Now your baby is growing and you are settling into motherhood, you may feel ready to ‘face the world’ and begin taking baby out and about – because let’s face it, you need to get out of the house and you are not going anywhere without your new appendage.

I am sure you already realise that this is not as easy as it seems, as the smallest human in your world actually needs more ‘stuff’ than you could possibly imagine, just to get through the day!

To this end I am talking about planning and preparation being your saving grace, and some ways in which you can get through the day and leave the house with some sense of order.

Keep your baby bag filled and ready to go

Preparation is key; so let’s focus on your baby bag. Ensure you have nappies, wipes, at least two changes of clothes, any feed requirements in addition to breast milk or formula which you may choose to use, tissues, a muslin cloth and some nappy sacks for disposing of waste items. Keep your bag filled by restocking before bed each evening; make it part of your bedtime routine.

Timing is also a huge issue once you introduce baby into your social schedule, as you can no longer simply ‘pop out’ at a moment’s notice. I am sure you already realise that no matter how hard you try, baby is guaranteed to poop at the exact moment you try to leave the house, necessitating yet another change of nappy and possibly clothing!

Sticking to a schedule with a baby is obviously easier said than done, so never worry about refusing to meet when you are asked to, but rather set the times that suit you and work with your baby’s normal routine. This way you will be more reliable, present and good company to those you are meeting, rather than potentially harried, stressed and distracted by a grizzly, hungry or tired baby.

Don’t forget your own essential items

One more important thing to mention is to remember to plan for your own needs whilst out and about. Take a bottle of water so you can stay hydrated, as well as a few snacks to tide you over and keep your blood sugar level stable (nuts, seeds, bananas and apples are great).
You may also want to fold a spare t-shirt into your baby bag, just in case baby is sick or you have spills. I know only too well the awful feeling of walking around with stains on my shirt and no way to change.

Remember, things won’t always go to plan and it may be that you can’t establish a routine (or anything close to one) until your baby is older. The most important thing is to do what is best for you and your little one, and don’t put pressure on yourself to have a perfect schedule.

Spring is coming and the weather is slowly improving, so enjoy getting out in the world together – you deserve it!