Diaper Bag and Bottle Recommendations Needed ;0)

Does anyone have any recommendations for bottles and the best diaper bags?

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for bottles and diaper bags?

 

My best diaper bag was the backpack at LL Bean. It was large enough to hold everything and so easy to carry. It fit just fine underneath my Duoglider stroller.

For bottles, we started out with preemie Gerber bottles because the girls were little. At about 1 month old, we moved to the Playtext Drop-Ins and I bought the generic liners from Target. These bottles were easy to clean and I could pump breastmilk right into them (using the attachment) to be ready for the next feeding. At 2.5 months, we moved to the Podee Hands-Free Bottle which is, far and away, my favorite bottle. The Podees allowed me to hold both babies while also feeding them at the same time. I couldn't do that with traditional bottles. We also used the Podees for stroller outings, in restaurants, road trips, and on the airplane.

 

I hate every diaper bag I've owned! I need to create my own I think!

I love Dr. Brown bottles. They help reduce gas!

 

I definitely recommend a bookbag diaper bag. (You know, you carry it on your back like a bookbag.) It kept my hands free and I didn't have to worry about it slipping off my shoulders like a purse would.

I used the expensive Avent bottles with my DD and the cheap Parents Choice with the boys. They work the same.

 

I use a big old diaper bag, and then also have a smaller one that I got free from Similac for quick outings.
As for bottles, we started out with Evenflo Comfi but had spit up issues and went to Dr. Browns. I will say there are a lot of parts to wash with the Dr. Browns but it is worth it if it even keeps one spit up episode a day from happening!

 

I have Lands End backpack style diaper bags -- I liked them a lot to begin with but I don't like using that style of backpack at all anymore. Something over the shoulder or a messenger bag style keeps my hands every bit as free, without a cumbersome thing on my back that I have to remove to reach into, that gets in my way when I want to sit down (bit negative for me), and that, in warmer weather, just makes my back sweat! But it did come in very handy when we were using the snap n go, because I was able to stow it in the large basket beneath that stroller. Now, with a SBS, I use the Skip Hop Duo Double diaper bag (it's meant for SBS strollers; it's wide, has lots of space, etc.) I love that bag. It clips on to the stroller easily, has two handles if you want to carry it that way, and a long strap that clips on easily if you prefer a messenger bag style diaper bag. The backpacks are now collecting dust.

For bottles I use Avent. Enough lactation consultants recommended them to me (I was nursing too) that I listened and I like them. But as far as bottles go, it's really the babies who'll determine which bottles you'll use, not you! Seriously, they may hate the feel/shape/whatever of a particular nipple and love another....I urge you to NOT invest in lots of bottles until you see what they like. (If you think you want Dr Browns, for example, just get a couple...only get more if the babies give their seals of approval!)

 

I agree with pp, it's going to be the babies who decide what kind of bottle! I myself like the Avent, but my babies don't care for it much. They'll use it sometimes, but always with a big mess. We mostly use Dr. Brown's.

There are hundreds of diaper bags....my advice is, look at tons of them and then decide. And you'll probably get more than one. I think I have about 4 - and that's after I gave a couple away! Now that they're older, there are times I do use a couple. Like if we're going somewhere for awhile & I want to pack a bag of toys. I also have the backpack style from Lands End & I loved it at first. I just don't use it much anymore. But it's still great, b/c I can still use it as a backpack & not just a diaper bag. I like the messenger style bags now; I can sling them across my shoulder (diagonally) so my hands are free & I can hook the strap across my stroller handle....so when I'm shopping the underneath compartment is free for my purchases. There are a couple bags out there that are super cute that can convert from either messenger style or backpack style. They're a bit more spendy, I think, like around $80-$90?

 

Lands End backpack works great for us. My DH doesn't mind carrying it either. For short outings, we use the small Lands End bag. I use Dr. Brown's bottles. There are 6 parts to each bottle and if I could start over I would probably choose a simpler bottle. I hear NUK nipples and regular bottles work great. Good luck to you!

 

I use a big tote style diaper bag from Potter Barn Kids - in that I have all my supplies in separate ziploc baggies - one for feeding supplies, one for change of clothes, one for diaper supplies... since I found that it's just easier to get to and to fit more things in their strollers by sticking in the baggies - and a tote style allowes me to carry all my 'loot' to and from the car with ease, and to fit it all in there

 

With my boys I used Nuk nipples and regular bottles - with these
babies I got several Dr. Brown bottles at my shower that I will
try! I have heard GREAT things about them!!