Conquering Outings with Your Baby
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Getting out of the house with a newborn can be pretty intimidating. I vividly remember the first time I drove my daughter alone in my car. Although we were just going to the grocery store 5 minutes from our house, it felt weird to all the sudden be responsible for taking another little human with me everywhere I went. Overtime, outings have gotten easier. Now with our second baby I feel like I have a pretty good system down for running my errands or spending the day out of the house. So, if you’re a new mom or expecting a baby soon, here are my top tips for leaving the house with your baby.
Time Your Errands Around Wake Windows and Feedings
Figuring this out truly saved my sanity. The biggest thing here is to follow your baby’s wake windows. If you don’t know about wake windows yet, please research this!! Knowing your baby’s wake windows will not only help you time your errands but also make your days go smoother in general. So what do wake windows mean? A wake window is simply the time that your baby is awake. Here is what wake windows may look like for a new baby:
Newborn to 4 weeks: 35-60 minutes
4 weeks to 12 weeks: 60-90 minutes
So what does this mean for timing errands? I find it easiest to run my errands after a feeding and during my newborn’s nap times. For example, if I know I need to get to the grocery store one afternoon and I have some flexibility, I will time that errand like this: my 8 week old baby wakes from a nap at 1:15pm and it’s been 2-3 hours since she last ate, I will go ahead and offer my baby a feeding, which takes about 20 minutes total. Then, we might do some face to face interaction to play and let her tummy settle and then I’'ll give her some floor time to stretch out while I get the diaper bag ready to go out. When I start to see that she is getting sleepy, say 40 minutes later, I will go ahead and load her up in the car seat and head to the store. It’s pretty much guaranteed that when I put her sleepy in the car she will fall asleep. This gives me enough time to get my groceries and get back home before she needs to eat again.
What if you have a bunch of errands you need to run or plan to be out for an entire day? Generally speaking, the same concept applies except you’re going to be more flexible with your day to allow for stops to feed and let your baby atrettch. If I’m going out shopping for the day, I will try to be in a store when I know she’s due for a feeding so I can pop into a changing room to feed her and give her a little time to stretch out (bring a blanket with you). You could do the same at a restaurant and allow your baby to stretch out in a booth while you eat your lunch. You could also feed and stretch in your car. The biggest thing here is that you want to allow your baby some time for stretch and play during your day, and make sure to have locations where you can give your baby a solid feeding every 2-3 hours.
Over Prepare
I always find it better to over prepare with a baby than under prepare. I never like to be out and think, “I really wish I had X.” This means bringing more diapers than you think you’ll need, packing an extra outfit, etc. I have a fantastic diaper bag packing list you can get that has everything you need to pack to confidently take on outings with your newborn, along with additional items you’ll want to have as your baby gets older.
When preparing to go out, consider if you’ll need a stroller or baby carrier. At a lot of grocery and clothing stores, you’ll be able to put your baby’s infant seat in the store’s cart. Some stores have smaller carts and you may want to bring a stroller along with you. Or maybe you’ll find you just prefer using your stroller over a cart. You’ll find what works best for you overtime. I do recommend bringing a baby carrier with you if you’ll be out for a ong period of time, or just leaving a carrier in your car, so that you have that option if baby isn’t feeling the stroller and wants to be held. The baby carrier will not only take some of the physical burden off of you, but also allow you to be hands free. I prefer the Solly wrap for the newborn stage and have been loving the Wildbird Aerial carrier for when baby gets a bit bigger.
Be Flexible
Cannot stress this enough! Simply have realistic expectations for you and your baby. And sure, this is easier said than done. Just go out with the mindset that you may not get everything accomplished that you want to, your baby might cry or scream in the middle of the store, or you might have to eat your lunch in the car while your baby nurses. When you set more realistic expectations for your day life gets a lot easier because your not so caught off guard when these things do happen. Notice I said “when” not “if” :).
As you take on more outings with your baby. you will get more comfortable going out of the house and more efficient at packing your diaper bag and knowing what you need for what amount of time. Embrace the chaos that is the newborn phase! The good thing is I find people are super kind and helpful when you have a baby in tow; people will open doors for me or ask if they can grab something off a shelf for me, etc. And if you need help while you’re out, ask! Most people have been in your shoes at one point in time and understand. You got this, Mama!
