12 ways to make your first trip out with your baby a breeze
Gone are the days of nipping out with just your phone and keys in hand; when you’re a new mum, every trip needs organising with military precision.
This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
How many nappies should you take with you? What if your baby needs feeding while you’re out? And how the heck does the buggy fold up?
But while it can be nerve-wracking, a bit of forethought and planning can make your baby’s first outing go smoothly: honest!
Here’s how to negotiate that first trip out with your sanity intact.
FREE NEWBORN NAPPIES
1 Get to grips with your car seat and pushchair
Fitting car seats and folding and unfolding prams can be pretty stressful until you’ve got the hang of it, so do a few practice runs at home before you attempt your first outing with your newborn.
Nothing crushes your confidence like trying to fold your buggy into the car boot while an irate driver is waiting impatiently to take your parking space.
2 Go hands-free
For those initial outings with your new baby, consider carrying him in a sling rather than taking the pram.
He’ll be comforted by being close to you, and you won’t have to worry about negotiating kerbs, steps and narrow shop aisles with your novice buggy-driving skills.
Need advice?
Our health visitors and nursery nurses are on line Monday to Friday evenings to answer your queries on feeding, sleep and child health.
3 Travel light …
Believe it or not, you don’t have to take the kitchen sink when you’re out and about with your baby: for those short first outings, all you really need is a few nappies, wipes, nappy sacks and a spare babygro.
4 … But don’t forget your mama essentials
Avoid potentially mortifying moments by making sure you’ve tucked plenty of breast pads (if you're breastfeeding) and maternity towels into your changing bag: no new mum wants to end up looking like a wet T-shirt contestant in the middle of a crowded coffee shop!
5 Enlist an extra pair of hands
Whether it’s your partner, mum, sister or a friend, make sure you take someone with you on your first outings with your baby.
An extra pair of hands to hold your little one while you nip to the loo or drink your tea is invaluable – and the company will make you feel more confident, too.
6 Timing is everything
For those initial trips out with your newborn, avoid making plans that involve you turning up somewhere on time.
You may think it’ll be easy enough to meet a friend for lunch, but you’ll need to factor in feeding your baby, burping him, mopping up the sick, changing his nappy, changing his clothes, feeding him again … You get the picture!
Keep the pressure off by being flexible on time, and not planning to be anywhere early in the day.
7 ‘Pack’ your baby last
Experienced mums know not to bother getting their baby dressed to go out until the very last minute.
Get everything else sorted first – nappy bag, car seat, pram – and make a feed and change the last thing you do before leaving the house, so your baby is full and comfortable when you set out.
8 Layer him up
To avoid having to wake your sleeping baby to take his snowsuit off while you’re in a hot shopping centre or café, use light layers such as a cardigan with a fleece blanket over the top instead.
You can easily whip off a layer if he’s getting too warm, or tuck him up if it’s chilly.
9 Find a baby-friendly place to visit
For your first outings, make sure you choose somewhere baby-friendly (and mama-friendly) to go.
Ask your mum friends to recommend a place with good baby-changing facilities and a positive attitude to breastfeeding, or with bottle-feeding stations, so you know you and your newborn will be welcome.
10 Be prepared for public feeding
The Equality Act 2010 says you mustn’t be discriminated against for breastfeeding in public, but it can be daunting at first.
Make it easier on yourself by finding a quiet, discreet place to sit where you won’t feel too exposed.
Taking a breastfeeding cover or a muslin to cover up with can help make it less stressful, too.
11 Keep it short
It’s easy to underestimate how much giving birth can take out of you.
The combination of postnatal exhaustion, stitches and soreness can leave you feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus, so keep outings short and local at first, to conserve your energy.
12 Stay calm
No matter how prepared you are for your first trip out with your baby, things don’t always go to plan.
It’s a fact of life that babies cry, buggies get jammed and mums get stressed, so don’t be deterred if your first outing isn’t a resounding success.
The more you practise, the easier it’ll get, so cut yourself and your baby some slack: before you know it, you’ll wonder what you ever worried about.
