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 Mummies out and about!
Before the baby was born, going out was easy. You simply dressed up and grabbed the keys and wallet as you headed for the door. Now that the baby is here, things are more complicated. You have to think of the baby’s needs and address them before leaving home. For neo mothers, this is not an easy task. Here are some tips to help you get along:
• Step 1: Find a bag with different zippers and set it up as your baby bag. Most of the times you will get a baby bag free when you buy a pushchair. It is a good idea to keep one standard bag for the baby instead of having to move all the baby items from one handbag to another. When shopping for a baby bag, look for one with various compartments as that will help you divide your baby items cleverly. Try to go for a neutral colour as you will be using it for all occasions.
• Step 2: Organise your baby bag by task. Place the nappies and other nappy changing necessities in one pocket, while the feeding items in another pocket. This will make it easier for you to find what you need when you are out, without having to empty all the bag’s contents to get to the wipes.
• Step 3: Always keep the items in the same location: Set up your baby bag and try to keep the items always in the same place in this bag. This will make it easier to identify what is missing before you leave home. You will notice the empty space and remember that you forgot the bottle for example.
• Step 4: Cheat!: Leave packs of essential items in the locations you visit most. If you have a car, keep some spare items in a bag in the boot. Keep a few nappies, a packet of wipes, and a change of clothes. You can also leave a similar bag at your mother’s house if you often go there or at his mother’s house or at your sister’s. You will probably never need them, but when you do you’ll be glad you placed them there. Besides, they will come in useful when you run out of nappies on a Sunday.
• Step 5: Think ahead: Stock up your baby bag whenever you have time, so that if you need to go out in a hurry you will find it ready. It makes sense to buy some double things, for example, buy two small tubs of nappy rash cream, one will be always handy near the nappy changer while the other will stay safe in the baby bag.
• Step 6: Don’t take shortcuts: Even if you are in a hurry, and if you think you will only stay out for a few minutes, never go out with your baby without your bag. If you are not breastfeeding, always take with you a bottle with at least enough formula milk for a feed. You never know what could happen, and having a hungry or a dirty baby will surely not make your change of plans any easier.
Some essential tips:
• Money and Keys: when you have a crying baby strapped in the car seat ready to leave home, it is very easy to forget to put in the wallet and the home key in your baby bag. So cut a spare key and keep it at the bottom of the bag and put a 20euro note somewhere in there too. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.
• Little babies tend to dirty themselves easily. Sometimes they throw up, sometimes the nappies leak. Keep a vest or a babygrow in your bag so you can change her if she is in an unbearable state.
• Dummies/Pacifiers/favourite cloth or toy: If your baby takes it, make sure it’s always there with you on your outings.
• Seasonal items: In summer, carry a sunblock with you and a cap. In spring and autumn, carry a long-sleeved top, in case it gets milder while you are out. In winter, a spare pair of socks might come in handy if your baby is walking, and a small blanket to cover him/her if s/he falls asleep.
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