Diaper bags are a must-have for all moms when going out with their babies. I remember the first time I needed to carry a diaper bag was when taking my son Kitty for his six-week vaccination jabs.

Being a first time mom, I took my handbag as I had done over the years and walked out of the house, baby neatly wrapped in my arms. Not that I had packed and forgotten the diaper bag, no. I had NOT packed anything in the diaper bag because my mind had not yet acclimatized to the fact that I needed a diaper bag because I now had a baby :O.

So anyway, since then, I have forgotten what a handbag is all about when I’m going out with my kids (they are now two).  Kitty is now 2 years old while his baby brother Ello is three months old. A diaper bag is my number one fashion accessory nowadays.

So incase you’re a new mom and wondering what goes inside a diaper bag, I can let you in on what’s usually in mine for you to get a rough idea.

Bibs – to absorb Ello’s spit-up, as well as Kitty’s food particles. Don’t want Kitty’s ‘Sunday best’ clothes getting all stained with red-colored juice and tomato sauce that are sometimes hard to clean and the stains long-lasting. Forget all those beautiful happy bright dancing-women soap commercials that promise you heaven. Nope. You’ll discover that some stains just don’t go ‘after one wash’!

Liners –which sometimes also serve as a burp cloths for Ello. A liner has many uses, sometimes I use it as a bib, sometimes as a handkerchief, sometimes I dip it in some warm water to wipe clean Kitty’s mouth after he’s had a meal.

Diapers. And by the way these need to get changed from the diaper bag regularly because there was a time a number of Kitty’s diapers had stayed for long in the bag and it had slipped my mind that he was growing, so when I took them out to use them on him, I realized that they were too small and I needed to have packed the next big size. So that day he operated with diapers a size smaller, my poor boy looked as though he were wearing diaper hotpants !

Wipes – I often prefer to use cotton wool dipped in some warm water to clean the boys’ behinds when they’ve pooped, but sometimes this is not possible especially when out, so wipes come in handy.

Changing mat or a lesso, for when you need to change baby. I noticed that most outdoor places don’t have kids changing zones, so you just have to sort yourself out. And even if there’s a changing table, you wanna place your own lesso down first then lay your baby on it – just for hygiene purposes.

Polythene bags for putting soiled diapers – it’s good to wrap them up then throw them in the bin. Sometimes you’ll be in a place where there’s no bin nearby, so placing them in the custody of a polythene paperbag will do ÿou good until you get to a bin.

Petroleum jelly – for applying on baby after a diaper change, to avoid nappy rash.

Hand sanitizer – for when I change the diaper and there’s no water nearby.

Hand lotion – for after changing baby and washing my hands. Need to keep them hands moisturized and looking good .

Change of clothes for the kids. These are a must. With a 2 year old boy who when outdoors loves rolling on the ground, sitting on soil, playing with leaves and attempting to climb trees etc etc, he’s usually a mess (a good mess though because I’d definitely be worried if he didn’t do these things). And when we’re out of the house but indoors, say visiting our relatives he’s usually on the lookout for taps and once he spots one, he’s the happiest boy ever as he loves playing with water and getting it all over his clothes. His clothes always get stained with all manner of stains – soup, food, juice, tomato sauce… everything so a change or two of clothes for Kitty is always a must. And with Ello, the issue is his burps and spitups, sometimes he unleashes so much of it (that the bib cannot hold) such that it wets his clothes. So even for him it’s a must. Speaking of which, I also need to be packing a change of clothes (mostly tops) because of this spit up. And then the boys always need to have cardigans coz the weather can at times be unpredictable, or when we’re out till evening hours.

Baby blanket – for carrying Ello or covering Kitty on the ride back home if it’s cold.

Shawl – same as above (especially like now in July).

Toys – to keep the boys busy and engaged. Especially Kitty.

Baby’s vaccination booklet – when I’m going to the clinic to take either of the boys for their jabs.

When with Kitty – his food, bottle of milk and water. And the food warmer bag.

My wallet.

My phone – which I never hear ringing by the way because it’s always deep inside the bag, so I always get home to find missed calls and texts. Camera – to capture all those lovely moments when I’m out with babies.

Biro and notebook – for a journalist, a story can breakout anytime. Thought with smartphones, tabs and the internet nowadays, I’m beginning to think these two are becoming obsolete.

Those are the basics of what I usually carry. And you, what do you have in yours?