Gone are the days where you can just throw on your flip flops, grab your purse and run out the door. Once you have a baby you have to be much more prepared, and give yourself a lot more time. Not only do you have to get yourself ready, but you have to get your baby ready too. If you are planning a day out, or even just going out with your baby for a couple of hours, there are a few things you should remember to do. These things will make the trip much more pleasant for all involved.

The Diaper Bag
Don’t wait till you are ready to leave to stock the diaper bag. If possible check for supplies before you leave while baby is napping. Even the night before if you know you are heading somewhere. Make sure you have plenty of diapers and wipes to get you through your trip. Also make sure you have a couple of changes of clothes for your baby jut incase there is an accident.

Schedule Extra Time
It takes a while to get baby ready to go. After making sure he has a clean diaper you have to get him dressed, get him in his car seat, grab the diaper bag (which should already be stocked), grab a blanket and maybe a couple of toys, pack some snacks if your baby is at the age to have snacks, and a bottle or sippy of some type of fluid. Once you have everything in hand, you have to get your baby out of the house and strapped into the car. This whole process can easily take 15-20 extra minutes before you leave.

While out it is likely that you will spend more time than normal doing even the simplest things. You will have to take time outs to feed the baby and change a diaper. Many times as soon as you change him, you will have to change him again. A simple 10 minute trip the store, can easily and quickly turn into an hour long trip, or longer.

Feeding Your Baby
Especially if you are breastfeeding and your baby won’t take a bottle, feed him before you leave the house. If you feed him he will not only be full and should be able to go a couple of hours without eating, but he will be happier and might actually sleep. If your baby will take a bottle, take one with you in case you need it suddenly, and if he is old enough take some snacks like cheerios and goldfish.

Naptime
Most babies will fall asleep in the car. If yours falls asleep easily in the car and you have a long drive to make, try to schedule it at your baby’s naptime. If your baby is asleep then running errands and such will go much faster. If your baby will not sleep in the car, the schedule your outings to coincide with the time your baby wakes up. This way he is well rested and happy, instead of tired and cranky.

Going out with your baby really is a test of timing, patience and good planning in order to guarantee that it will be a successful and fun time for everyone involved. While out just remember to listen to and pay attention to your baby’s cues. Babies are great at letting us know when they are unhappy or just simply want to be held.

When was the last time you got a complete night of sleep? Probably not during the last weeks of pregnancy, and more than likely you haven’t gotten at least eight uninterrupted hours since your baby has been born. During the first few weeks, if not months of your new baby’s life, sleep may become a distant memory.

When your baby is first born it is very likely that his days and nights will be mixed up. While in the womb the baby was rocked to sleep as you moved around, and was probably awake more at night while you were asleep. For the first few days or couple of weeks your baby might have trouble adjusting to your sleep/awake schedule.

If you are one of the lucky ones and your baby’s schedule isn’t totally messed up, he still probably won’t be sleeping all night. A baby’s stomach is very little and they can only eat enough generally to fill them up for a couple of hours at a time. It is likely that your baby will be up every 2-3 hours in order to eat. Many times your pediatrician will tell you to wake your baby up if he sleeps more than three hours. Just because it gets dark outside doesn’t mean that your baby doesn’t need to eat and you will still need to wake him up every 2-3 hours.

Because of your baby’s sleep schedule, you probably haven’t gotten much sleep yourself. It is easy to say, “Sleep when your baby sleeps”, but much harder to do it, especially if you have other kids, have work to do, or a house to take care of. Some women are lucky to get a nap in during the day while their baby sleeps, others don’t get to rest at all. When night time comes around you will find yourself cat napping around your newborns feeding schedule, not really getting adequate rest.

If at all possible, having the baby’s father help in the middle of the night is a great idea. Even if it is just having dad give the baby a bottle of expressed breast milk, or formula for one feeding so that you can sleep a 4-6 hour stretch, it may help how you feel and your mood greatly.

Issues like postpartum depression and exhaustion can come into play for you if you do not feel rested and you are not getting sleep. All these things can make you unhappy leading to sadness, frustration or anger. If you are stressed, it is likely your baby will feel it and be stressed as well. It is important to keep yourself feeling good so that everyone in the house will be relaxed and happy. After all, if mom isn’t happy, no one is happy.