I don't think anyone can prepare you for leaving the house for the first few times with your newborn baby! What once was a simple task of getting up, dressed, grabbing a bag and keys and running out the door is now like a military operation complete with many obstacles. You might hit several curve balls and maybe a nappy explosion or two just when you think you've run the course. And all of this with a limited amount of sleep, if any at all. BUT fear not because like any warrior Mummy or Daddy, you will find a way through and before you know it, with a little bit of training and a few useful tips along the way, you'll be winning! 

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail! Yep, we've all heard it but we've all completely winged it and ignored this great advice but really it does work. 

• Prepare your clothes the night before so you know what you'll be wearing and ready to grab them
• Set your alarm earlier and aim to leave the house earlier than you need too to allow for unexpected feeds or changing
• Have a spare bouncer, crib or carry cot upstairs so you can put baby down whilst you get dressed 
• Keep babies bag topped up all the time so it's always 'ready to go' 
• Essential items for your bag; nappies, nappy bags, bum cream, wipes, hand sanitiser, dummies, bibs, change or clothes, medical book, snack for parents, spare bottles, formula, hair ties for mummy, muslin squares
• Make sure you have a travel change mat in your bag - you'll be surprised that some places still don't have change mats 
• Have plenty of blankets for being outside or in the event of a car emergency 
• Always make sure you have spare change in the bag too for parking metres or emergencies 
• Taking a sling can also be useful for moments when baby is unsettled even in a pram and wants to be cuddled whilst walking
• Make sure your phone is charged the night before to save any stress if you are out and lose battery. A written list of urgent numbers is useful to have in the change bag just in case
• Try and keep the car topped up with fuel the night before. Maybe a partner could take responsibility for making sure it's ready to go 
• If you are going somewhere new, google and find out what facilities are available before hand - this might help you to pack anything that they don't have

It can be so easy, in the midst of a poonami or a projectile vomit to want to give up and stay in doors, especially when you're running on little sleep too but don't give up as it's important to get out of the four walls. Just be reassured that it will get easier and being a little late is never that bad. 

I hope you've found this useful. If you have then I'd love you to leave a comment or like or if you have any other tips that may come in handy please feel free to add them.