I’m sure the last few days have been a little bit of a whirlwind for you. Every one you can possibly think of has wanted to visit and see your new baby.
You’ve probably been trying to wrap your head around your new life and find your feet somewhere in a new normal.
I can tell you one thing for sure and that is that your feelings are completely normal. It doesn’t change the more children you have either.
You have to do a lot of readjusting when you have a new baby.
You might be feeling that its time to get some perspective on life and that you want to venture out for a bit of fresh air and that is completely normal too.
There are a few things that you should consider before you actually take your newborn out of the first time.
9 Things To Note Before Taking Your Newborn Out For The First Time
1. You Will Never Feel Fully Ready
One moment you will want to go out and the next you will wonder if it really is the right time for your baby.
There are lots of mixed emotions when it comes to leaving the house with your baby for the first time.
You will worry about all the germs that are waiting on the other side of your front door. If your baby will be warm or cool enough and how you will cope once outside.
If you are not careful you can worry yourself sick and that’s not a good thing.
The fact of the matter is that you will never feel fully ready to leave the house with your newborn.
The good news is that once you have taken your baby out for the first time then next time will be easier.
The only thing you can do is to just go for it.
If you are very nervous just make it a short trip where you know you can make it back home in a short amount of time.
A lot of the fear that you have will be in your mind so a great way to get over that is to just try it and see what happens.
On the flip side, there really is no rush.
Personally, I like to wait at least a week before taking my baby out but I know that others feel differently.
2. Make Sure You Pack The Baby Bag
Once you’ve decided its time to leave the house with your newborn, you need to get things organized.
Packing your baby bag is going to be your top priority.
You need to make sure that you have everything in there.
Typically your baby bag should have the following items:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Baby bodysuits
- Diaper sacks
- Changing mat
- Hand sanitizer
- Extra sleepers (in case your baby has a blow out diaper)
Having enough diapers is really important because the last thing you want to happen is to run out whilst you are out and about. You’ll be surprised how many diapers your newborn will get through. Make sure you pack more than you think you will need just to be sure.
3. Take Enough Milk If You Are Not Breastfeeding
If you are bottle-feeding your baby make sure that you take enough formula and bottles (if necessary) with you.
A friend of mine used to have this really clever container so she didn’t have to take a full formula container with her when traveling.
This gadget is really clever because you don’t even have to remeasure your milk powder each time.
It makes doing bottles on the run so much simpler.
4. Cover Up Only If You Want Too
If you are breastfeeding, think about if you will be comfortable enough to breastfeed in public or not.
I know this can be a big deal for a lot of women.
You may not quite have got the full hang if getting your baby to latch yet and that can make breastfeeding feel a little awkward.
A breastfeeding cover like this one can help you keep your dignity whilst your baby feeds.
Alternatively, just make sure you wear a loose top so that your whole breast doesn’t have to be exposed when feeding.
Personally I’m a fan of the second option but that just me. We all have our personal opinions on breastfeeding in public.
5. Stay Calm
Newborns can be challenging and when they are that small there’s not really a whole lot you can say in order to get them to calm down once they are upset.
You have to remember that a newborn’s only way to communicate is to cry so try not to panic if it happens when you are out.
Most people are kind enough and will give you a friendly smile when your baby cries but as with anything there are always exceptions to the rule.
These types of judgy people usually don’t even have children so don’t let them worry you.
Remain calm, go to one side and work out what is upsetting your baby, forget everything else.
Once my baby cried so much in the middle of doing grocery shopping I had to literally breastfeed him whilst in the checkout line. I really didn’t care what anyone thought because its what I needed to do at the time.
Remember your baby is only crying because they want to tell you something.
6. Say No If You Don’t Want People Touching
One thing you will have to get used to when you go out with your newborn for the first time is that people will want to touch, kiss and hold your baby.
It’s a good idea to think about this in advance before you go out.
Think about how you want to respond. You may not be comfortable with people kissing or even holding your newborn so have an idea of how you want to respond when someone asks.
I usually like to say something along the lines of “oh he’s really tired and wants to sleep” or “we don’t allow kisses, he’s too young.”
Some people will get upset but others will take it graciously. For the ones that get upset there is not a whole lot you can do about it. You have to be your baby’s voice whilst they can’t speak.
7. Get A Mirror
When my children were all baby’s and we had to go on car journeys I would often get freaked out because my baby would be strapped into a car seat behind me and I couldn’t really see what was happening whilst I was driving. It made me feel very uncomfortable.
One day I came across a really handy device that would solve all my car troubles.
This amazing mirror allows you to see exactly what is happening with your baby without you having to turn around and see what is wrong.
Before I had this mirror I definitely restricted traveling out alone in fear that I would get in a panic and have an accident if my baby was crying whilst I was driving.
8. Baby Carriers Can Be A Lifesaver
Depending on your baby’s personality they may not like sitting in a pushchair.
A baby carrier can be very helpful when going out for a walk or going shopping.
Believe me, I’ve been in the position where I ended up holding my baby in one hand whilst having to put all my groceries on to the baby buggy because my baby would not sit.
If you want to put yourself in a stressful situation you should give it a go (I’m joking don’t do it)
Baby carriers are great for being able to keep your baby close to you whilst allowing you to still use both your hands.
In fact, baby carriers can be helpful around the house too.
You can take a look at some carriers here.
9. Keep The Sunlight To A Minimum
If you are going out for a walk it’s a good idea to get your baby a sun hat to wear or something that will cover your baby’s eyes.
They will not be used to very bright light just yet so keep them covered up with a sun hat like this one.
Final Thoughts On Taking Your Newborn Out For The First Time
Although taking your baby out for the first time can seem a little nerve-wracking, it’s not actually that bad.
As long as you stay calm everything will be alright.
It’s advisable to take a short trip first before going anywhere too far.
You got this mama!
Related posts:
10 Things no one told me about bringing my baby home from the hospital
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