Last week we discussed the importance of building up relationships and friendships with people in your local community when you have a baby.  This week, we’re going to look at just how on earth you manage to get out of the door before midday and what you really need to take with you.

So ,How To Get Out Of The House With Your Baby?

This task is a little easier for mums who are doing the regimented, feeding-baby-every-four-hours thing.  They can give baby a bottle and know that it will be another four hours before baby needs feeding again, so aside from the occasional nappy change there shouldn’t be much to affect the trip out.

Mums who feed their babies on demand will find this harder.  Most demand-fed babies are breastfed, so few women need to worry about warming a bottle unexpectedly and having to find somewhere to do so in a hurry (tip: take a flask of hot water and a jug to pour it into, to put your bottle in to warm wherever you are).  Breastfeeding mums need to be ready to sit down and feed their babies whenever and wherever necessary.  Pack a muslin square or two to hide your modesty if you’re worried about feeding in public, though most places are, thankfully, breastfeeding-friendly these days.

Invest in a bag that is easy to open with one hand, and that will fit under your pram or over the handles.  In it, pack:

–          Four nappies

–          Wipes

–          Small pot of cream*

–          Bottle/flask/jug/powder/water for bottle-fed babies

–          Spare baby grow

–          Carrier bag

–          Nappy bags

–          Muslin square for putting on changing tables/benches for nappy changes

*Rather than packing a heavy tub or large tube of cream for your baby’s bottom, decant a little bit into one of those small travel-sized tubs you can get for going on holidays.  There are some that are cylindrical, with compartments that screw into each other from top to bottom.

Don’t bother packing a whole spare outfit unless you’re going somewhere special that you want your baby dressed up for – if there’s a nappy leak, just change your baby into a baby grow and put the dirty clothes into the carrier to be washed later.

Taking all of your kit and your baby out in a pram is certainly good for your back, as you can load everything on, in or under the pram, but it’s not always practical.  For example, if you want to go to the supermarket for a big shop, you’ll realise immediately that you can’t push a pram and a trolley around the shop.  The special seats attached to trolleys for babies are made of hard, moulded plastic and aren’t the most comfortable of things, so you might find your baby doesn’t sit well in them.  Either take a trolley and put your baby in the main section strapped safely into their car seat, or take your baby in a sling.  If you carry your baby in a sling, a good tip is to choose a shallow trolley as it is very hard to reach into the bottom of a deep trolley with a baby strapped to your front!

Next week we’ll look at safety measures you’ll want to take when going out with your baby.