Jodie's tips on getting out the house with a newborn

I remember back when I was a new mum leaving the house alone felt like an impossible task. It always took me twice as long to get us both ready and out the door thanks to that last-minute inevitable full nappy. It didn't matter if you had only just changed it for some reason children are in tune to when you want to leave the house and do a last minute poop, bonus points for a poonami and you having to bath them and change their clothes haha.

My husband only had 2 weeks off work so I was soon left alone and I felt a little stir crazy staying in all day but the thought of actually leaving the house would fill me with dread. I think a lot of it was my own personal anxiety and because I was exclusively breastfeeding I felt extra pressure. One day about 2 months in I bit the bullet and faced my fear, I got the bus to a local McDonald's and had some dinner, I breastfed in the busy restaurant and you know what no one cared, no one even looked. My daughter wasn't a huge fan of the bus but we survived it. Soon I was getting on the bus pushing the pram on with one hand and holding her on my boob with the other whilst stuffed up my t-shirt, my bus was only every half an hour and I was determined that I wasn't waiting for the next one as I'd already been sat there 20 minutes, I also didn't want to force her off and get on the bus with a hysterical baby .

If you are a new mum and struggling to leave the house or you hope to speed up the time it takes you to leave the house then here are my tips:

Get a baby carrier, you can use it without the pram and its a good form of exercise for you and as a bonus you can breastfeed on the go. If you are going out with the pram you could still pack one in your bag. Some babies don't like being in a pram for very long and end up wanting to be held so you could pop them in the carrier to keep them content and still push your pram. You could even put your baby in the carrier whilst you make your breakfast or have a wash etc so it saves time getting ready.
Straighten your hair the night before, I do this if I have showered the night before I like to straighten it so in the morning if I don't have time it still looks OK I can just brush it and go. I'm a big fan of the mum bun but unfortunately it's not for me as I'm not used to having my hair up it gives me a bad headache.
Pick out your outfits the night before, even if you aren't going anywhere special just for a walk around your local area I find that having your outfits already laid out saves time.
Set an alarm, plan a head and get up earlier so you have more time to get ready in the morning, obvious but effective.
Pack your baby changing bag the night before, make sure that it's well stocked of everything. As soon as I get home I usually restock mine with any nappies or snacks that I've used.
Get a pram organiser, this is something that can stay attached to your pram at all times and hold a few essentials so if you do forget to restock your bag you know that you have a spare nappy and wipes in your organiser. I also found them to be a great drinks holder as my pram didn't have one.
Get someone to go with you, if you feel anxious about going out alone such as to a new baby group or on a bus arrange for a family member or friend to go out with you. I have found that going on the bus with company makes me a lot less anxious and Sophia is usually a lot better behaved as there is someone else there to help distract her.
Face your fear, for me the fear was getting on a bus alone and that she would start crying and everyone would be looking at me and judging me. This has happened and I breastfed her on the bus with no problems. I found that once I'm in the situation your babies needs come first so all your fear disappears and you just do whatever is needed to keep your baby happy, even if it is something that you might once have felt embarrassed about in the moment you aren't bothered. I found that since becoming a parent I've learned to care less about other people's thoughts.

I hope my tips help you and if you have any to share please do so in the comment box below. - Jodie x

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