[laohaire]

Any other mamas regularly venture into the world minus the baggage?

If you are such a mama, why don't you carry the loot around? And what have your experiences been?

I've never carried a purse. Everything I need - 1 driver's license and 1 credit card - fit more than nicely into a very slim wallet. Don't need to carry around makeup - I'll never apply it when I'm out and about anyway. Don't need to carry around emergency "female gear." (Once in a great while, I might stick an extra something in my pocket - but just one, and only when I specifically foresee needing it). Don't have a cell phone. Don't have a big key ring. Don't need to brush my hair when out. Don't need an address book.

I have a diaper bag, but I only pack it when we are travelling out of state or whatever. I have a few spare diapers in the car in case we need them, but I rarely change DD when we're out. Don't need formula, pacifiers, extra toys, snacks. I have recently, I confess, added a baggie of Cheerios to our car's glove compartment, but I hardly need to put them in a diaper bag just for car use.

Obviously I am not a mama who takes my kid out all day, or I'd need more. But in my case, I feel more free without worrying about the stuff. I imagine other mamas feel more free by being prepared. Most women I see do carry around purses, some of them very large. No debate needed, just curious about experiences.

 

[sugarmoon]

well, I don't generallycarry one now, my kids are 5, 3 and 3, but I'm due this week w/ number 4, so I'll be back to carrying a bag then. Although, depending where we're going, I often just leave the bag in the car.

I have never been a purse person -- I carry a wallet, and again, often leave it in the car, or just put my debit card in my pocket (which results in me misplacing it frequently

: ).

With a diapered baby/toddler, and when my kids are new to not using diapers, I do find I need the extra diapers/clothes. I do carry snacks/drinks if we're going to be gone more than 2 hours or so, or if it will be at a time when I know my kids will get hungry -- it gets expensive to buy snacks and drinks for 3 kids all the time.

 

[Chavelamomela]

I also enjoy just shoving my wallet, keys, and cellphone into pockets (especially in the winter, when I have a bulky coat w. many pockets.

sometimes when I travel with ds, we don't bother with a diaper bag, especially if we're going w. friends - we have an informal "swap" and as our kids wear similar diaper sizes, it's rarely been an issue if one of us forgets a diaper or wipes.

If I do need a diaper bag or purse, I try to take only ONE bag, not both purse and diaper bag. Just shove a diaper and some wipes in my purse or put my wallet, keys, and cell into the diaper bag.

And I never bought a big diaper bag...still use that small one from the hospital...

 

[loitering]

I met a mom once who only needed a very small bag for her and her baby. I was jealous, but it just doesn't work for us! Ds is very high-maintenence in some ways and there are lots of..ermm..supplies that we need to have onhand constantly

 

[ErinBird]

I haven't been carrying a bag for a few months now. DD isn't the type to mind a wet diaper and she is fairly predictable about her BMs. I do have a bag in the car with a few clean diapers.

I generally wear DD in a meitai with a pocket. I carry my driver's license, credit card, and whatever cash I need in my back pocket. DD's small toy goes in the meitai pocket when its not needed. I have also stuck her sippy cup int eh pocket.

 

[bethanyclaire]

I get all kinds of funny looks when I am out with my DS and DD because I never have any "gear." LOL! I still don't carry any extras though I sometimes keep something in the car with snacks, emergency change of clothes (an extra set that would fit either kiddo in a pinch) or whatever. I carried DD in the sling when she was smaller, and never needed to carry anything else. I keep my wallet in my back left pocket, my cell phone in my right and my keys clipped to my belt loop. That's all we need. I used to carry a spare diaper or two, a small wool wetbag and a cloth wipe in the trunk of my car but now that DD is PL'd I got rid of the diapers and carry an extra pair of undies, old pants and socks, just in case.

 

[WhaleinGaloshes]

I never carry a bag, purse or diaper bag. I carry a slim wallet, my keys, a pocketknife and sometimes a phone in my pockets.

The baby doesn't really need anything, and we go for a chunk of the morning and/or afternoon (maybe 3 hours at a time) daily. I should say that DD is one of those people who only poops at home. When she was three days old we took her to the pediatrician and she had a poopy diaper when we got there, and I can honestly say that it has never happened again. Wierd, I know; often she poops within ten minutes of arriving home. We leave the house dry and she now stays dry for several hours at a time, so I really don't need to carry diapers for her.

She shares water or snacks with me if we need to stop for some...I just can't think of a time we've needed something when out.

ETA: after a scraped knee incident at the zoo, I did stuff a few cleansing wipes and some band-aids in the pocket of her Ergo, so I can't say that I totally fly by the seat of my pants anymore I suppose

 

[lovingmommyhood]

You all must wear some baggy pants if you feel comfortable with a wallet, keys and period gear in your pocket!

 

[Redifer]

I rarely ever carry a purse, or even a wallet. All of my neccessities (car key - singular; id, money) can fit quite nicely in my back pocket of my jeans, and the few baby items I may need I can just stick in a wrap fold and be gone.

I've always traveled by this rule of thumb: If I can't fit it in my back pocket, it doesn't need to come with me. I find that when I HAVE carried a purse/diaper bag, all kinds of crap winds up in there that I NEVER use.. eventually it gets so heavy from me throwing assorted nonsense in there I just dump it on my bedroom floor, put everything away, and toss the bag in the goodwill bin.

