Do you really need a diaper bag?

Short answer. No.

Diaper bags are very cute. Tempting to drop a lot of money into a stylish brand-name diaper bag with hundreds of pockets specially designed for stuff you bring around with you when baby is in tow. If you're a slave to baby shopping, it is easy to find yourself at the check-out counter charging 4,000 on your credit card for a bag that will not find any use after baby is 8 months old. Don't do it, unless of course you are ok with spending that money. In which case, I envy you. But if like most moms you want to save that money for other purposes, say tickets to the Snow Patrol concert (kidding!), then hold off.

What makes a bag a diaper bag? Pockets and prints. That's all. Prints are for baby, or designs are so that they are chic, hiding the fact that inside you have soiled diapers and wipe cloths. I was gifted a diaper bag and used it for 2 months, then my husband and I both decided that it wasn't doing it's job well enough. It was too small and all the opaque pockets were making it annoying to look for things.

Diaper bags have to make all you need accessible at the time you need them. It is a delicate balancing act to change a baby on a changing table (if you're lucky to find one) in a public bathroom. The bag has to make everything easy to get to with one hand. That means all things have to be easy to find.

So for more than a month I obsessively went from mall to mall looking for a TRANSPARENT bag! I used to think these were so ugly. My aunt, years ago said they were the best things ever, she has two kids. I filed away that information for future use, but didn't really believe her. WHy would you want to world to see all the business you carry around with you? What about those tampons and half-eaten cookies I like to stash away in my bag? Will people see them? Yes. But it's a small price to pay for easy diaper changing and packing. All the transparent bags I found were just not large enough, or were too ugly to use a diaper bags. I mean, really, carrying around an ugly diaper bag is definitely too high a price to pay :)

We finally settled on a mesh backpack from Habagat (Not sure about exact price but it was under 2,000). It is the bomb I tell you. It is not so transparent that all your stuff is out for the world to see. Yet it is transparent enough that I don't have to open it to see if I need to put more diapers or wipes in there. I can see through all of the outside pockets, so no more fumbling about for rash cream with one hand while precariously holding a baby with poop with the other. It has enough pockets to organize baby stuff, and it is large enough for an overnight trip. The best part? Once baby outgrows it you have a perfectly nice backpack that anybody, baby or no baby, can use.

Case in point. Now at 8 months I find I no longer have to bring a ton of stuff with me when we go out. I only really need 2 diapers, a small pack of wipes, a nursing cover, and the plastic sheet for half-day outings. It will all fit into my purse. The diaper bag now only sees action when we are off for the entire day, or overnight.

So there, my recommendation is to not spend your hard earned cash on a diaper bag. Buy a decent regular bag or use one you already have. If you do buy look for a transparent one, or close to transparent one. Believe me, you will thank me later.

Leaking breasts

Not all breastfeeding moms are leakers. I am a leaker. It can strike anywhere and at any time. It is a reminder that we are so closely attached to our child that even the thought of him/her will prompt a letdown. Pads are necessary of course, otherwise you'll have milk running down your shirt or you'll be leaving little droplets of milk all over your office floor. Question is, how not to break the bank on those pads.

Reusable breast pads are cheap, I got 3 pairs for P65 or something at SM. Used them once though, then never again. They are too thick, uncomfortable, and bunch underneath your bra that it is plain for anyone to see you are wearing them. Also, I was already having a problem with how large my breasts have become, I didn't need to add more volume to them.

The disposable breast pads are better, but expensive. You can find them at the baby stores for around P400 for a set of 30 or so. Not a sustainable solution if you need to wear a pair everyday for 2 years. I must confess though, I've reused these things 2-3 times. If I only had them on for a couple of hours, i'll use them again the next day. These are better fitting than the reusables, still some volume to them but less, and they stick to the inside of your bra with double-sided adhesive. There is still a bunching problem, but not so obvious if your shirt is fairly loose. All the packaging is annoying though, and I always feel bad throwing all the plastic away.

Finally, the obvious DIY solution I found online. Pantyliners. One piece cut down the middle, one half on each boob. Not for the heavy leakers but a good cheap solution for most. No bunching, no itching, no need to reuse because they're inexpensive, and no unnecessary packaging to clog our city's drains. It covers a smaller area so make sure it is on the right spot of your bra. Don't buy the superslim ones, buy the ones that are thick, they still won't be as thick as breast pads.

With padded boobies you won't have to worry again about hearing someone else's baby cry and leaking all over the place!