11 Tips For Leaving the House with a Newborn

Leaving the house with a newborn can be nerve-wracking. You are still trying to figure out how to take care of them, you want to keep them safe and snug at home but at the same time, you’re having cabin fever.

You haven’t been out in weeks, haven’t seen anyone outside of your immediate family and you just miss going out.

But getting out the house with your new baby is making your anxious. You’re just spiralling a bit and having a little nervous breakdown.

I get you mama, I’ve been there. I was scared to leave the house with my newborn too.

I even had to google how old can a newborn leave the house, to make sure that it’ really okay to do it, even if they’re just a few weeks old!

It’s hard to get out of the house with a baby initially but, with some planning and practice, you can make it less stressful and less overwhelming.

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Tips On Leaving the House With a Newborn

Think of where you’re going and how long you’re going to stay there

If you’re going to have your baby vaccinated and you already have an appointment, consider the traveling and waiting time to see the doctor, as well as the consultation time.

Consider also those things when you simply just need to go buy something quickly at the grocery store, running errands or dining out with your newborn.

You need to think of how long you have to stay out, simply because you need to plan and pack for your newborn’s milk (if they’re formula fed) and diapers.

Remember that most babies usually drink milk every 2-3 hours so you need to pack enough.

Think about the number of times you have to change your baby’s diaper at home and factor that in when you pack diapers.

Prepare the diaper bag

Pack as lightly and as efficiently as possible, especially if you’re going out alone with your newborn.

I know how it was before, when you felt like you needed a lot of things when going out with a newborn, but the truth is, you only need 13 items for your newborn’s diaper bag.

Related Article: Using Backpack As Diaper Bag (How-To’s, Tips & Hacks)

It’s even less if you’re leaving the house with a breastfed newborn!

Check out some awesome diaper bags below:

Feed your newborn first

If you still have some time to spare, breastfeed or give formula milk to your baby first. Leaving the house with a newborn is stressful enough – traveling with a hungry, fussy baby will make it extra nerve-racking.

So if possible, always try to feed your baby first before stepping out of the house.

Prepare their milk

For formula fed babies, if you don’t have the time to feed them but you know more or less on the way, they’d get hungry soon, prepare their milk before leaving the house.

Have one bottle filled with milk in your diaper bag.

That way, you don’t need to look for a place to prepare the milk. You can just easily whip it out and give it to your baby.

Check out some highly rated baby bottles here:

Consider your traveling arrangements

Are you driving on your own? Is it near, can you walk there or do you have to take the bus? Or would you prefer a taxi? Is anyone coming with you – your husband, in-laws, relatives, friends?

If you’re taking your car, remember to practice putting in and out all your newborn’s essentials.

If you’re alone, that means, taking out your newborn from their car seat, placing your baby in the baby carrier or stroller (if you’re using one), taking out the diaper bag.

And vice versa.

If you have someone coming with you, then you just need to stay back, let them take everything out and back in the car. You just worry about putting back your newborn in the car seat.

If the place you’re going to is a walking distance, consider bringing an umbrella, just in case it rains or if the weather is too hot.

If you want to put your baby in the baby carrier, make sure you’re already comfortable with it while walking on the way to your destination.

If you’re going to put your baby in the stroller, make sure that it will be easy for you to push a stroller on the way there. Some places are not stroller-friendly and there might be a lot of stairs and not a lot of ramp for you to push the stroller on.

If you’re going alone by bus, make sure that you can easily reach pay for your fare or reach for your bus card while carrying both your baby and your diaper bag.

If you’re going by taxi, remember to tell the driver to drive carefully and slowly. Keep reminding them that every 10 minutes if you have to, especially if they’re going a bit fast. 

And most importantly, remember to do the next tip.

Practice putting your baby in the baby carrier

Yes, this might seem insane to you at the moment and I can’t speak to all the moms out there but I was freaking terrified to put mine on her baby carrier initially.

I remember my in-laws standing around me nervously, while my husband helped me put our baby in the baby carrier. I was so scared to the point that I only learned how to use the baby carrier when my baby was more than 2 months old.

