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Baby Gear for the Road

Traveling with baby

Baby Gear for the Road

Womanly Wisdom

Dressing a baby can be frustrating. Here's a tip: It is easier to put on sleeved outfits if you put your hand through the sleeve opening and pull baby's hand through instead of trying to push the sleeve up baby's arm. It is quicker and does not give baby time to wiggle away.

Whenever you take baby anywhere you are going to need to take along the baby gear — and babies need a lot of gear. If you are going on a long trip, God help you—you are very brave. If you're just going shopping or to Grandma's, however, you can usually get away with a manageable amount of stuff. You'll need diapers, baby wipes, spit-up rags, a toy or two (depending on the age of the baby), diaper rash cream, and whatever paraphernalia you need for feeding. You might want to throw in an extra pair of pants or a sleeper so you can change the baby before you head back home and then transfer him right into his own bed when you get there.

Baby Baggage

The best place to stash your baby gear is in a diaper bag. If you get a diaper bag as a baby gift but it is not big enough for you or the right shape or size, make sure you get another one that suits your needs. You are going to be spending a lot of time with your handy-dandy diaper bag. You want one that is not too heavy or bulky but that will carry everything, with easy access. I liked having one with compartments in case I needed to store soiled clothes. You can also use one-gallon plastic bags that zip closed —they're great for keeping messy clothes or dirty diapers from touching other things in the bag, and when they're zipped shut, they keep the stinky smell inside.

Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This

When my first child was born I didn't know what to do with myself. I had no idea how to manage my time—with or without the baby—but I read that the local community center was offering an infant stimulation class, and I signed up. The class was intended for women who needed a reason to get out with other women with young babies. I don't know whether it helped my baby in the long run, but it certainly helped me.

Diapering on the Road

Some diaper bags come with attached changing pads—a “have changing pad, will travel” kind of deal. This is fine while the baby is very little—the pads are usually pretty small. When you use a changing table in a public restroom you most likely will still want to use your own changing pad, for sanitary reasons. The advantage to having a changing pad as opposed to just using a blanket under baby when you change him on the road is that a changing pad can be easily wiped down with soap and water. No matter what level of diaper dexterity you reach, you are going to have a few mishaps. You would need many blankets to equal the capacity of one reusable diaper-changing pad.

Play groups

Equipment Overkill

There's a lot of nifty baby gear available today, and all of it can look tempting, but there is such a thing as equipment overkill. When I had my first baby, for example, I bought a super-duper deluxe portable changing table. It was cool the first few times I used it and then it just became another cumbersome object to lug around.

As you become more experienced, you will learn that the less you have to pack and carry, the better. Monitor your own use of the items you're toting in your diaper bag. If you don't use it, stop packing it. On the other hand, if it is something you really might need, don't hesitate to take it along. If you are going shopping and assume the mall will have a stroller for rent you may be sadly mistaken. You'll regret leaving your own stroller at home when you're trying to shop and hold a baby at the same time.

Womanly Wisdom

When you pack for the baby think of basic needs: Food, clothing, water, cleanliness, and transportation. As the child grows, add “distraction” to your list—things to keep baby occupied. Good preparation gives you the mobility that can be an emotional life preserver during your baby's first year.

The Benefits of Breaking Out of the House

When you're out of the house, you can still work with the schedule you've established for the baby. For example, if your baby usually naps at a certain time, make sure he's in his stroller or carrier at that time—that way he can catch his nap while you are out and about.

With a little planning, you can take your baby everywhere you want to go. He'll adjust. If he gets too fussy while you're out, you can always just leave wherever you happen to be. Chances are he will fall asleep in his car seat and you will find your peace that way.

Building a Social Network

Many women who become stay-at-home moms after being in the work force do not know where to begin when it comes to developing a daytime life with baby. Unless you are truly a homebody you will want to get out of the house as regularly as you can. Unless you meet women in a similar situation you are going to feel very alienated. You can always hang around the formula-and-diaper section of the local supermarket but it may be more rewarding for you to take some proactive steps on your own behalf.

Generations ago, families lived close to one another and were directly involved in each other's lives. But today, many of us lack the support of close-by relatives to teach us the ropes about child rearing. Even though we resist many of the old ways, it is a shame we do not have the built-in societal network to tell us how to handle simple situations. Instead, we're forced to turn to strangers, or to professionals such as the pediatrician, for advice that used to be passed down from one generation of moms to the next.

Mom-isms

A play group is an informal, regular gathering of a small group of women and their children. If the children are old enough they play together. If not, the women swap information and snacks while the babies do very little. Usually the location varies from meeting to meeting.

Play Groups: for Mom and for Baby

Today's society may be more fragmented than that of earlier generations, but there are still many opportunities for meeting people, if you are creative and open-minded. Try checking at your community center, church, synagogue, and the like to find the names of women with children around the same age as yours to form a play group. You can initiate contact and then delegate some of the responsibilities to the other women in the group. If you find some compatible people, it can be well worth the effort. You do not need to find people with exactly the same background as you. Babies are the great equalizer—no matter how educated, sophisticated, or well-dressed their mothers, all babies behave in ways that are relatively the same.

Forming a play group is something you do for yourself as well as for your child. Even though moms today are creating new rules, we all could use some consistent information and the chance to learn from the experience of others. If you have the chance to get involved in small play groups of women with children around the same age, you can make your world seem a little bit larger and can get some great tips.

Your baby is going to be a part of your world for a very long time. Get out and enjoy life together. Your only limitations are those you set for yourself.