But there are times when I feel strange carrying around so little. Mothers around me are pushing strollers with 30 pounds in them, before they add their child. When I walk into a room of moms at playgroup or the breastfeeding support group at the hospital, I feel a bit out of place amongst the strollers and other gear. But I wouldn't change out my abbreviated diaper bag for anything. I don't think I would even know how to fill the space inside a larger bag. A water bottle? Perhaps. But drinking fountains are so plentiful. A book to read while we are at the park? Laughable. The only time I am more interesting than a rock on the ground is when I have a book in my hands. So this little bag holds everything I can make use of and nothing else.
And you? What do you carry to hold your baby's gear? What are your essentials? What could you never do without? And what would you recommend to first-time moms to simplify? Leave a comment and share what you have gleaned from mama-hood.