 

[onlyboys]

I don't carry a wallet or a purse. I have both, and if I'm feeling particularly pack-animalish I'll bring it, but otherwise, I travel light. I don't wear makeup, I don't brush my hair, my son who is in diapers is changed in the car if we're out. I have my id in my pocket and our debit card, but that's usually it!

 

[North_Of_60]

I've always carried a purse - wallet, keys, cell phone, a comb, chapstick. I've never been able to get into the diaper bags. I take A diaper, a small pack of wipes, a drink, and a snack. That all fits in my purse. And my purse is the kind that can be worn either on the shoulder or like a back pack, which leaves my hands free to deal with DD and is nice if she's in the sling. It looks like this:

http://www.great-gift-ideas-etc.com/...&utm_campaign=

 

[treqi]

This is my purse and its normaly pretty empty except if I carry a poncho for those extreme rainy days which happen pretty often....

 

[DBZ]

If I am wearing pants without pockets, then I need to drag a purse. I don't have a diaper bag. I threw that out a while back. My purse is just big enough to hold my wallet and cell phone. I need to find something that will hold that and a diaper or two.

 

[sapientia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by onlyboys I don't carry a wallet or a purse. I have both, and if I'm feeling particularly pack-animalish I'll bring it, but otherwise, I travel light. I don't wear makeup, I don't brush my hair, my son who is in diapers is changed in the car if we're out. I have my id in my pocket and our debit card, but that's usually it!

yeah but you can get away with not brushing your hair-it's awesome and curly!

I have a small military bag/purse I haul around on occasion but I hate/loathe/and despise purses. I would rather shove everything into my pockets.

 

[NaomiLorelie]

No, I pretty much need a purse. I have cell phone (we don't have a land line), my wallet, a checkbook (we still write checks), chapstick. My 3 and 5 yo always have something they want me to carry for them, and snacks. I have a large enough purse so I can shove a couple of diapers/wipes in their too. When I leave the house without diapers I am pretty much guaranteed that the baby will poo.

 

[sunnmama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laohaire I have a few spare diapers in the car in case we need them, but I rarely change DD when we're out. Don't need formula, pacifiers, extra toys, snacks. I have recently, I confess, added a baggie of Cheerios to our car's glove compartment, but I hardly need to put them in a diaper bag just for car use.

So you are using your car like a diaper bag

When I take my car, I often leave the bag in the car. Often I use my ds's sling like a pocket, lol. I just stuff my wallet between his back and the sling (I carry him in a hip carry, with a ring sling or a pouch). Then I leave the diapers/water/snacks in the car.

When we walk away from the house (no car), I find I really need some sort of bag. I usually don't take the diaper bag, because it is filled with everything I might need for a full day out (extra clothing, 4+ diapers, extra diaper cover, etc). Then I usually grab a canvas shopping bag, throw in one diaper, a wet bag, and my wallet, and go. This works well, because we are often walking to the grocery store--and I can use the canvas bag to carry home my groceries (and save a plastic or paper bag, of course!).

 

[onlyzombiecat]

I didn't carry a purse before dd was born. When she was a baby I would carry a backpack for her stuff. As soon as she was fully potty trained I went back to not carrying a bag. I just don't have much that I feel I need to carry with me.
Occasionally, if we are going a few hours drive from home or are going to be out all day then I'll bring a bag.

 

[pinksprklybarefoot]

I need a diaper bag. DS is pretty young, and I have used the extra clothes - he's usually hot inside, but I need sweatshirts and babylegs for outside. Sometimes a diaper will leak. He won't sit in a wet diaper for a minute - he starts fussing immediately - and because they are cloth, I have to carry the dirties with me. We use cloth wipes, so I have to bring along a bottle of wipe solution. I have found it handy to bring along a toy or two. I also need a place to put my wrap when not in use.

I also have a little bag with all of my things - DL, checkcard, lip balm, phone, keys and an organizer with all of our money (divided by use - we are on a strict budget).

If my stepdaughter is along, I also usually carry a change of clothes for her if we are planning on being anywhere that I think she might get wet/filthy/cold.

I am one of those people who would rather have it with me an not use it than wish I had brought it. I like to be prepared.

 

[amyjeans]

no purse here. I have a wallet, 1 car key on an elastic springy thing, and my cellphone. All fit nicely into my pockets. I also make dh carry the stuff when we're together!( drives him nuts!)
diapers are limited to 2 with a ziplock of facecloths and water bottle- for poopies!
i do have a very small diaper bag and use it only in the car. it stays there, too.

 

[dubfam]

So it seems like ppl who don't have diaper bags don't bring snacks and drinks when you go out?
Do you just buy stuff instead?

I don't drive so I have to carry some sort of bag. I am trying to imagine being able to fit wallet, cell phone, keys etc all into my pockets...I am guessing that the ppl who do that wear a different style of clothing from me? Maybe baggy pants with lots of pockets? I Wear skirts and stuff a lot.

Also, it seems that most ppl have stuff in the car just in case, but just aren't carrying a bag...is there anyone who doesn't have a diaper bag (or large purse...same thing IMO) and uses public transportation a lot? I am not looking forward to schlepping baby gear everywhere again in a couple months...and I seem to be one of those ppl who over packs.

This is a good thread to watch! I am hoping to get some good tips...