The Impatient Mother's Guide to: Surviving The Day Out

After a couple of weeks out and about with Ju and our stroller, going out is really a breeze if you have a predictable child with a predictable feeding schedule. Even if you don't, all you really need are diapers, a changing mat, and if you aren't breastfeeding a thermos, formula and bottles.  I would not recommend going out without at least one bottle of formula because you may find yourself in a situation where your kid needs to be fed NOW and now means in the middle of a crowded mall. Boob rejection might happen too, and trust me, you do not want a screaming infant in a small restaurant with good accoustics. I never let Ju get remotely close to yelling for his food but that's because I dispense with the breastfeeding completely when we are out. Too many things can go wrong.

I use a Playtex bottle to minimize the number of bottles I have to pack. Ju feeds 2-hourly, so this means an average of 3, maybe 4 feeds for half a day out. The great thing about this is the disposable Drop-ins that come pre-sterilised, so you just drop it into the bottle and fill it up.

Of course it looks a like you're leaving used condoms behind wherever you go, but it doesn't bother me. My only issue with it is the teat - the 0-3 month "slow" teat is ultra slow and it takes forever for Ju to finish a bottle. I tried the 3-6 month "fast" teat on him and it didn't go so well -- milk spewing everywhere. So we are sticking to the slow for now. The pro is there is almost no leakage with this teat. Daniel hates it because it's much softer than the Avent or Medela teats, since it replicates the natural nipple. I personally don't mind, it's really a matter of skill how you get baby to latch on properly. You can choose from latex (brown) and silicone (clear) teats.  The latex apparantly mimicks the real breast even better but I decided against it cos you can't sterilise it in a steriliser as you would the other stuff.

Going out with bottles also means Dad has no excuse not to help out while you shop!  You don't even have to fret if you forget your thermos (I did) as you can readily ask for hot water almost everywhere you go. Your baby is your sympathy card. Plus you can feed him anywhere, even while he's in the bassinet or stroller if you're caught out somewhere or in the middle of your own meal.