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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I learned to give myself plenty time, more than I needed. And always to keep a bag to hand with essential nappies change of clothes etc to be able to grab on going out. With first DC it felt like it was a military operation for the first few weeks, but with later DCs much more relaxed despite have new baby and toddlers also to ready.

For every 1 time I’ve had to buy a babygro in a charity shop or a carton of milk in boots, there were 25 other outings where I didn’t have to spend time packing a bag and carry a massive bag of un-needed items as well as a baby.

Spare nappy, cloth, empty bottle and a carton of milk at the absolute most, in a handbag. And GO. Don’t weight yourself down!

If I need to be out early I try and be prepared the night before packing nappy bag and making sure I have bottles sterilised and ready. Always have plenty of nappies and wipes and a few spare outfits. You just need to be organised and give yourself more time than you think you will need as it always takes longer than you think to get ready especially if you get an nappy explosion as you are about to leave

Take everything but the kitchen sink!

Take 2 spare clothes. More if going out for a very long time. 6 nappies was our amount. Enough for extras if needed! And sometimes they were needed. We've been caught out without a nappy during a very poofull day and it's not pretty! So keep spares in the car if you have one.( It's what we do now)

Also spare blanket in the car. Spare muslins along with 3 in the bag!

A rucksack is best as you can share the weight over your back not just one shoulder.

Have a pram with lots of room underneath! Its key!

Dont overfill a massive baby changing bag as you really wont need it, a few nappies, wet wipes and a change of clothes is all you'll need, I used to carry all sorts when mine were little and with my third I just took the basic essentials and always got by

Be organised! It reduces any possible stressful moments!

Whatever you take, you can rest assured that you'll probably need something you haven't taken so the best thing is not to stress too much, otherwise you'd never leave the house! If your trip is short- to the shops or on the school run anything that happens can be quickly rectified. Eg if baby needs a clean nappy/change of clothes or is screaming for a feed you aren't too far from home if you haven't got those things. For a longer trip take everything you might need if you were having the day at home, so spare clothes, nappies, bottles and feeds if you use them, sun cream/hat/parasol if hot, rain covers/blankets if cold, creams for nappy rash, wipes, bibs/muslin squares if necessary. Everyone is different but if you think of the things you'd be likely to need that day at home then that's what you need to take. And the baby. Try not to forget the baby.

I'm a new mum to a 10 week old. My tips for getting out of the house?

Make sure your ready before putting baby in pram or car seat
Feed the baby just before leaving the house
Make a bottle up and put in insulated bottle wrap just before leaving

Use a car seat blanket that inserts into the car seat and put baby in as is and wrap - saves the faff with the coat or pram suit - especially if they might be a bit grizzly
Have lots of hats everywhere so when ready to leave pop the nearest one on

I took little one out to the supermarket today. Fed him. Put him in pramsuit and hat and left only taking the pram and a dummy.
We walked to the supermarket and then walked back.

I remember my daughter used to almost always fill her nappy when I did the hoovering so I would put the hoover on before leaving the house to make her fill her nappy then, rather than after we had gone out!! 😂

Don’t plan to be anywhere before midday...

Take spare nappies, wipes, babygro and change mat.

I kept spare nappies and wipes in the car in case we ran out.

That’s it really. Unless you are going to the North Pole you can always run into a shop and buy whatever it is you forgot/need!

I’ve always checked my changing bag has more than enough in and also pack some ready made formula - it comes in handy when your DD is screaming in M&S Cafe...

Get prepared the night before! There is nothing worse than having a clingy baby in the morning and trying to get read, you will always forget stuff! A bag with nappies, wipes, bottles if needed, dummies, change of clothes all ready to go the night before will make it easier. Oh and don't do what I used to do with my first and take nappies from the changing bag at home instead of going upstairs to get some and then get out and realise you forgot to replace them! Slings and a backpack are great if travelling on and off tubes/trains!

I have a rucksack with multiple pockets and always have £10 note, travel wipes, mini first aid kit with plasters and antibac wipes, calpol sachets, powerbank and change of underwear and t-shirts (for the DS's), so I always have my essentials, I just pop a carton of juice, bottle of water, and if we are going out for the day some filled wraps. It is hung up with my coat, so I don't leave home without it. (The tenner has saved my bacon more than once when we have been out and about) when one of my essentials has been delpleted on my day out.

Always sort out the going out bag when you return home from an outing, replace spare nappies, babygrows etc, chuck what's used in the washing machine and bin, then store in the basket under the pram that way you can get out at a moment's notice. Also have snacks in there too, oatcakes and a water bottle for you, can keep you going in an emergency.

When they are little it's much easier, especially if breastfed, as they don't complain or try to escape. Also don't shoot yourself in the foot by making naptime something that only happens in a darkened room at home, just let them get used yo sleeping in the buggy early on then you can get stuff done and aren't trapped at home then.

I replace my changing bag with what I’ve used during the day. I always carry a spare Muslim and change of clothes just incase of puking disasters. Always take snacks (for me!)

A spare top for yourself just in case

spare essentials (vest, baby gro or clothes) in a big zip lock bag (ikea do 6L zip locks). and at least 1 or two extra nappies than were needed.

I used to re-stock the changing bag as soon as possible after returning from a previous trip out. Top it up with nappies, nappy bags, wipes etc and if baby is older, non-perishable snacks. Then in the event that you have to go out in a bit of a hurry, the bag is just ready to pick up and go.
Disclaimer: this was with my third baby, once I'd had a wealth of experience, and even then, not till he was about 3 months old. Before that it was a miracle if I left the house at all!

I always kept a bag packed with supplies so when I wanted to go out I could just pick up the bag and go. If I used something when out, I would replace it when I got home for next time.

I also used to allow for plenty of time to leave, allowing for nappy change and feed.

Try to give yourself more time than you think you need - last minute stuff always happens with newborns! Always have cheap vests/sleepsuits in your bag (you don't need a full on spare outfit - if its an emergency this will do!), a spare dummy, lots of wipes/nappies and if you breastfeed you couldn't get anymore travel-friendly. I used to keep spare outfits/nappies etc at my Mums and in-laws so that there was always an option there too if we got caught out.

I found packing the night before and having a 'go to' list of what I'd need with me in my diary really helped - adding to the list if I'm out and realise I'm missing something. If you're really worried, just remember that in a desperate situation, anything can be bought from most stores!

I changed my handbag into a bigger one that fitted all my stuff and baby's stuff into it, so I didn't need a separate change bag. Much less faff. Breastfeeding helps as you don't need to worry about having enough bottles/formula etc. I got a Milton soother steriliser for going out and about which has been amazing!

Relax, if you need anything and you've forgotten it, you can either go home to get it or buy it from a shop. find out where the local babystations are (usually in high street shops, our local asda living is great) most have free nappies, wipes etc.

Definitely plan to be ready almost an hour before you need to be. Gives plenty of time that way to be organised. Another thing i found was that routine was fab in the week and we would be ready on time but having husband home made it harder and take longer. Then i realised i was expecting him to know what needed organising and he just didn't. So i get the children sorted myself with the same mindset as during the week or I give v.clear instructions as what needs to happen. I make it sound like a military operation....which it can be. Ultimate advice is be organised. Our nappy bag is pretty much always packed so that takes less time!

Bibs, muslins and spare clothes because it's a sure thing she's going to be sick on something