how do you get out of the house with baby?!

[attached2ethan]

I need some advice on getting out the door when we have to be somewhere. This week is the first time on my own with the baby and I'm wiped out and totally stressed!! I didn't realize how demanding DD is because I had so much help. My mom has my two older boys this week so its just the baby and I've missed several things I wanted to do bcs I can't get out of the house on time. Its so stressful!! Yesterday went like this:

Needed to leave at 11:45 for a 12:00 acupuncture appointment.
At 10am, I nursed the baby and then attempted to shower.
She screamed so hard she lost her voice and I ended up bringing her in the shower. She hated that so she still screamed and I barely got to rinse myself off.
When we got out she pooped and spit up on my clean clothes so I had to change. By now it was almost 11:00.
We had to nurse again to calm her down after that screaming fiasco. My blood pressure must have been high at that point.
Then she had to be changed again and I had to eat lunch (STARVED!). Now it's 11:45. I put her in the car and she screamed so hard I had to pull over and nurse. She finally fell asleep- AH! Now it was after 12 and I was late for my appointment by 15 minutes.
The whole rest of the day went the same way. I think I'llo just not go out anymore!!!

I'm afraid when myother 2 kids get home we'll be doomed indoors for the summer!!!!! Suggestions? Comiserating? LOL!

[Mommabean]

Your two boys are the same as my two.
Honestly I totally use my boys to help get me out of the house...we've been all on our own this week and I'm making it...by 2:30 I am so spent from going going going..but we make it!

I will get up with T change and dress her...then as I get the boys breakfast while she is laying in her basket. Then I'll nurse and eat breakfast at once...when the boys finish theirs I ask them to help me get T's bag ready, to dress themselves and clean up. Then while they talk and tend to her I will get dressed. As soon as I'm dressed we are out the door...she screams in the car but I just drive and turn on the radio...the noise calms her in some odd way as long as it's rock

It does take me about an hour to hour and a half to get out of the house but without the boys help it would be crazier.

Take your time momma, it's a LOT to do, and heck I haven't done the baby thing in 4 years myself!! But you'll get your rhythm soon!!

[mischievium]

Well, my first thought is this: People with new babies should get a pass for being 5-15 minutes late. Not that all businesses/ doctors/ acupuncturists agree with me, but the few appointments I've had that we've been a little late to since having the baby, they've seemed understanding. The thing with little babies is that you just can't always predict what their needs and moods are going to be at any particular time and, at this age, their needs trump all. You can only try your best and call ahead if you're going to be more than ~5 minutes late.

As far as getting out of house myself, I try to change the baby and then feed him right before putting him in the car seat so that, hopefully, he'll sleep in the car and sleep during the appointment/ grocery shopping, etc. We've been mostly successful with that, but my DH is still on paternity leave and it may just be that our baby, so far, is pretty chill. Also, maybe tack on an extra 15 minutes to your normal leave time? So, if you would normally leave 20 minutes before a particular appointment, plan to try and get out of the house 35 minutes ahead of time, that way you have a little more of a cushion of time if the baby needs something at the last minute. But, again, with a new baby, there is really only so much you can do .

[KSDoulaMama]

So far I have not left the house alone with the baby... not physically up to it yet with my healing. But when we do leave the house, we try and leave when she's asleep or sleepy so she will fall asleep in the car, even if that means leaving a little early. Alternately, we might pop her in the carseat at the very end of her nap as she's started waking up, and then nurse her when we arrive (early.) So far so good, but my daughter is a pretty easy-going baby and a great napper most of the time. Also, we live in a small town and we never have to go more than 5 minutes to get anywhere.

[Dee-Groovy]

I think you have to add 10 minutes lead time per child. It's hard but it'll happen!

