Becoming a mum

Pre-motherhood, what did your handbag look like? What sort of bag did you have? Did you have a collection maybe and match them to different outfits for a range of occasions?

I never had a massive handbag collection pre-babies but I did have one for day-to-day and a couple for other occasions. I never needed to carry much in it: phone; purse; lip salve; tissues; keys; a pen; a deodarant; and maybe a mascara. Probably not much more.

Post-baby, well let’s say things changed. As soon as I’d had my first baby I suddenly didn’t have a ‘handbag’ anymore. The baby change bag became my ‘mum bag’ with everything I needed plus all the baby essentials. Carrying two bags seemed excessive, so I just piled everything in together and my handbag became redundant.

A common theme

It doesn’t seem to matter if you have a newborn or a twelve year old, there is still a mum bag in operation.

Of course these mum bags come in all shapes and sizes, some are designer, and lots are not; and what we use as a mum bag will vary depending on the age of our children and our lifestyle.

Maybe your mum bag is a big rucksack? Maybe it’s the bag that came with your first pushchair? Maybe it’s a Yummy Mummy bag? Maybe you’ve picked up one of these used Chanel bags?

It doesn’t matter what your mum bag looks like, one thing these mum bags all seem to have in common is that they all need wet wipes and that emergency apple…no mum bag is complete without these must have items.

The other thing these mum bags all have in common is that whether you paid £9.99 or £199.99 for your bag, you can guarantee that within a week of using it the bag with be full of all sorts of **ap. It’s not your fault, it’s just the mum bag law.

Then when you trade up for a new mum bag you seem to be able to miraculously manage without a the rubbish you’ve carried around for months, you can bin it all and just start over.

What’s in your mum bag at the moment? Are you carting around more than you need?

Choosing your bag

The bag you choose will be personal to you. These days with the four children I do swap around depending on what we are up to. If I am using the pushchair I use the bag that matches the pushchair. If we are just out and about in general then I use my Yummy Mummy bag, which has done sterling service over the years. It’s even been in the washing machine and came out super clean.

If we are out walking, scooting or somewhere where I need my hands to be free, I tend to use a rucksack. Hands up, I never wanted to be ‘that mum with the rucksack’ but the bottom line is, they are practical and sometimes, when you have lots of children to hang onto, practical overrules.

It really depends what your priorities are I guess. I know mums who will only use a rucksack, and then others who will only use designer bags. A friend did find a useful site that has pre owned handbags, so if designer is your thing, you might find something better value there.

At the moment I can’t see my mum bag retiring any time soon, but I’m sure one day I’ll go back to a regular handbag – how about you?