As you prepare to welcome your first child into the world it’s suddenly becomes clear why you need a nursery… and it’s got nothing to do with sleep.
They need an entire room just to store all their stuff.
It’s around this time that most parents-to-be realise that it’s not just their home that’s full of clothes, nappies and toys, they cannot even leave the house without an army of baby supplies in tow.
It’s at that point that most of us relinquish one of our wardrobe staples, our beloved handbag, in favour of some garish oversized vinyl nappy bag, which usually has so many pockets it almost guarantees you’ll be spending the next two years frantically searching for the dummy or baby wipes.
Or you dig your heels in and retain your handbag and insist on carting it and the nappy bag around, ensuring a lifetime of postural complaints.
Here at Henk Berg we have a loyal legion of mums and dads – including several in our family- and we have a secret to share- parenthood may signal the start of a new life, one with a lot less sleep, but it doesn’t have to mean less style.
Instead of compromising on our own identity or engaging in wasteful consumerism by purchasing a bag just to carry baby’s goods (one which will only be used for a couple of years and is likely to be made from synthetic material) we embrace the new trend of opting for a one size fits all bag.
You don’t need a nappy bag. Let’s be honest, most of us only use it for a year or two for our first-born baby.
Nowadays it’s all about the parent bag, one that will cater for both mum, dad and baby’s needs and will last longer than the first two year’s of your child’ life.
We have several beautiful leather bags that fit the bill whether it’s an oversized slouch bag, structured tote or backpack.
And if you get a good quality bag made from hardwearing material in a timeless design it will easily transition back to being a beautiful bag that you can continue to use long after your baby is toilet-trained.
The other benefit is that you can pick a bag that is gender neutral so both mums and dads will feel confident slinging it over their shoulder or hanging it on the back of the pram.
Our tip for picking the perfect parenting bag is to choose a colour that will suit your own wardrobe palate.
No, we are not talking about matching your shoes and belt to your bag, more like, if you wear a lot of light colours choose a tan coloured bag rather than a black.
Also, opt for a bag that is made from a hard-wearing material and check that the stitching is strong so that it will withstand heavy loads.
Our favourite parent’s bag is The Ella.
Don’t like rifling through tiny pockets? The Ella is the epitome of laid back understated elegance.
The oversized slouch bag can be slung across the back of a pram or rest on your shoulder. It's so large and malleable it will fit the entire contents of a standard commercial nappy bag, plus the usual suspects found in most handbags.
But unlike many large bags, it looks just as good half full as it does when it’s completely packed. It also comes in a smaller size if you are a light packer (lucky you!).
This bag is the nappy/handbag of choice of both Henk Berg’s director, Lara and her sister, Lucie who have it in natural and red brown.
We use a nappy wallet, nappy purse or changing clutch to store all of our baby's goods.
Get one in a contrasting colour so it's easy to find.
All you really need to put in there are a few nappies, baby wipes, a plastic bag or two and a little changing mat.