How to Survive Your First Weekend Alone With Baby

This was my first mommy-daughter weekend entirely on my own since Naiya was born.  Phil was out of town on a business trip and it was the first time we didn't plan for family or friends to come and help us out. 

Let's face it: 8-months in, it was time for me to bite the bullet!  I'm lucky I made it this far. That said, I was completely anxious that I wouldn't be able to juggle it all without Phil. 

In the end, we made it!  I loved all of our one-on-one time but I also feel like i was hit by the exhaustion bus. I also gained even more appreciation than I already had for single parents: the true rockstars of our society.

In addition to today's outfit post, I'm rounding up a few tips about how you can survive your first weekend alone with baby too.

Outfit Of The Day

The whole weekend mom-ing around, I wore these "mom" jeans with a straight leg. Ironically, I've loved these jeans more than ever since I've become a mom. I love the high waist that holds you in in all of the right places. I also love that they stretch out so perfectly without becoming too baggy at the end of the day.This pair is called "The Wedgie" and I want them in every color (other options here and here).

I love this particular wash because they're classic and they go with everything. I also love the raw hems on the bottom.I paired these jeans with a simple white tank, white sneakers, red sunnies (less than $30!) and a leather moto jacket I scooped up years ago in Florence, Italy.

This jacket is one of my favorites because the leather looks even better with time. Sharing a few similar versions here (currently on sale!), here and here.

1) Leave A Stroller In The Car

This is extremely helpful--especially as your baby gets older. 

Sometimes, I want to run out of the house carrying Naiya but I don't want to drag the stroller along too.If you have a smaller umbrella stroller like the one we're loving here, you can leave that stroller in the car as a backup.

Ours is actually a lightweight travel stroller that clips into Naiya's baby carseat but it's also great for older kids once they grow out of that seat.While you're at it, leave an extra baby carrier in the car too, extra diapers and wipes.

You can never have too many back-up items in there--especially when you're on your own.

2) Food Prep During Naps

Whenever Naiya napped this weekend, I prepped all of her meals quickly and easily with the Beaba, a steam cooker and blender for baby food.  It's such a great buy Phil and I could not recommend it enough. We also use Raised Real, an organic baby meal delivery service that comes every two weeks.

You receive 20 baby-ready meals that cost $4.75 / meal with free shipping (and $25 off of your first box). Veggies and fruits come in tiny frozen packets and all you do is steam, blend and you're ready to go.The Beaba and Raised Real were lifesavers for me this weekend and I love that Naiya gobbled up such healthy food.

3) Baby-Proof The Bathroom

It's never easy showering as a new mom but this weekend when I didn't have an extra hand, it was nearly impossible. I used to put Naiya in a dockatot before she was crawling everywhere but now, all she wants to do is move around and be with me.

In order to earn just a few minutes of 'me' time and to make sure I didn't stink up the place, I ended up baby-proofing our bathroom. I lined the floor with towels and made sure Naiya couldn't open the drawers. 

I removed toilet paper and closed the toilet. From there, I piled a bunch of Naiya's favorite books and toys on the floor.

I jumped in the shower and I got a good three-minutes in there before Naiya realized the diversion I'd created and she started to scream. Boom--did it.

4) Stick To A Schedule

Naiya has been on a schedule since she was six months old. Phil and I didn't set out to be on such a regimen at first but after sleep training, following the same schedule day in and day out proved to be extremely helpful.

Naiya was happier, she was sleeping better, she knew when to expect food and we got our sanity back.I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to stick to our schedule on my own but it ended up working out perfectly.

The helpful thing about this was that I was able to stagger in nursings every three hours, three solid food feedings, four walks with our dog, a morning run and errands in between Naiya's three naps.

If I had winged the schedule, I don't think I would have been able to get Naiya to bed on time--for naps or for the night.

5) Always Ask For Help

Living in a big city (or anywhere for that matter!), getting around with a baby on your own is not the easiest. We personally don't have an elevator or ramp in our complex. Likewise, getting the stroller and carseat down two flights of stairs and into our car (while holding Naiya) is a mission-and-a-half.  In fact, it takes some serious muscle!

Looking back, it would have been helpful to have someone lend a hand with this over the weekend (even though I was initially determined to do it myself).

Next time Phil goes out of town, I'm going to nail someone down for sure because there's no reason to be a martyr. Mom-ing alone is physically and mentally exhausting--always ask for help!

Photography: Azusa Takano