day out in London with 4 week old, how will i manage?????????????

[moocowme]

I have to go to London on my own with DS in the next week to renew a passport. this going to take from about 9-3ish (going by train about 35min trip) so he will need to be fed and changed while out. the embassy does not even provide toilets for visitors so.......

how will i manage? what if he wants a feed on the way over? we have been doing a combined breast/bottle feed most of the time at home so i can do either one with him. i just don't want to be stuck in the city with a cold crying baby having to change and feed in the local park. how do i find out if their is somewhere i can do these things in the city? we will be near fleet street.

aaagggghhhhh!!!!! totally stressing on this but we absolutely must go and i don't have any one who can come with me.

why do you need a toilet to feed or change a baby????????? i cant think of anywhere worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've spent many hours in the American consulate, and they do have a nursing mother cubicle and changing area - the last time I was there, it was where they stacked all their spare office furniture. I was never one to hide away when breastfeeding, so it wouldn't have been something I'd have worried about using.

As for coping with the day in general, take things easy. We all do cope, and don't think that you can't. Give yourself plenty of time, so if you have to stop, you are not going to panic about losing your appointment. Take with you what you realistically need, plus one extra - so take an extra change of clothes for the baby and maybe a teeshirt for you if you have a baby that spits up a lot. Take the number of nappies you'll need plus one. If you do need more than this, then you can easily buy them locally (I'm pretty sure there is a Boots near Ludgrove Circus).

I think dealing with embassy officials can be very intimidating (this is the case with the US embassy - they type everything in all-caps), and that gives you a bad feeling about the whole trip. You are probably worried that they are going to reject your photos - I always was, each time, even though I measured everything myself. In reality, though, they are usually very nice and friendly, and the day ends up being almost OK.

moo, i was so proud that ds did a poo in the australian embassy, what a true aussie, showing respect for mr howard!

moo, if i remember correctly there is one of those public self cleaning loos across from the pret near the aussie embassy. use it to go to the toilet, but feed/change etc in the embassy, don't be embarrassed.

i am just worried that he is going to put on a show on the train/bus/in street/at embassy and do some projectile stuff to finish with and make me look like a terrible mother who can't get it together. i am sure someone will take pity on us when we both start crying.

god that's probably the very best age to take a child out.. when their screaming sounds like cat's mewing and they will sleep in a sling most of the time

I think you're worried about the unknown .. it will be fine

London's big - no one will remember you, even if DS does projectile vomit onto them

Message withdrawn

Feeding is the least of your problems - should be no trouble finding somewhere warm to sit down eg cafe. Transport is bigger problem - you may find life easier with a sling than a buggy, if you're going to use the Tube. I would bring minimum stuff as you will have to carry it.

I got mastitis once after sitting in the garden to feed in October.

just to let you know how we got on. we were a little bit late getting going but managed the train to london with no problems. then we had a nice taxi ride across to the embassy as it was a bit late to walk all the way.

DS was a little grumbly whilst we waited in line with our forms and then just as the man called us over to the counter we sat down and let out the biggest howl possible. no amount shshing and patting would quite it and i still had him in the sling with a coat on me so i could not just whip a breast out for him so we went for the next thing which was the bottle. this quitened DS down but i then could not get the forms and photos out of the envelope so just handed the whole lot over to understanding man at counter.

this over we moved back the waiting area to let every one else listen to the whaling. by the time everyone had left and they wanted to close up we had got through bottle and burping so we had to leave.

i looked for places to change him but a few of the cafes had toilets but no baby change table and i did not think i could do it on my lap on my own in the loos and it was lunch time so did not want to do it next to people eating. so we walked over towards covent garden and found a nice cafe nero with baby change and got the deed done.

he then contentendly slept whilst i had a little look around and even on the bus back to the station but decided to have a cry every time the train stopped at the station on the way home. good thing we were on an express with limited stops.

i must say i was very pleased to get home after all that. not sure i want anymore trips to unfamiliar places while he still seems to have wind/colic/reflux/not sure what it is problem. DS got straight on breast when we got home and was very contented with this.