That very first outing with your precious little bundle may seem daunting at first, especially if you're a new mom.
What do you pack? How much do you pack? Where will you go? How long will you be?
Like any new mom, I packed everything. Even when I sort of knew I didn't need something, I would pack it "just in case". I know of moms who barely go out because it's too troublesome to have to bring so many things with them or that they would get anxiety at the thought of not having something on them when their bub starts crying outside.
Take a deep breath mommy.
At the top of the list of things to pack, as cheesy as it may sound, is confidence.
The confidence that nothing will happen to baby if you forget that extra diaper or that extra set of clothes. Sure, you might have an accident and be covered in poo (I have, shirt, carrier, shoes, the works!) or that the poor bubba might be uncomfortable for a little while. But nobody in this situation will or is going to get hurt. Even when I felt like I packed half of her nursery with me for a big day out, my wild bubba still managed a blow out so violent we had to head home immediately. Shit happens, right?
Our first ever outing with mwb was when she was 2-weeks old, while I was still meant to be in confinement. I needed to get out of the apartment, just for an hour, just for a quick breakfast. We brought everything we could think of.
As we felt more confident to bring the little one out, our next few outings got longer in duration and so would our list of things to bring. Depending on where we went and for how long, we might pack a cardigan, some socks, her lovey, her pacifier, extra bottles with expressed milk (even if I was exclusively breastfeeding, just in case I didn't produce enough milk for that feed), more diapers, bibs, a change of clothes for myself and even a portable steriliser just in case she dropped her pacifier.
I began to dread dragging around a heavy baby bag along with the baby and the stroller, but I also refused to submit to the loss of physical freedom which comes (to a certain extent) with having a baby. So, I started to take a look at what's in my bag and decided what was really necessary and what fell into the just in case pile. Over time, I became confident that what i really needed was on the list of basics below:
- 2 extra diapers (this really depends on the duration of your outing)
- A pack of wipes
- An extra onesie
- A nursing cloth
- My wallet
With these, somehow we always manage.
If you're an anxious mom and you miss going out for brunch or shopping, be confident! The worst that could happen is you walking around with some amount of baby fluid on your clothes. But nothing is going to happen to baby if you forget one or two things. And if like me, you live in a city like Singapore, almost anything you forgot can be easily bought.
What are your absolute necessities? For any feedback, topic suggestions or questions, drop us a message at hello@thewildbub.com