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Out and about and Help

Just wondering how you all cope with getting out and about. My non identicals are 20 weeks and I still find it really hard to get out of the house. Once they are fed and ready we only get an hour sometimes, which I do use, but it seems like it will be such a long time before I can manage more than a couple of hours without having to come home to feed. Also looking at weaning I think this will mean it gets worse before it gets better. How does everyone else manage with getting out? Am I being over ambitious to think I could do more than a couple of hours?

Secondly how much help do people get from oh, family, friends, paid help or any other? I am lucky that my parents live close by and I get some help most days in the week, oh works very long hours all week but is around at weekends and does try.

Replies

  • Hey hun,

    As you know, I get out somewhere every day. It might only be a walk somewhere but I always go. Why do you have to be home to feed? I feed the boys separately, even when we are out, with bottles, but I feed them their solids together. I have a separate 'food' bag, as well as the changing bag, and I take a flask with me so I always have hot water to make bottles with. I half fill the bottles at home and then top up with hot so they are warm. I dont tend to stick rigidly to the routine when were out as they will often sleep for longer in the buggy and I dont wake them up to feed them. I have learnt that I end up more stressed if I try and stick to a rigid routine than if I go by them. They still have the same amount of food, they just dictate the times. It doesnt always work but does mostly. I try and prepare everything for the next day the night before, so if I know I am going somewhere then ill pack the milk/bottles/food things etc ready in the 'food' bag. All I then have to do is add the food and flask just before I go. I then unpack as soon as I get home and restock so its ready for next time. Oh, and I go out for anything from 1 hour to all day!

    I dont get any help! Hubby baths them and gives them breakfast. They go down for a nap and he goes to work. He doesnt get home till 10/11pm so I do everything else during the day on my own. The boys have dropped bottles since being weaned which does make things easier (they were having between 7 and 8 bottles a day, they now have 4 or 5). I go back to work on Monday and then hubby will have them Mon and Tues on his own, my mum weds and my dad thurs. Ill then have them Fri/Sat/Sun on my own.

    HTH but feel free to ask anything if I can help xxx
  • Hi hun

    It is tricky getting out and about but I've always made sure we get out every day.
    Our routine tends to be that we go out over lunchtime. When the girls were little, this was their naptime and the time they'd go longest between feeds. They used to feed at 11 and then again at 2. I used to always plan to give them their 2pm bottle out which gave me a good long stretch before I needed to be back.
    When we started weaning, they used to have their solids at 11am. I then pushed this to 11.30am and even now, if we need to go out, I give them their lunch at around 11.45 so I have a good 3 hours before they need a snack.
    I also pack my bag the night before. I replenish the changing bag with what I've used (nappies etc.) as soon as I get home. I always use bought food when we are out for a meal so can pack that the night before too. The only thing I add on the day are their beakers with fresh water in.

    In terms of help, no, I don't get any. Hubby runs his own business so is always busy, often at weekends too. I do everything for the girls, although, if he is home, he will play with them after their tea and bath them. I still have to give them their bedtime feed though as they won't take any from him (or anyone else).
    My mum is very willing but she works too. At the moment, it's Easter holidays so she's off work and loves to see the girls so an extra pair of hands is welcome but normally, she sees them about twice a week between 4 and bedtime so just plays with them a bit and feeds one of them their tea while I run round sorting washing/tidying up/cooking tea!
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