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About Your Baby About
Your Baby - Main
Page /
Outings With Baby
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One thing you'll quickly discover about going out with baby ... it's encumbering. In a big way. You will have baby, all dressed and ready to rock the world and then you'll also be dragging along a diaper bag, filled with diapers, wipes, burp rags, changing pads, bottles, pacifiers and God knows what else in there you might need, a baby carrier to strap baby onto your back or chest, plus your purse and whatever else you might need for yourself (who was that again?!). If you've got another child to tote along, well ... let's not even go there. ;-) The first outing with baby could very well be to the pediatrician's office for that all-exciting 'first visit'. The doctor will probably tell you to keep your baby at home for at least the first few weeks, to guard against the potential danger of germs and/or communicable, air-borne diseases. This is good advice. My first
daughter's initial outing, after the prerequisite first pediatrician
visit, was to the mall. My mother-in-law and I traipsed from store to
store, trying to find needed preemie clothes for said first baby who
weighed in at 5 pounds and a half ounce. She was so little and way
more people than I felt good about approached her, touched her
Next outing for baby number one was to a pricey, elegant and thoroughly infant-inappropriate restaurant where my in-laws took us for a celebratory dinner. We got real lucky. Our baby sat in her carrier, visually absorbed her surroundings with perfectly calm, quiet awe and never once made a sound. (She's now also waaaay into pricey restaurants ... consider this!) While the other dining patrons and restaurant staff initially eyed us with blatant ingratitude, they were all massively relieved that the infant-undesirable turned out to be a perfect guest. You and your community might not get so lucky. If you venture forth to a less-than-kid-friendly establishment, do consider that a crying or noisy baby isn't music to anyone's ears, except maybe yours. Other people are not going to think your shrieking or babbling baby is cute, adorable or feel compassion for baby or you. Nor should they be expected to. If/when your baby starts to make noise more than a brief outburst, remove him/her from the main dining area until baby is quiet. You can find shelter in the ladies room or, weather permitting, preferably outside. Sit in the car if need be until the others in your dining party quickly finish their meal. You and hubby (or whoever) can take turns with this, providing baby doesn't need to nurse. For more on this issue, read: Teaching Children Good Manners, which could also be titled: Teaching Parents Good Manners. :-) When my daughter was about a month old, I took her to have lunch with my sister and my best friend. For the occasion, I dressed my little girl in a frilly, pretty dress, tiny shoes and socks, etc. At this point, I had begun to supplement her feedings with formula. To keep her occupied, I gave her a bottle of said formula to suck on while we ladies chatted merrily away. To my horror, within ten minutes, my showpiece baby was sporting half the bottle of formula (the stuff stains, big time) down the front of her dress. Yes, I had a bib on her ... it didn't matter. The lesson here? Always have a change of clothes for baby when leaving the house and expect this sort of thing. Babies don't have a clue about non-messy eating. Another good idea is to bring a bottle of distilled water for baby to drink on outings. Offer it to baby often, especially if the weather is warm. Have more than enough diapers, wipes and spitty cloths on hand, too, just in case. Babies love being outdoors in nice weather. A daily walk in the stroller through the neighborhood or to the park will delight your baby and add to baby's visual and sensory stimulation. This is also a good way to get to know your neighbors, if you don't already, and to meet up with other new or seasoned moms. The new moms could potentially become friends and the seasoned moms will give you tons of advice. Listen to about half of it. ;-) The other babies in your neighborhood will become your baby's play buddies, too. This is all good and results just from a daily stroll, which is healthy for your mind and body, too. One thing that will make your life easier as baby gets older is to leave a portable stroller in the trunk of your car. You will only really need the bigger stroller for the first six to seven months and usually only if you're going on a longer outing with an older baby. The portable stroller is light weight and easy. And you won't have to drag it in and out of the house. Here is a list of items you will need to take on outings with your baby:
This is a great
checklist if you absolutely must travel while baby is still very
young: And a printable diaper
bag list for baby and toddler outings: About Your Baby - Site Map This site provides general information and the author's opinions. It is designed for educational purposes only. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the health of your child. |
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and oooooed and ahhhhed over her tiny-ness. She was perfectly happy in her
(figure one an hour)