"You can't take it with you...."

PregsMcSnoozalot · July 2014

Ok, so now that the birth announcement thread is blowing up and there are so many outside babies, I figure I'm probably not the only one with this situation...

What the heck to you do with baby when you have appointments? In the next month or so I will have a rhuematologist appointment, a dentist appointment, a hair appointment, an OB appointment, an appointment with my administrator at school since I'm the department chair and need to go over some stuff for next year, and some others I can't think of right now.

Do you guys bring baby with you to such things? How?!

I have no one to watch baby for me during the week days (DH works and family all live hours away and only come on weekends since they have full time jobs, too), so not taking him would be a whole other can of worms.

I assume you just tote baby around in the car seat carrier? Do you guys attach it to the stroller to go in to appointments like that or just carry it under your arm?

What if baby starts wailing during the middle of getting my cavity drilled at the dentist?? I couldn't exactly get up and sooth him....

I feel totally clueless as to how I can incorporate baby into my previously autonomous lifestyle!

(

INmommy871278 · July 2014

Baby goes everywhere with me. With DS he hung out in the carrier, then once he was out of the carrier I use the umbrella stroller since the exam rooms are usually small it fits better than the big stroller. This time around DS will be in the umbrella stroller and DD will be in the baby carrier.

I would try and find a sitter for the work meeting you mentioned, but other than that baby can be in the carrier or you can use the stroller.

drunkenhandstand · July 2014

I took my babies everywhere, unless DH was home and just wanted to watch them. The dentist may be hard…. I wouldn't do that. But all your other appointments you can bring baby to. You can set the baby up in his carrier/ stroller and just bring them along. You'll get used to it. Wish I had more advice. There's a learning curve but you'll get used to bringing him along with you just like your purse. Good luck

[Deleted User] · July 2014

I think you either have to take the baby or postpone what you can until someone can stay with him. DS1 was hard to take anywhere when he was a newborn because he wasn't content just sleeping in his carrier like a lot of babies are. He wanted to be on the boob constantly so sitting to get my hair cut with him there just wouldn't have happened. Same with the dentist. The OBs are used to it and obviously other appointments you can't miss so I'd just bring him and keep him in the carrier/stroller. It's hard to know ahead of time what LO's temperament will be like but hopefully for your sake he will be mellow and easy to take with you.

ETA: It also depends on what your offices are like. I know at my dentist there is a grandmotherly receptionist that would be tickled pink to hold a baby if need be. Same with the OB's office. So if you're there and the baby isn't content just sleeping in the carrier but someone might be willing to hold him that's always nice.

TexasGirl81 · July 2014

I guess for the most part, for the past year I have put myself on hold. Sacrificing no real hair appts, no more nail appts even the dentist has been put off.

Unless you just really have to go, then I promise the more you do it the easier it gets. You literally become a pro in no time. You know that saying "super mom" you will become that. The first time you will feel like a klutz (sp?) and like everyone is watching.

For me taking in the stroller is much better. Its not so straining on you. If its just a quick in and out, just try once to only bring in the baby carrier, see how you like it. You can do it mama! No worries. When baby was born you earned a cape for now becoming a super human.

PregsMcSnoozalot · July 2014

@MSUDucks Yeah, I think I'll definitely do that for the dentist. I just can't imagine how it would work to get a cavity filled with LO there in the carrier. Just too much potential problems, and getting dental work done is stressful enough already! It's tough for DH to go to work late, but I think he's just gonna have to do it that day....

Thanks for all the insights, ladies!

honeybee434 · July 2014

Im currently trying to figure out how to schedule a hair appointment, but haven't figured out how that will go down. It's usually 3 hours to do my hair, so I don't know if I should take her and pump a bottle to feed her when my foils are setting, or if I should have DH drop her off at MIL's house for a couple of hours on his way into work and the just have one of them give her a bottle. I'm thinking the latter. I can only schedule my appointments for Saturdays and DH works late morning to late afternoon those days.

I would probably bring them to the above except the dentist appointment only because that can take awhile to get through and it's hard to stop a teeth cleaning/proceedure if the baby gets fussy.

alyss0nl · July 2014

Depending on where we go, we either take just the carrier or put it on the stroller. It gets easier to go places once baby has a set schedule.

