Tips For Taking Your Baby On A Day Hike
21 May
Many parents lived active lives before their babies were born but the level of activity that they enjoyed in the past stopped once their baby arrived. As much as any new parent loves being with their baby it’s easy for parents and even babies to get cabin fever if they are home all the time. When this happens it’s time for parents to hit the trails for the day with their baby.
How To Find The Right Trial
All it takes to find the right hiking trail is a little online research. Many parents choose public parks and destinations that have public restrooms along the trail, park benches and places to stop and rest, change diapers or feed the baby along the way.
Other parents choose hiking locations based on how many people frequent that area, streams, lakes and plenty of interesting things for the baby to look at because the stimulated the baby is by the hike, the quicker it will fall asleep and enable one or both parents to enjoy the exercise and stimulation that the hike offers them.
When To Start
The best time to go hiking with a baby is between 9:00 and 10:00am in the morning after a baby has been fed and changed because most babies will fall asleep once they are on the hiking trail especially if one of the parents straps the baby to themselves via a baby harness or carrier.
Parents should be ready for anything when hiking with their baby and remember to pack the essentials like bottles, baby formula, diapers, 2 to 3 outfits for baby plus snacks and drinks for both parents just in case the want to stop and relax for a while when they are on the trail.
Last of all but most important, any parent who is considering getting back into hiking after being away from it for a while should start out slow and only hike on beginner trails before trying more advanced trials with their babies because not every parent will be able to jump back into hiking with the same level of fitness like they did in the past.
Carrying items in your day pack is important. One of the most important is wipes. The can hand multiple tasks from clean up to just simply refreshing your child or yourself. I prefer Heinz sticky fingers.