - travel size bottle.  You can squirt a little of this on your hands, rub your hands together and it kills the germs.  No water necessary.  Very useful when you're out and can't get to a sink after changing a nappy.
• Container large enough to sit a baby bottle in.  Since you are supposed to use hot water to heat milk, and microwaves are not always available, I found it useful to have a container in the bag in which I would put a baby bottle full of milk.  I could then pour hot water into the container and let the bottle sit in it until it was the right temperature for baby.  Cafes and places like McDonald's are more than happy to give you boiled water to heat up a bottle.  Great on long trips.
• A couple of cloth nappies - Although I didn't use these as nappies, they were invaluable for cleaning up spills, for use as a burping cloth, an impromptu towel or change mat, for putting on a car seat that had gotten too hot, etc.
• A spare dummy - These had to be sterilised everyday so got put in at the last minute.  The dummies I used came with their own container.  A friend of mine used to use those Tupperware snack cup containers to hold her little boy's dummy once it was sterilised.
• Empty sterilised baby bottles - the brand I used (Dr Brown) came with a tight fitting lid so once they were sterilised and the lid was on, they would stay sterilised until the teat was exposed to the air.  Bottles had to be sterilised at least once a day, so these had to be put in at the last minute.
• Formula in a container - I would either have one bottle's worth of formula in a container such as a tupperware snack cup, or I would use one of the Tommy Tippee 3 section formula containers.  Again, I would have one bottle's worth of formula in each section.  Much easier than having to measure it out while you were juggling a baby and bottles etc.
• Thermos with hot boiling water and cool boiled water - I got hold of these mini thermos flasks which each held about 250ml and were about the size of a baby's bottle.  In one flask I would put boiling water, and in the other cool boiled water.  Then I could pour enough of each temperature into the bottle, pour in the formula powder, shake and baby's bottle would be ready at the correct temperature.  This would have to be done each day.
• A muesli bar, a packet of sultanas or something similar for me -  You often have everything for baby, but have neglected even to have breakfast yourself.  I found it really useful to have something relatively healthy on hand when I needed it.
• Packet of artificial sweetener tablets - As I was losing weight when my kids were little, I found it really useful to have a packet in the bag at all times because when you meet up with other parents, you often have a cup of tea or coffee.
• Water bottle - Very useful to have on hand for yourself.  Just a small one, no bigger than 600ml.

When I first bought a nappy bag, I purchased one of the over the shoulder bags.  I soon discovered this gave me a terrible backache.  So I had to get rid of it, and buy a backpack.  The one I got was designed as a nappy backpack, but an ordinary backpack works just as well.  I would definitely recommend getting a backpack as it gives you a lot more freedom of movement than a shoulder bag and is kinder on your back.

I also would put my purse, my keys and my mobile in the nappy bag, and use it as my hand bag when I was out.  I also found it useful to keep a biro and a pad of paper in the bag for those unexpected times you run into someone you haven't seen for ages and want to get their number, or need to write out a shopping list or any number of paper-related emergencies.

As my kids got older, I kept most of the same stuff in the bag, just got rid of the bottles and formula and baby food.  And I would keep healthy snacks similar to my own and bottles of water or diluted juice for the kids in the bag as well.  When my kids were first walking, I also found it useful to keep a harness with a leash in the bag so that they had some freedom to walk around but couldn't go too far.  It meant it was ready on hand when I was out and about and would need it.

Hope this helps someone!