You are a new age mother who still wants to go out and doesn’t believe in staying indoors all the time. We are after all human beings and new addition in life doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice all that we loved. I had a C section and I went out for a movie just after 28 days. All you need is a little determination, willpower and strength.
It initially used to scare me when women talked about how they didn’t step out from home for fun after their baby was born for six months, an year and some of them for even 2 years. I don’t believe in living that kind of life and this is the reason I haven’t compromised much with my before-baby life.
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Of course, there is a lot of planning needed and I do sleep less and work more. I do get exhausted but giving yourself a weekly or a monthly break in the form of a movie, shopping, or friend meet is equally important. You never know when you will get so bored of your baby’s diaper-changing life that you might end up taking out your frustration on your husband, work, family, or worse on baby too.
I am listing down few things which have helped me in traveling with my baby. All these tips are for those who have a baby less than 12 months old.
1. When a baby arrives in a family we tend to buy the fanciest of items without realizing it will be helpful or not. I have bought ‘n’ number of things for my baby in which a few of them were of no use to me. One of the wrong purchases was the big stroller which was gifted to me by my inlaws. The stroller in itself was so bulky that I use to get really tired of folding and stuffing it into the car. Don’t get me wrong…It might be that these kinds of strollers work great for you but it didn’t work for me. I need a stroller which can be opened and closed in 30 seconds. I then bought the light baby stroller and I have used it the most. I was able to use this one in the flight, on the beach, movie halls. It makes life so much easier.
I am sure there will be moms whose baby rides in the arms only. If that is your case then you can use the stroller to carry stuff. All in all, these are great investments especially the light stroller where you are taking a flight or train.
2. Breastfeeding – This is the ultimate weapon to calm down any baby… Lolz. It works all the time, the only thing is you need to be a comfortable nursing baby in any situation. I initially started nursing my baby in the car, then in the movie halls, and then in flights. You just need a good nursing robe. Believe me, you won’t be embarrassed. It looks as if you have a shawl on and most of the people won’t even realize that you are nursing. So for a travel-loving Mommie, these are a must.
We had a night flight and my baby, not habitual to a bassinet, was cranky all that time. I was carrying the nursing robe which was the only thing which helped me in putting her back to sleep.
You still are uncomfortable breastfeeding in public then the only solution is to feed her before going out and then make use of the toilets. In India, as there are not many places where you will find nursing areas, therefore, I think it will be a little difficult for you.
3. Bottle-feeding – Baby loves their car rides therefore, instead of bottle feeding her before, try feeding her in the car. It will pass you and her time as well. In fact, if you are trying to introduce your baby to bottle feeding, then try bottle feeding in the car it works and helps your baby is getting used to the bottle and forget the best bottle. I mean your natural bottle 😛 I have done a detailed post on how I got my baby accustomed to bottle feeding here.
4. Baby Sling – A soft baby sling is so important especially if you are traveling for 3-4 days. It will keep you energetic all the time, keep your hands free and put a shared strain on your shoulders instead of arms. You and your husband can take turns also. My baby simply loves this. Initially, she wasn’t comfortable but now she can stay in it for hours.
5. Baby Essentials – Baby sipper, Traveling bibs, Soother, Wipes, Tissues, etc. You must go out after going through your checklist. Maybe I will share my checklist sometime.
6. Feeding time – Concentrate on the feeding time. If you stick to it then your baby won’t trouble you much.
7. Car seat – This is a must-have. I know they are expensive in India but your child safety comes first. Also, they last long. In-flight, trains, cars are quite handy and helpful. Gives your baby nice sleep and keep your hands free as well 🙂
8. Travel food for baby – Now that Gerber products are available in India, one gets a lot of freedom from cooked food. I myself prefer homemade food for my baby but while traveling they are great. Just open and use them up. You don’t need hot water or a container. Just a spoon and you can directly feed the baby with it.
9. Bottle Sterilizer – This initially turned out to be a problem but then I got to know many travel sterilizing ways which I am going to review soon. You can sterilize while you are on a flight or in a car. It’s that easy 😀
10. In the end…Just believe in yourself. I initially used to be afraid and had cold feet while stepping out with my baby but with time it becomes a part of your life and you will start enjoying it. Checking out more people and places will make your baby comfortable too with his or her surroundings 🙂
I will do a post on how to air travel with a baby after a while 🙂 Do let me know travel tips which you follow with your baby 🙂
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