Several months ago, heading outside with your baby would have been no big deal. With a pandemic in full swing, though, your baby’s first outing can become a tad bit more complicated. However, as long as you take the proper precautions, it can still be managed.
Here are the top tips to head outside and still have a great time!
Pick a Suitable Time of Day
You may not want to head outside during the weekend or any day that you know that there will be droves of people outside. It is important to keep your little one away from people, particularly strangers. The best way to avoid transmission is to practice social distancing.
So, make it a point to plan out your trip carefully. This way, you will be far less likely to come in contact with people and won’t have to make as much of an effort to keep your baby safe.
These precautions don’t have to limit your options, though. There are still plenty of places that you can head to with your little one. This includes going to parks, heading out for coffee, or even going shopping. As long as you are being safe, the choices are endless.
Pack the Essentials
Before you head outside, make sure that you have all the essentials with you. These days, it can be tricky to pop inside a store to pick up something that you have forgot. It makes more sense to stock up on everything that you may need.
Naturally, this means diapers, wet wipes, tissues, nappy cream, and a change of clothes. And, if you are going to be out of the house for an extended period of time, you will need feeding supplies as well. This is something that you may want to consider even if you are breastfeeding. After all, it may be difficult to find a suitable spot to breastfeed while in public, given the current situation.
Use a breast pump to express milk and place it in a suitable bottle. You can use a portable bottle warmer to get the milk back up to a suitable temperature for your little one. Taking these steps can help to keep the both of you safer.
Take Your Baby on a Test Drive
Most parents will confirm that baby’s don’t take well to car seats. Thus, there is a good chance that your little one wont appreciate this experience all that much easier. So, how can you change his or her mind? Well, one thing you should do is to take your little one on a test drive.
Strap them in and drive them around for a short distance. This will give you some idea of how they will respond to such a situation. Then, slowly lengthen the journeys little by little. This way, your baby is more likely to get used to their car seat. If your little one continues to throw a howler, you may want to have another adult come along with you for a ride.
It can be a little jarring to take your baby out of the home for the first time. This is especially true since there is a pandemic going on. Still, follow these tips and you and your baby can have a great time together.