[Dajemadger]

I have found that I have to give myself extra time for everything. For each task you need to complete...give yourself an extra 10 minutes. So I give myself 10 mins extra for eating. 10 minutes for getting everyone in the car AND 10 minutes for getting everyone OUT of the car. Leave 10 minutes earlier than you would of normally (in case of needing to pull over and nurse) because you'd feel better getting there 10 minutes early rather than late. I shower in the morning when dh is home or at night. And mostly....relax. The baby feels your anxiety and will be much harder to settle. And I try to remember that my baby isn't crying alone...I'm talking and singing and soothing even if I cannot hold him at that exact moment.

It will come together. I am also navigating how to juggle everything....this too shall pass!

[Shannie77]

I usually need 30 mins to get out the door (and that is after we are basically ready in terms of being dressed etc.). Once I am ready I get DD1 (3 years) all ready and put her in the basement (the door to our garage is there). Then I change DD2's diaper and nurse her. Then I get into the car as fast as possible... before DD2 has a chance to poop or get hungry again etc.

I have found it much easier with DD2 then I did with DD1 because I now know I have to move as fast as possible.

We HAVE to get out of the house everyday. It is far easier to get out then to stay in. DD1 will just be a one big tantrum if we don't get out. DD2 is 15 days old and I feel like we have it down to an art now.

So all I can say is move as fast as you can!!

[DeChRi]

Originally Posted by Shannie77

I usually need 30 mins to get out the door (and that is after we are basically ready in terms of being dressed etc.). Once I am ready I get DD1 (3 years) all ready and put her in the basement (the door to our garage is there). Then I change DD2's diaper and nurse her. Then I get into the car as fast as possible... before DD2 has a chance to poop or get hungry again etc.

I have found it much easier with DD2 then I did with DD1 because I now know I have to move as fast as possible.

We HAVE to get out of the house everyday. It is far easier to get out then to stay in. DD1 will just be a one big tantrum if we don't get out. DD2 is 15 days old and I feel like we have it down to an art now.

So all I can say is move as fast as you can!!

This. Get everyone and everything ready. Change and feed then run like hell. I am in the same camp that it is way harder to stay home than go out, on my 2yo anyway. My new LO hates the carseat so we don't go far.

I usually get toddler ready, nurse baby, put baby in carseat, we all walk out in garage together, I plunk baby in while 2yo climbs in seat. I then buckle her.

Once to destination I get sling, put baby in, unbuckle toddler and we go.

It is a beating to go anywhere, honestly. Taking some work.

[neveryoumindthere]

I'm 18 days pp and I've only gone out once, yesterday because I had a midwife appt.

I have 4 lo and it took me a full TWO hours exactly to get out of the house.lol

Won't be repeating that any time soon. I'd rather stay in and let the sitter/nanny take them out to play.

yikes it was TOO much for me.

[Starry-eyedMom]

I have a 4 yo, 2 yo, and a 6 wk old--I feel your pain!
I am really dreading going back to work in the fall--even if it is pt. I don't know how I'll manage to get to class on time in the morning! But good advice from the pp's!

[sweet_tart_vt]

This is a good thread for me!!With Miss Bella making us into a family of 7 kids I am totally no stranger to the 10minutes (and at least 20-30 for Bella and my special needs DS) per kid before you get out the door deal. That puts us at needing to get ready at least an hour to hour and a half before we need to be somewhere! Bella is 11days old today and I have yet to go on an excursion with all 7 of them, but i have taken 4-5 of them. My 3 oldest are 11,10 and 7 and can get themselves ready without help while I nurse and change Bella and get shoes on the 5 and 4 yr olds and feed/change the 17monther.
If at all possible I try to put 17mo DS down for a nap if i need to run errands/have an appt and since dh owns his own business if he's here he can hold down the fort with some of the clan. My kids are used to going out with me to various places so they are fine in the car. Bella is not a big fan of the car seat since the only time it is used is when we go out. She will fuss a bit but like another mama said, i just keep driving and usually put the radio on. (She's a rock/metal fan like her mama! lol).

There are plenty of times that Im running a few mins late, but that is life with a new babe and a large family. We have our good and bad days, but we manage pretty well. I actually cant wait to bring them all somewhere with me and see what "comments" i get.