You may have been so excited when you found out you were pregnant that everything seemed like a breeze. You got your nursery ready, built up your maternity leave, and planned the perfect baby shower. The only thing left to do was wait for the big day! But then it came time to actually give birth and suddenly things weren’t as easy as they used to be. All the fun things you used to do, like going for a nice run or drinking coffee (or wine) all became much harder. And now that you’ve got an infant at home to take care of, it can feel nearly impossible to get out of the house. Here are some useful hacks to make getting out of the house with your new baby easier:
Get The Diaper Bag Ready The Night Before
Pack a diaper bag that has everything you need for the baby. This way when it’s time to go out in the morning you won’t have to worry about forgetting something important. In your diaper bag pack: diapers, wipes, a change of clothes for the baby, and an extra shirt for yourself in case of a spit-up. Also, don’t forget some snacks and a bottle for your baby.
Make sure you open up the diaper bag and lay everything out ahead of time. That way, when you wake up in the morning all you have to do is put your clothes on and throw the baby in the car seat without having to fumble through a mountain of diapers and snacks.
Strollers/ Baby Carriers
This is probably the most important hack to make getting out of the house with a new baby easier. You don’t want to be stuck lugging around your infant and everything else all at once. Get a stroller organization system or a baby carrier so you can free up both hands and have somewhere to put your stuff. If you’re using a baby carrier, make sure you get one that’s easy to get on and off by yourself. It can be really hard, especially when you’re tired or in pain, to try and wrangle your baby into a carrier with another person helping you.
Remember that it might take some time before your baby really gets used to being in the stroller or carrier. Some babies might cry and wail until you take them out and hold them. Just keep practicing, and absolutely do not give up! Soon your baby will love the carrier like a little purse and will sit there comfortably as long as they have their blankie with them.
Pack a Snack for Yourself
When you’re a new mom, your baby is going to take up a lot of your time and energy. It might be days before you get a chance to eat or drink anything! To avoid passing out in the middle of Target, pack yourself a snack for when you need it. Make sure you pack the snacks into small containers so they won’t take up too much space in the diaper bag.
Try to eat something with protein, like a protein bar or some nuts, so you give yourself lasting energy that can keep you going until lunchtime. Also, pack some fluid for hydration! While water is usually the healthiest option, sometimes you’ll need something more than just water to get you through the day.
Give Yourself Extra Time Before Actually Leaving
Even if you’ve packed everything in the world, getting out of the house with a new baby can be time-consuming. You might end up spending extra time trying to calm them down or change their diaper before you get into your car. Give yourself plenty of time before actually leaving for your trip; then sit back and relax knowing you have all the time in the world.
Even if your baby only cries for a short period of time, that might be all it takes to throw off your whole schedule. So give yourself that extra half hour to calm down and get ready before actually leaving. Sometimes just getting out of the house with a new baby can take up most of your day.
Start With Short Trips Close to Home
Start off by taking short trips close to home until your baby’s adjusted to being outside. You don’t want to be leaving the house for a two-hour journey and then finding out that your baby doesn’t like it at all. If you do start off with a short trip, the chances of it going smoothly will be much higher. So if your baby cries and you find out they really don’t like being outside, at least you won’t have spent all that time driving to someplace far away. You can just turn around and bring them home without wasting more than a few minutes.
With these useful hacks to make getting out of the house with your new baby easier, you’ll be feeling like yourself in no time. You may be bruised, tired, and sore all over but remember — it’s completely worth it! And if your baby is giving you some extra trouble, remember that it’s only for a short time. It’s all part of the process, and before you know it they’ll be ready to take on the world with you.
