Top tips for leaving the house with a new baby. Share with ASDA Little Angels - £300 to be won! NOW CLOSED!

[AaronMumsnet]

With the responsibility of having a little person to clean, dress, feed and keep happy, getting out of the house with a new baby can prove an unexpected challenge. ASDA would love you to share your top tips for leaving the house with a new baby.

Here is what ASDA has to say: “There’s nothing worse than being caught short when you’re out and about, so we’d love to hear your stories about what being ‘fully prepared’ on the go means for you and your little angel!”

Did packing a bag the night before help you to get out and about without a hitch? Maybe eating breakfast on the go was the only way you were able to eat breakfast at all. Do you recommend recruiting your nearest and dearest to lend a hand on those first tricky trips? Or, perhaps, you finally realised that swapping the over-packed pram for a sling was the answer.

Whatever your top tips for leaving the house with a baby may be, please share them below and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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Always take more nappies than you think you'll need. A full pack of nappy bags to have spares for dirty clothes is a good idea too.

I always repack our changing bag when we get in so it's almost all ready to go for when we leave. One less thing to do when you need to go.

Give yourself quite a lot of time. You'll be about to leave then you'll find you have to change your baby's nappy, then possibly clothes if it all went wrong. Once you've done that they'll probably want more milk. Then half an hour later you still haven't left...

We have a rucksack and with spare clothes, socks, wipes, snacks and juice which goes everywhere with us and has saved the day on so many occasions.

nah - take as little clutter as possible. Be free. A baby carrier, a spare nappy and maybe a cloth. Anything else is hype. If they are little enough, you food is on the front of you and already packed.

When they're really little you only need a spare nappy and some wipes. As they get bigger a spare baby grow can be handy for the giant poos.
My handbag easily holds any extra baby stuff. For my five month old I have 2 nappies, some wipes, a baby grow and Sophie the giraffe. For me I have my purse and my phone. If my top is tricky to breast feed in then I also take a Muslim for a bit of privacy.

muslin

Take a couple of spare vests and baby grows!

Take A Made up Bottle in the Botrle warmer if you know your due to give LO a feed, and take an extra ready to pour Carton Just incase! Can never have to Much Milk to go out with if you formula feed. Wipes & extra Nappies always!

Pack your bag the night before and give yourself more time than you think you'll need, because the first few times of trying to leave the house it will never go to plan. Dd is 1 in a few weeks and it still never goes to plan when we go out!

Don't bother with a specific changing bag. They're more hassle than they're worth. Just get a good quality backpack. Always restock it as soon as you're home from your trip. In the early days write a list of what is supposed to be inside it so you can check it off rather than leaving your poor tired brain to think over everything! Always leave at minimum half hour early.

I keep ready-made "bundles" for nappy changing - 3 or 4 soft cotton pads + 2 sheets soft kitchen roll + disposable nappy - roll them together, making as small as possible - then place into disposable nappy bag - lightly tie the handles (don't knot until wet/soiled nappy in situ).

shove a nappy in your pocket and off you go

Didn’t consider what a nightmare it would be getting my beautiful travel system in and out of my flat as I was so carried away with myself when I bought it 🙈 so the way forward was my Freerider sling and my backpack style Pacapod! My baby was always so calm and happy to be carried about in the sling and the Pods inside my bag make it so easy to find what I need and not have to spend ages rummaging - we all know you take everything but the kitchen sink out with you when you head out for the first few times with a baby!!! Sling + backpack = lifesavers!

We never seem to have a 'quick' trip out with DS! So we have to pack for 5-8 hours, or more.

We have the babymel backpack style changing bag. It's perfect as an across the body, or backpack style bag. It's got a handy pocket you can pull wipes through, and enough pockets that it's easy to store everything and just glance in and see what's missing.

My top tip is DONT be that annoying person that 'borrows' wipes from the changing bag for somewhere else and forget to put them back, it's a ball ache going out without wipes. Cheap public toilet bog roll doesn't do the same job.

Keep it simple, spare nappy, wipes & sleep suit.

Backpack rather than an over the shoulder bag, and restock it as soon as you get in so it's ready to grab and go.

Spare clothes are a must for early days when the poo goes all the way up the back of their clothes. But double check what you've got still fits if it's been in there a while, they go through sizes so quickly in the early days.

A good rucksack packed with nappies, wipes, vests and babygrows, muslin cloths and a blanket. I pack a spare top for me as well.

My top tip - don't stress about it. The first time(s) you go out it can seem very daunting, so much to think about, so much to consider taking. But you do get used to it. Getting out and about with baby will do both of you the world of good, especially at this time of year

A good, decent-sized wet bag is a must, and means you don’t have to either stuff pooey clothes into too-small nappy sacks or resort to chucking it.

Pack your change bag when you get home from the last outing, so you don't forget to refill the nappies / wipes in your rush to get out the door.

Also, with a newborn, there is never really a 'good time' as they're so unpredictable. It's easy to wait until after this feed, let them get another nap in, whatever. But really you just have to bite the bullet and get out of the house!

For anyone mad enough to go for a long day out with a new baby: get two or three nappy bags and fill each with a clean nappy, vest and babygro/outfit and keep near the top of the changing bag. Saves the desperate one-handed rummaging though your bag post-poonami!

A rucksack not a changing bag, a fold up changing mat (I have encountered sone truly disgusting changing tables on days our!) and get the bag ready the night before.

I always tried to travel light. I had a travel changing mat which fit nappies & wipes in, plus a small canvas bag with a spare change of clothes, muslin square, maybe a toy & some snacks (for me!). Both of these fit nicely & easily under the pram so there wasn't any added bulk etc.
I breastfed so baby's food was always available & carried around easily!!!!

Don’t take (or allow your bloody dp) to take anything out of the change bag. Have a separate pack of wipes, cream, nappybags etc for the house and stick to them.
There’s nothing worse than getting somewhere and realising that the baby wipes are missing.
I am a bit sad so I had a check list.