These days, parents and carers are busier than ever. Whether it’s shopping, visiting, travelling, dropping off bubs to day care, driving to sporting commitments, birthday parties, etc. the list goes on! It seems we are always on the go. So with baby or child in tow, you need to be super organised. Luckily, there are a growing number of products catering for babies and children on the go that makes the task easier. One of the big problems for a parent or carer when away from home is that it doesn’t matter how long you are away for, you still need the same amount of baby stuff to cater for all contingency plans. So packing a compact baby bag is one of the necessary skills a mum learns first. My mother gave me some good advice when I had my first baby: “always have a baby bag packed and ready to go, this way you are relatively free to walk out the door when need be”. If you are not ready to go, it will take you up to an hour to get out the door!

Baby Bags

There are literally thousands of baby bags on the market – some colourful, chic, designer super expensive (YSL), some practical in the form of a backpack – so today we are spoilt for choice. A lot of prams sold come with a bag included, but if you don’t have one, go for a bag with different separate compartments. These are the best as they avoid something spilling over everything, they separate food from dirty stuff, and if you can remember which item is in which compartment, they avoid you rummaging through the whole bag to look for 1 item. Isoki and Skip Hop make stylish yet functional bags that are roomy enough to carry everything you need.

What you need for even short trips

- At least 3 nappies (for number 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s)

- Baby wipes (Huggies, Gaia, Johnsons and Wotnot have great little travel packs)

- Nappy bags (and/or rubbish bags) for placing dirty nappies and general rubbish

- Change mat (B.box is a great product that contains storage for nappies, wipes, disposable bags and has a cute change mat available in different colours and designs)

- Baby cream (Sudocrem make a great travel pack)

- Sunscreen

- Change of underclothes (for number 3’s)

- Back up simple change of clothes (for number 3’s/vomit) + jacket for any weather change

- Bib

- Little bunny rug (compact enough to roll up)

- Toy

- Food

· If breastfeeding, pack a breastfeeding cover (to breastfeed comfortably in any situation) and breastpads.

· For formula feeding, you will need a powdered milk dispenser filled with 2-3 feeds and 2 spare clean bottles and teats, as well as sterilised water and a portable bottle warmer or thermal bag to keep water at the right temperature.

· If packing solid food, it is desirable to carry food that is lightweight and non-breakable (there is nothing worse than pureed food and glass throughout a baby bag). Pack baby food pouches and don’t forget a spoon. Also, if feeding savoury food, a flexible heating pouch could also be used.

Optional extras

- Hand and face wipes

- Rusks (if baby is teething)

- Pacifier

- Portable High Chair (BambinOz Portachair make it simple with their clever fabric roll-up chair that is compact and lightweight)

- Pram/Stroller accessories like stroller hooks, insect net, weather shield (for rain, snow or wind), and a black out shade for sleeping. Dreambaby have a lot of pram accessories while Snooze Shade offer a variety of great blackouts to help baby sleep while on the go.

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