Taking a baby out can seem like a bit of a mission and often feels like you’re taking the whole house with you (depending on where you’re going of course). But a bit of forward thinking and time management can make the experience smooth, easy and a lot of fun. 

I love taking my baby outside and he in turn loves being outdoors more than inside! But from personal experience, there are a number of things I need to hand.

1. How to feed your baby when going out and about (before weaning)

I bottle feed my baby so the first thing I need to think about is having enough formula with me and the means to make it. I often go out after lunch as by the time you’ve finished dressing, breakfast, first nap, it’s that time already! 

You need to calculate how many feeds your baby is likely to have from when you leave to when you come back home. I then measure out the formula required for each feed and put it into separate small pots. I always take a spare just in case as well. 

I then take a flask filled with boiled water, a wide water bottle filled with cold water and the required amount of pre-sterilised baby bottles.

Therefore, when it comes to feeding outside, I just put the formula into the baby bottle, add the hot water to the level needed, shake as normal and dip the whole bottle into the cold water bottle if needed to cool the temperature down. 

It might sound like a lot to carry around but once you’ve done it a couple of times, it’s very easy and you get used to it. That’s what the basket under the pram is for after all! 😉 I’ve seen an all in one specific flask and container that you can buy but it really wasn’t as good as what I had at home already. 

You’ll also need at least one bib, muslin cloth or whatever else you use to mop up milk.

2. How to change your baby when going out and about

The next most important thing to think about is being able to change your baby, even if there are no allocated baby change facilities where you’re going. I have changed my baby everywhere from under an oak tree to the side of a lake to the boot of my car! 

You need to pack enough nappies in your changing bag according to how often you usually change your baby (plus some spares as babies tend to pee just as you’re about to put the fresh nappy on!). You can read more about the eco friendly nappies and wipes we use here.

You’ll also need some baby wipes, nappy bags and some nappy cream may be useful if you use it. Don’t forget these little things! I’ve been stuck without wipes when my baby decided to do a poo and although I could access tissues and water, it just wasn’t as good as using baby wipes. 

When I bought my changing bag, a foldable changing mat came with it which is so handy. You can buy them separately and I just keep mine in the bag all the time so I can put my baby down anywhere and change him knowing that he’s clean on that mat.

This is the pram bundle I bought (not from this website actually) where you can see the changing mat and changing bag included in it:

3. What clothes you should pack when taking your baby out and about

I would also take a change of clothes with me where I go. Spare top, bottoms, cardigan, socks, vest (all depending on the weather of course).

Whatever your child is wearing that day, just put another outfit in the changing bag. You never know when your baby’s nappy is going to leak, or they spoil their clothes as you’re changing them, or milk/spit up gets all over their top…all of which happen quite regularly. Better to be safe than sorry 😀!

4. How to transport your baby when taking your baby out and about

You need to think about how you will be transporting your baby around. Will you need a car seat? A pram? A baby carrier? Or all three as I often do! It’s important to consider the practicalities of taking any of these transport options out and about with you. 

For example, if you’re just popping to the local shop by walking then just the baby carrier or pram may be all you need depending on how much you have to carry back with you. If you’re spending all day out shopping then I find it useful to have both the pram and baby carrier as babies can often get fed up sitting in a pram all day and just want to be held. If you’re just visiting a friend or relative by car and going to be sitting in their house, then you may just need the car seat. 

When going out with the pram, the terrain becomes important. So think about what type of pram you have and whether it can handle grass, gravel, concrete, forest floors etc.

Some prams are geared more towards city living whereas some, like ours, are ‘multi-terrain’, designed for more countryside/park walks with large wheels, strong tyres and a tougher suspension. However there are some surfaces that are just not suitable for prams such as rocky, bumpy grounds so here, the baby carrier will be more useful. 

Fore more information about the baby carrier I bought, please read our post on 3 Essential Things for New Parents.

Here is a link to the pram I bought (Amazon affiliate link so if you purchase using my link I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!):

5. How to be prepared for the weather when taking your baby out and about

Lastly, you should examine the weather. If you live in the UK as we do, then the weather is completely unpredictable and quickly changeable. It can be sunny with blue skies one minute and stormy and grey the next! It will be worth checking the weather forecast on websites or apps but I would never completely trust them to be 100% accurate. Best to be prepared! 

Therefore, raincovers for car seats and prams may be necessary. They often come with the ones you buy (but check first just in case they don’t). You can also buy covers for baby carriers. I haven’t bought one myself (yet!) but if I were to buy one, I would get the one that matches our baby carrier (the Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Carrier). As an alternative, you can just carry an umbrella when using the baby carrier, keeping you and your baby nice and dry.

As per the link above, you can find out more about our baby carrier by reading 4 Essential Freebies for New Parents.

Here is the link to the Ergobaby rain cover (affiliate link):

Here is the link to the Ergobaby winter cover (waterproof with fleece lining) (affiliate link):

The weather also applies to baby’s clothing. Think about whether you’ll need jumpers, cardigans, a raincoat, winter coat etc. Layers often work well as you can add/remove them depending on what the weather decides to do.

I hope you found this post useful with some handy tips.

Feel free to get in touch with any questions or suggestions. Thanks and speak soon!