It’s crazy to me that we are back to summer nights and camping trips! I started this post last summer when we were camping with a wee newborn and I thought I’d polish it up and finally post it!
Giving birth in the middle of summer definitely had its pros and cons.
I was so grateful to know that our baby boy would be born before cold and flu season. That we wouldn’t have to worry about protecting our newborn from the freezing cold from day one, and that we’d have time to have our baby and recover between school semesters.
But having a baby in July also had its difficulties. Aside from the heat and keeping baby out of the sun, it was hard because Carter and I are adventurers. We especially LOVE TO CAMP. Luckily, we got some good camping trips in before baby came, which was a whole nother experience to camp while super pregnant!
We weren’t camping the last few weeks of pregnancy because we were convinced I was going to go into labor early. Then with a fragile newborn baby sensitive to bugs, sunlight, and cold nights, we were still waiting. Within a week of Peter’s birth, we were both dying to go camping!
We started with a family camping trip when he was about 4 weeks old. It was close to freezing at night, so I didn’t want to deal with that! We joined the family during the day but did not opt to camp in the tent.
A few weeks later (and a warmer camping spot) we finally ventured to camp overnight. With tons of extra warm baby clothes for the night, Peter did alright. We still had some hard times for a couple hours in the night, but I was overall pleased.
Then last weekend we decided to try a third time! I was hesitant, as it had been a little difficult the first time around and it was forecast to be even colder this time. But Carter convinced me and off we went.
On our earlier camping trips, I read up on all sorts of blog posts about camping with a newborn. They assured me that if I had enough warm layers and blankets I’d be fine. But camping was still a struggle! Peter only slept well when up against my chest, and would cry within minutes of being set down again. I’m too paranoid to sleep with him like that, so it was a struggle for a couple hours before we finally grabbed our tent heater. So it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t easy either.
On our most recent camping trip, however, the camping trip was a BREEZE. Honestly. So I wanted to share the amazing products and tips that made our camping with a newborn such a wonderful, comfortable success.
Keeping Baby Safe and Cozy
Baby Wrap
This has been something wonderful on all our camping trips! Whether out on a hike, berry picking, or keeping warm by the campfire, the safest place for baby is snuggled close to you! I love knowing that baby is comfortable and being able to check to make sure baby is warm enough.
I also LOVE that you can breastfeed in these! After watching a couple youtube videos, I finally figured it out! This made things so easy while baby was snuggled up in the carrier while we spent hours around the campfire or while out hiking. I didn’t have to pull him out when he was hungry… just re-situated him a bit and he was ready to nurse!
Check out the quick video below to see how to breastfeed your baby while in the wrap.
Also, check out these awesome sweatshirts and coats designed to fit OVER the wrap! This would be so nice to keep mama and baby extra cozy….
Baby Safe Bug Spray
I definitely wish we would have had this! With a super little newborn, I just kept him in the wrap the entire time, then applied a light layer of bug spray to the wrap. This seemed to work pretty well!
Mr. Heater SAFE tent heater
Layers
Sleep Like a Baby
portable bassinet
comfortable bed for mama
Handy Essential to Keep Nearby
Water Bottle
I never go camping without it… I always like to keep my water bottle by my pillow so I can easily take a sip at night. Somehow I always get SO THIRSTY at night when camping. You’ll especially want to keep this close by if you are waking in the night to feed your sweet newborn. Keeping a thermos with hot water might be helpful if you need to prepare formula in the night!
Chap Stick
Again, one of those things I always need when camping. Keep it in a tent pocket or somewhere you can easily grab and find in the dark.
Baby Bottle & Infant Formula (if needed)
This is one of those times when I’m grateful I can just whip out the boob and feed my baby quickly and easily. But if you aren’t breastfeeding, make sure you have all the nighttime feeding essentials ready to go. I’d recommend putting formula in the bottle beforehand so all you have to do is add the water.
Have FUN and don’t overstress it!
It’s easy to worry about all sorts of things while you’re camping for the first time with your newborn… but try not to stress too much! Do the best you can and enjoy the time in nature. It will get better each time as you learn from your experiences!
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You might also like these posts as you prepare for your camping trip!
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