I wrote a post the other day all about how it was important to me to get out of the house with my baby. To break that routine of sitting on the sofa all day and becoming confident enough to leave the house and experience new things together. Most days, for a few hours each day, I load up our pram and take off out of the house.
Some days it is just to walk around, others we will visit friends and family or we will go on proper excursions for the day. Regardless of what we are doing, I need to make sure that I have everything that I need, for every eventuality. Both for baby and me. In this post I am going to share with you some of the items that I keep on the stroller and why I carry them with us!
My baby changing bag.
I try not to go too crazy with what is inside the changing bag. It has some nappies, wipes, Sudocrem, a full change of clothes and a few bottles. Nothing too much because at the end of the day, if there is a disaster I can just head home. I found that when I went out loaded up with countless bags and everything bar the kitchen sink, I felt really overwhelmed and quite panicked.
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My handbag.
These days I keep very little in my handbag, but I still need to carry it with me. Generally, it will just have my keys, a touch of makeup, my wallet and possibly my sunglasses. Since having a baby, I have really streamlined my own things and I feel like I live a much simpler life. These days I have just been using my Celine bag because it is a decent size without being too big and it is classic with minimal branding.
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Baby blanket.
I tend to keep two different blankets on the pram. One is much more lightweight, similar to a muslin. This can be used a s a lightweight canopy on the pram to shield form the sun, or just to cover the baby over when needed. But then I also have something with slightly more weight. Just to take any chill away or to wrap the baby up a little if it is nap time. With the two, I have never felt like I needed anything else, or like I was carrying too much with me.
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Rain cover.
This goes without saying. I like in the North of England. Rain here is pretty much a given. It can be a 20-degree summer day and all of a sudden there can be a flash downpour without warning. I don’t care if I get wet, but I draw the line at my baby getting wet. Plus, the rain cover that I bought corresponds with the pram and tucks away really small inside the lining. Not only is it practical, it is a definite requirement for me.
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Scrunchy toys.
I think these days, all kids absolutely love the scrunchy kind of toys. You know the ones that I mean. When you wiggle them around, they sound like a carrier bag. They are entertaining for me, so you know that it is going to be like crack for developing brains. I like to keep a few on the pram, just in case I am out and about when I run into a grizzly phase. They soothe within seconds normally!
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Stanley water cup.
When I was pregnant, I developed a craving for ice water. To be honest, it was just ice in general. I needed ever beverage that I drank to hurt my sensitive teeth, or it wasn’t worth drinking. Thankfully, that healthy habit continued after birth and nowadays I cannot be without my Stanley cup absolutely loaded up with ice water. If I am feeling a little exotic, I may also add some lemon juice just to give it a little kick. This is probably one of the heaviest things that I keep on the stroller!
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Snacks.
This is one for me and baby. I like to have a few healthy snacks like carrots and celery. Then a few naughtier ones to help crave sweet cravings. Even though we aren’t hard up for money, there is something so incredibly northern within me that completely refuses to buy snacks when there are things that I can take from the house. Plus, by taking things, I know that everything is safe for the little one!
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Sunscreen and sun visor.
I know that I have just spoken about a rain cover and blankets, but here in England you can never count on the weather. So, I think it is aways worth carrying with you a little roller suncream to protect the little one and an umbrella that can clip onto the side of the pram hood to help shield eyes from the sun. Both are super lightweight and don’t bog down the pram so it is a no brainer to keep them around!
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Dummies and white noise machine.
We have a routine for our baby, but we certainly aren’t regimented with it. Mainly because we want our baby to learn to be flexible. So, if nap time falls when we are out of the house, we turn the pram into their own little bedroom. Dummies for us are only allowed at night-time in our house and the white noise machine really helps. So, we get them all comfortable, dummy in, white noise on and then they can still stay ‘slightly’ on their schedule.
As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this post and learning about the items that I keep on the stroller. They are all really simple things, but they are all things that ensure both baby and I are happy when we are out of the house. There has only been one occasion where I completely ballsed up. I forgot the baby bag, which had all wipes, nappies and all of the other baby care items. Thankfully, I was walking past a friend’s house when our baby had a huge blowout and I had no other choice but to knock on the door, tell them I was a terrible mother and ask for help!
These are good essentials to have to hand in your stroller! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk