So I was reading a thread on Mumsnet the other day from a woman looking for ways to help her friend who had a newborn. The poor friend was just exhausted, as you are, but felt like she couldn’t ask for help or go out of the house for a change of scene because the baby cried so loudly. That part I can understand, although I also now understand that that’s what baby’s do and everyone else can just deal with it. And newborn cries are really only very loud to their mummies!
The part I don’t understand is people’s responses along the lines of ‘oh I know, its so difficult to get out of the house with a baby. It takes ages. They need so much stuff!!!’
They do? Like what?
Adam and I go out pretty much daily for at least an hour and half to two hours. What do I take? Adam, the pram, a few nappies just in case and some wipes. And the nappies and wipes live permanently in the bag attached to the pram.
Now, I do have a fully stocked diaper bag with changes of clothes, bottles, premade formula more nappies etc. But I do not take it out with me every time I leave the house. That’s for longer trips, such as when we had to be at the hospital for his MRI.
Even yesterday, when we were out a bit longer thanks to my having a fasting blood test and going to a cafe afterwards so I could eat, all I added to the nappy bag on the pram was a bottle, a covered bowl with some porridge ready to have water added, a small bottle with said water, an empty bottle and some formula. Oh and half a banana!
But I see these parents out and about in City Centre, with children about Adam’s age, so they aren’t all that new to this parent lark, with huge bags of stuff hanging off their prams. What could they possibly need for a quick trip to City Centre? Even if they get stuck out longer than expected, Boots is right there, so it is always possible to buy emergency supplies!
So what am I missing? Am I suppose to change Adam’s clothes every so often, even when clean, like he’s the host of the Oscars? Or change his nappy every hour on the hour, even when dry?
Or am I, in this, as in so many other things, just a very laid back mummy?
I’m like you, I take very little, but I do also take a change of clothes – because when there is an explosive power poo you really need a change of clothes. They live in the bag – I quite often find everyone has grown and they are too small now – which shows how infrequently I need them!
Most likely other parents have bought into some idea of what they SHOULD be carrying with them ‘just in case’ anything happens. Because you never know, do you?
If we “just in cased” our entire lives, we’ve never get out of the house, ergo, the mom at the top of your post.
Keep doing what you’re doing. And yay for you. Why fix what ain’t broke? 🙂