PregsMcSnoozalot · July 2014

@alysson.lawless This might really be a really stupid question, but what kind of set schedule does a baby eventually acquire?

TexasGirl81 · July 2014

PregsMcSnoozalot said:
@alysson.lawless This might really be a really stupid question, but what kind of set schedule does a baby eventually acquire?

I know this wasn't directed towards me but, whatever schedule we have gained this past year has just been her nap times. Of course newborns sleep a lot, and Lili is now 11 months so she definetly had her sleep schedule down. Now if I could just get her to STTN!!!

Kabee4 · July 2014

When I set up my dentist appointment, it is potentially 3 weeks after baby is born. They said make sure you bring baby with you. They actually encouraged me. I think it just depends on the office.

MrsLele · July 2014

Your OB office is used to it, I'm sure. I brought DD #1 with me. Depending on other dr and work appt, you may be fine, as well. Just bring baby in carrier or baby wear. However, I wouldn't bring a baby to a salon. Too complicated, not to mention the smells there can be overwhelming for me so I can't imagine a newborn would enjoy them. Schedule the hair appt for a weekend you have visitors.

MississippiCatfish · July 2014

DS1 was never the kind of baby who was content to just lay alone in the car seat. I usually had to be holding him/walking around for the first few months. I would schedule appointments for the end of the workday so DH could watch him after work. A lot of those places have extended hours at least some nights. If I did have to ask DH to take half day or find a sitter, I would capitalize that time and make a few appointments for the day, like straight from the hair salon to the dentist. I'm pretty sure I just did that once.

alyss0nl · July 2014

PregsMcSnoozalot said:

@alysson.lawless This might really be a really stupid question, but what kind of set schedule does a baby eventually acquire?

Ds1 had a feeding and sleeping schedule that was usually predictable. We planned things around it or would take him during his nap times and put him in his stroller. His daycare really helped us with establishing a daytime routine, which in turn helped us create a night route where he would sleep through the night.

AKB090609 · July 2014

I also make as many of my appointments at the end of the day as possible so DH can watch the girls the only exception (for me) is ObGyn appointments or the kids' doctor appointments. I found a dentist who has 7am appointments and DH and I try to coordinate short things (like the eye doctor) so that we can trade off on who watches the kids when the other has their exam. We also schedule as many appointments back to back as possible so that we are maximizing any time that gets taken off of work.

I don't think it is okay to take your baby to a professional meeting under any circumstance.

Ekg688 · July 2014

My mom and I get pedis together a lot and were excited to take DD to her first pedi (aka me holding her while I get a pedi). Then my dad yelled at us saying we couldn't take a baby to a nail salon with all the chemicals in the air (valid point grandpa!) So I'm not sure if a hair appointment would be ok depending on chemicals in the air? Just a thought.

mrscutforth · July 2014

With DS, he went and still does go everywhere with me. I bought a cheapie $15 stroller at Target as soon as he was able to hold his head up by himself and I use that. Now when DD comes along next week, I will be wearing her and still using the stroller with DS.

aimeepigott · July 2014

DS1 went everywhere I did...hair appt, dentist, eye doc. He normally stayed in his carrier. Now that he is 20 mos old I take my iPad and put in blues clues and he's perfectly content. DS also had a schedule by 1 mo old....I had read a sleep training article that stated to put baby down for 1st nap an hour and a half- 2 he's after initially waking up....it worked with his feeding schedule. I also didn't hesitate to go do errands with him either. If they are used to sleeping at certain times they should be able to sleep anywhere. When we were home I would purposely run the vacuum cleaner and make noise during naptimes so he was used to sleeping through anything. Good luck. You'll figure out what works best for you!

fmb2011 · July 2014

I took DD2 with me everywhere because I'm a SAHM and don't really have the luxury of a babysitter. The only place I don't take her to now is the hair salon but that's more because it takes almost 3hrs for highlights, a cut and dry so I schedule those when DH is home. But you do tend to learn their patterns/routines and I try working around that.