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This amusing article was written for the site by three mums who wanted to share their tips for tackling your first trips out with baby!
So you've got back from the hospital and remembered
to unpack the baby from the car, just think of
him/her as an extra shopping back in future - that
way you won't forget.
You have started to recover, slowly from the
state of shock/panic that will have immediately
set in after the birth ordeal and now you are
tentatively thinking about going out of the front
door WITH the baby.
You may be doing this after 3 days, weeks or
months depending on numerous factors, none of
which you can control…get used to this feeling,
it's a recurring theme in parenthood.
You may well have found that you and the baby
were ready to go out before this time, but unfortunately
very few places are open at 4.00am so you retreated
again to consider your options.
Anyway, the point is you are ready now and it
is daylight and you know you have no choice but
to go out as your family and friends have now
moved on to the next new mother in their acquaintance
and your food parcels have dried up.
This is often the first trip -TO THE SHOPS…this
trip is usually borne out of necessity, so BEWARE.
Ideally never do anything out of necessity with
a small child. They will immediately feel your
urgency and do everything in their power to abort
the mission. If possible, either go to the shops
when you already have plenty of food in the house
(seriously)…or go on a 6 week training course
to develop an impenetrable aura of calm that can
fool even the smartest baby in town.
My advice would be shop local to start with.
This may not be a option for you, but shopping
involving a good blast of fresh in the pram before
entering a shop is much better than transferring
from a warm car, to trolley, to warm supermarket.
A good walk in the pram before the shopping experience
begins is usually a good sedative for most types
of babies. It also means that you may actually
remember what you went to the shops for instead
of trying to cram a bottle/dummy into a crying
baby in the supermarket and leaving with a 3 pack
of garlic (first aisle is as far as you will get).
Other good first venues are ANY OTHER places
where babies are a known quantity. If you are
struggling to think of any look at things another
way, where do you know that is noisy? Where do
you know where there is no expensive carpet on
the floor? What places are near you, walking distance,
where you can go to look at something/anything?
Babies don't really care what they look at, so
find somewhere you like walking to, having a destination
makes the walking feel less aimless.
Typical haunts of new mums are:
- Play grounds - older babies love watching
other children play even if they can't join
in;
- Noisy, bright cafes - you can make a coffee
last 40 minutes and 75p is a reasonable price
for 40 minutes as you both watch the world go
by;
- Anywhere with animals, ducks, sheep, any animals
will do…the animals are usually outside
and the culmination of the smell of manure and
a wet nose usually does it for me.
Early on, short car rides are preferable to long
ones, so don't be seduced by interesting places
that are more that 40 minutes car ride away. Why?
Usually your baby will sleep on the long trips
and will then decide he/she doesn't want to sleep
again until the following Friday. So, if you value
hours of sleep above minutes, be good to yourself
and avoid long car journeys during the day, however
alluring the destination may be.
Whether you’re popping to the shops or going on holiday, with an
average of six nappy changes per day, odour neutralising Nappy Sacks™
are a must to lock away germs and conceal the smell of wet and dirty
nappies when you’re out and about with your baby. Unlike nappy disposal
systems, Nappy Sacks™ provide a portable solution to nappy disposal
and the transportation of reusables. They are now available in a hygienic
waterproof pack, which is flexible and squash resistant making it ideal
for travelling when you’re tight on space.
Pick up Nappy Sacks™ in packs of 50-300 sacks from Asda, John Lewis,
Morrisons, Mothercare, Tesco, Waitrose and high street chemists across the UK.
www.nappysacks.com
One good way to get around with a baby is by using a baby carrier or papoose. Some parents
find this is much easier than using a pram when their babies are small.
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