School run with newborn?

[OneOfMyTurnsComingOn]

How do you manage the school run with an EBF newborn?

It's my first day alone with the kids tomorrow as DP goes back to work, so I'll have to do the school run.

DP wants me to get another mum to take DD to school, but I wanted to give it a try (DS will be 13 days old).

Just wondered how others manage, with timings etc, and not having a screaming baby in the playground.

Hope that made sense, I'm knackered!

[Newtothisstuff]

I usually try and feed DD2 around half an hour before we set off.. That way I know be got at least 1.5 hours before she needs feeding again and enough time to change her if she's sick.. I wrap her up in the car seat and usually she falls to sleep.. Dd1 gets the quickest drop off in history but she's getting used to it now !! Dd2 is now 5 months and is all smiles at everyone in the mornings now it's not as hard as you imagine.. Good luck

[welliesandpyjamas]

Like previous poster said, make sure baby hasn't got an empty stomach.

Are you walking or driving?

How old is your DD? Old enough to get ready without fuss herself?

[OneOfMyTurnsComingOn]

Thanks for replies.

DD is 8, so fairly good at getting ready, but will have my toddler too. Will bd driving, thankfully, except the 5 min walk from car park to school.

I think I'm more worried as he's quite a fussy feeder, and sometimes when I think he's full, he wants feeding again 5 mins later (unless its me doing something wrong).

[Yamyoid]

My mistake was always to give a quick feed just before going. This often led to explosive nappies. Feed half an hour before leaving, as someone else suggested.

I also thought it would be a struggle but we manage even though we're usually late.

[welliesandpyjamas]

The car motion will most likely send him off to sleep and his hunger should hopefully not be an issue for that short amount of time. Moving him in his car seat or popping him in a sling once you get to school will also keep him asleep with the rocking movement.

Your 8 yr old is your blessing! Get them on side to help with those things that a toddler will throw tantrums over delay you with, like putting shoes and coat on, getting out the door, etc My 9 yr old is fab at helping me with my 3 yr old while I'm finishing up with baby, fair play to him.

Also, set countdown alarms, e.g. 30 mins to departure, face and teeth time, shoes and coat time, leave the house time, etc. Sounds excessive but it helps you keep on track and prompts the dc!

[OneOfMyTurnsComingOn]

Thanks, I love Mumsnet! Just trying to settle him now, while DP snores beside me.

[izzywizzyisbizzy]

Im hoping to sling the baby in a sling that allows discreet feeding as DS was attached 18 hours a day, literally, I am dreading it tbh, nb and 2 under 5 as well. My guess is a lot of late starts!

[izzywizzyisbizzy]

Congratulations btw, also I bribe my youngest, with a Hero, to get her going.

[OneOfMyTurnsComingOn]

Thanks Izzy. I did think about the sling idea, but with the weather being so cold and my norks so ginormous, it might not be so practical.

Anyway, I'm leaving the drop-off til tomorrow now. I've got another mum to take her today. As I have a midwife visit, and they don't give you a time.

So today, I'm just making sure we're all ready for setting off time just to see if I can do that bit!

[AngelDog]

Would love to know how to get up & ready. I don't have a school run to do but by the time I've fed both toddler DS1 and DS2 (3 weeks) it adds a good hour and a half onto my mornings. We couldn't manage to leave the house before 10 before DS2 arrived.

[Mobly]

You need to be really organised. Get everything ready night before. Make sure older children ready within half he of leave time. Then feed baby. I'd wrap a tea towel or muslin right around baby, up to chin, do that if they're sick there is no need to change clothes.

It is hard but doable. I took a dummy just in case baby wanted a feed mid drop off just to hold them off till I got back to car. Although, in 10 weeks, I think ds3 has only cried once mid drop off for a feed.

Always keep a sling in your bag so you can put baby in sling if needed.

It is really hard but it gets easier quite quickly.

There will be those mornings where you have poo explosions at last minute, tantrum ing toddler etc etc, bug just think tomorrow's another day

I found the other mums were only too happy to help.

[WantAnOrange]

Also, if you are late, the teacher really will understand that your baby is 13 days old.

[ISeeThreadPeople]

DD started reception 4 days after ds was born by emcs. DH was back at work and I had a 4 mile school run to do and I don't drive. A bus took us some of the way.

Really you just have to do what works. Because some days the baby will take a feed half an hour before you set off, some days they want feeding as you're walking out the door. You do what you need to do. Either sling or dummy or distract or make sure you're always leaving 15mins early so you can stop for a feed wherever necessary. You muddle through tbh and often a routine just develops out of the necessity of the school run.

Some days will be crap though. Rain, explosive poos, recalcitrant older child, tears all round etc. But these days are few and far between.

Be as organised as possible, do as much as possible the night before and the baby can go into a snow suit in its pyjamas. Nobody will ever know.

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

Can you do the whole journey walking?

May be more settling rather than getting baby in and out of the car/buggy.

Also, baby will settle into the routine quite quickly. This happened with ds2. He kicked off for about a week or so when it was school run time, then he 'knew' what was coming and his routine changed.

Good luck and congratulations on your new baby

[Mobly]

You definitely need a baby car seat that clicks onto a buggy!

[The3Bears]

I was dreading the school rin with ds2 at 2 weeks old he was born in the summer holidays so we had 2 weeks without it. DS2 is 11 weeks old now and I love it, simply because come rain or shine it forces me out of the house and breaks the day up abit. To make the mornings run smoothly I wake up half an hr earlier and feed ds2 then I put him under mobile while I wake ds1 and get his breakfast we've not been late once yet which is what I was dreading and ds2 drops straight off in the pram as he loves the fresh air.

[ISeeThreadPeople]

I enjoyed it too The3Bears. I found it got me out. I actually left half an hour early so that I could go on a quick walk and used it as an excuse to fit in some exercise. I worked up to a fast trot/slow jog as time went on and I was forced out of the house (and out of my PJs, whereas with dd I barely got dressed some days) which made me feel mentally well and in control. DS rarely slept though. He was too nosy.