You’ve been home a few weeks with your beautiful bundle of joy, who stole your heart in ways you could never have imagined. But the euphoria is a little waning, especially now that the visitors have slowed to a crawl (rather than a revolving door). Posting pictures on social media feels somewhat like interaction, but you’re in dire need of face-to-face adult time.
The problem is, taking your newborn out is such a chore. First, there’s the fact that you have to take half the household with you. You never know, moment to moment, how things will go. She may be happy as a clam the whole time. Or she may fall asleep for the first time all day as you drive to your destination, only to wake the instant you pull into a parking space and scream incessantly for what seems like hours because you dared to wake her.
Okay, just the thought of that is exhausting…
But hold tight, we have a few recommendations for you that may make the transition to leaving the house a little easier.
Get Your Baby Comfortable
If he doesn’t like his carseat, have him spend a little time in it at home each day. Much like they do with tummy time, he may fight it in the beginning, but eventually, he’ll ease in and car rides will get easier.
Plan outings in between naps and feedings in the beginning. Though you must still always be prepared for an off-schedule nursing session or bottle need, if you make sure you stick with your routine at home as much as possible, getting baby out of the house won’t be so daunting.
Take comfort items with you when you go. A pacifier -- if she takes one -- and a backup is a must. Bring along your Hush Hat to prevent overstimulation from all the new noises, and to make impromptu naps a little easier to manage away from home.
Ease Back into the ‘Real’ World
Don’t push yourself too hard. Not only are you still recovering from giving birth, but you’re dealing with crazy hormones, establishing a new routine and schedule and acceptance of your new mommy body.
Meeting your bestie for a hike in the middle of nowhere is probably not going to be something you or baby will make it through just yet. Take it down a notch for both your sakes and sit on a bench at the park together, sipping a (decaf?) iced coffee you grabbed at the drive-thru. Realistic expectations -- that’s the way to go.