Opinion Baby’s day out

Since our son did not put up any resistance,we were encouraged to plan more outings. My parents were to leave in a couple of days and we took them out for lunch,with the baby in tow. A week later,when it was time for my check-up,we went out again. With the winter setting in,another trip was required the very next week as we had to buy woollens for the baby. And my son enjoyed watching the colourful interiors of the restaurant we dined in. He also liked to be wheeled around in his pram.

Travelling with a baby is,however,not easy. I am always on my toes worrying about his feeds,carrying him around in a crowded place and thinking if I am troubling him by bringing him out of his cozy surroundings at home. You may think travelling will be easier once the baby grows up a bit. But experienced parents would say the opposite. Infants cannot run around and get into trouble. Once they do,travel can be a greater challenge,they insist.

I too now agree that the best time to travel with babies is till they are breastfed. Worrying that I might not get a place to feed my son,I preferred carrying one or two bottles of expressed breast milk in an icebox. I also had to carry a flask for the purpose of heating it. But during my last trip to a mall,when my son started crying and we were still in the middle of shopping at a shoe showroom,with the billing yet to be done,one of the salesmen happily offered the trial room for feeding. This not only helped me save the exercise of heating the milk,which takes some time,my son too was spared a long wait for his feed. All big malls these days have feeding and nappy changing rooms as such. Besides,stores selling maternity and baby stuff too offer feeding rooms. Even if you don’t have to buy anything specific from these shops,you can always drop in to pick up a packet of diapers or nappies,if not anything else,and use the room.

In case you are visiting a place where there is no separate feeding room,it is better to carry the feed along because you need to feel comfortable while feeding. If the baby is on formula,you can prepare a bottle at home to bring along. But you have to make sure the baby drinks it within two hours. Expressed milk too cannot be kept in room temperature for more than two hours in the Indian weather conditions,according to my son’s doctor. Both formula and breast milk can be refrigerated but only for 24 hours,and should not be heated by boiling or putting in the microwave. Water bath (placing the bottle under running hot water or putting it in a bowl of hot water) is the only option.

If you are taking your child to a party or somebody’s house,make sure no one smokes near the baby. And with the weather getting chilly,ensure the baby is adequately wrapped. My son caught cold after an open-air party we attended last week,though we were there for a short while.  

Carrying the baby is at times a tiresome exercise if you are out shopping and have to do a lot of walking as most women suffer from backache post delivery. And if the delivery has been through a C-section,the body should not take much strain. Let your husband carry the baby if you haven’t yet invested in a stroller. Sling,too,is a good option. But be it a stroller or a sling,choose them with care,giving more importance to their quality than the price. If the mother has a backache,it is advised not to use sling.

While I am still contemplating whether to buy a car seat,I will definitely get sun shades for the car windows so that my son is able to keep his eyes open while travelling. I have realised that my baby does not like the sun. He prefers to keep his eyes closed all the time when we are on the road and eventually goes off to sleep.

Next on our agenda is a trip to Kerala where my son’s ailing great grandmothers are waiting eagerly to see him. His doctor has advised that we pay a visit to him before the journey,saying he would prescribe a travel kit. I will get to know about the contents of the kit when I visit him next week.

The bag I carry while going out with my baby as of now always has a good number of diapers,a set of spare clothes should the diaper leaks or he spits up and creates a mess,his medicines,a nappy changing pad,bibs,wet wipes,diaper rash creams and bags for dirty diapers. The doctor had earlier asked me not to travel by train for the baby could catch infections. While flying is considered safer on this front,certain precautions are required here too. A friend recently travelled by air with their newborn and had no problems,but I have been advised to give a pacifier to my baby while on the plane to reduce chances of ear pain. I will be able to write more on air travel with a baby once I undertake one.

My write-up,however,does not mean you must take your baby out. It is important for me to go out and get fresh air because sitting at home makes me depressed. And for the baby,there is nothing worse than a depressed mother at his service round the clock. But those who are happy and comfortable at home can always skip outings,though they should try and get some amount of sunlight and fresh air that are necessary for both the new mother and the baby.