I think it’s perfectly normal to feel that way since I was a new mom and it’s my freaking newborn and what if I accidentally dropped her while putting her in the baby carrier?!

Good thing my Ergobaby carrier then was as comfortable and as manageable as they say it is. All my friends recommended it so I bought one and I had no regrets buying it.

Until I found out about baby wraps and I kinda wished I had one or at least, tried one.

But I digress.

Don’t worry you’ll be fine, just as long as you read the instructions carefully and watch videos on how to put your baby properly in his/ her baby carrier.

A baby carrier is a lifesaver and would definitely make traveling easier for you  so I suggest you get comfortable with it quickly.

Related Articles: The Best Baby Carrier for Petite Moms | 9 Best Baby Carrier For Plus Size Moms and Dads

Check out some bestselling baby carriers below:

Look first for the diaper changing station

Wherever you go, always, ALWAYS, look if they have a diaper changing station first. So you’ll know where to run, just in case you have a screaming baby that needs some diaper changing.

Visualize a life without a diaper changing station

Sometimes, the diaper changing station might be closed for cleaning or it might be overcrowded.

Or it just looks completely disgusting or lacking in the essentials like a diaper changing table (ironically ridiculous but there are some places like this).

For times like these, you will need to find a place clean enough for you to breastfeed or to make formula milk or clean enough to change your baby’s diaper.

If you’re bringing a stroller with you, then you can just easily change your baby’s diaper there.

For making milk, just go someplace with a table or any surface, wipe it clean, put some tissues or towel on it then place your milk bottle and other paraphernalia on it. 

If you only have your baby carrier, changing diapers might be tricky but still manageable.

Find a surface that is solid and clean enough then clean that again with some antibacterial wipes.

Spread a towel then place your baby’s portable diaper changing mat on it.

Then remove your baby from the baby carrier and slowly place her/him on the changing mat and you’re good to go.

I highly suggest to not do this in a public area where people are eating cause that would be disgusting but find some place where there’s less to no people at all.

Check out some strollers below:

Practice peeing or pooping while wearing your baby

If you’re going to the doctor alone, then this is a must.

It seems laughable but trust me, the first time it happened to me, I was freaking panicking. I had to poop so hard but I had no one with me to hold my baby.

At that point, I kinda wished someone invented a place for newborns in toilet cubicles so us moms can just hang them or chuck them inside there but I can feel the poop peeking out of my ass a bit so I had no choice but to just do it.

So I did. And I survived. And here I am, writing this, remembering that disgusting yet hilarious time where I pooped in front of my baby for the very first time. 

If you’re not comfortable with a baby carrier then maybe you can bring a portable car seat but, I really don’t find it convenient, especially if you’re traveling alone with your baby.

Take a deep breath and say “fuck it”

I used to panic before when I forgot to bring some extra diapers or antibacterial wipes.

Then I’d get so stressed then my baby would feel my stress and she will start getting fussy, making me more stressed.

Eventually I learned to ease up a little, because well, I can’t really do anything about it. 

Ignore others

Most of the things that you’ll be doing will be, for some people, gross and for you, probably embarrassing, especially when you’ve never done them before.

Like pooping while wearing your baby in a public bathroom.

And you will feel embarrassed, especially when you’re changing a poop diaper in public and there are people giving you dagger looks for how smelly and disgusting your kid’s diaper is or worse, how noisy your crying baby is.

Some will find it offensive to breastfeed in public, especially if you don’t use any cover.

But ignore them. Tune them the fuck out. Think only of your baby and his or her welfare. That’s the only thing that matters, not anyone’s opinion or comments or criticisms about you. Learn to ignore and to have a thicker skin. 

Takeaway on Tips On Leaving the House With a Newborn

Leaving the house with a newborn for the first time can be overwhelming. And trust me, it will be and that’s normal.

Almost every new mom feels anxious taking their newborn outside of the house. But you’ll eventually get the hang of it.

Just prepare all your newborn’s essentials, most especially the diaper bag, visualize where you’re going and what you need to do there with your baby, give yourself a little pep talk, take a deep breath and finally open that door and go out.

You can do this mama!

Julie