Ten Things I Learned From Our First Outing

Notes from Tater's first trip to the pediatrician at five days old.

1. If you are putting the baby in the infant carrier/car seat, discover that he dirtied his diaper in the two minutes since you put on the new one AND he is NOT crying, don’t bother changing it. You can change it at your destination.
2. Pack a wee wee cover of some sort in your diaper bag.
3. Pull out all the items you need for a diaper change PRIOR to the change INCLUDING the wee wee cover. You don’t want to grab the first thing you find to stop the flow and prevent getting a shower. Particularly if said first thing is the ONLY other outfit you packed.
4. If baby gets spit-up or urine on his outfit, AND the wet spot is less than 2” in diameter, don’t bother changing it. Especially if you only have one other outfit with you. You might need that outfit for a bigger emergency (see #3).
5. Pack 3X more outfits than you think you need (see #3 and #4). While you are at it, pack something for yourself.
6. At the first visit to the pediatrician, the first order of business is to weigh the baby…. with no clothes or diaper. (See #1 and #4 – don't bother changing the baby.)
7. Plan to start packing the car at least one hour before you need to leave. Thirty minutes is not enough. You will be 30 minutes late.
8. The pediatrician considers the baby their patient – NOT YOU. Sign in with the child’s name – not yours.
9. ALL the questions the nurse asks are about the baby. “It’s not about you any more, Mrs. Turner.” (see #8)
10. Smile… because no matter how much you plan, you will still have unexpected emergencies and you will still be late. You are a new mom, and there is a lot to learn. You will laugh about it later. Why wait?