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From the author
I must admit, it's a pleasure to walk with a childI started receiving it only a few months after his birth. I prefer not to even remember the first forays into society. In short: the child screamed unbearably while I was dressing him and swaddling him in every possible way. Then he screamed while I was dressing myself. Then he screamed for a long time in the stroller. Sometimes he screamed for the entire hour and a half that we walked in the park... As a responsible mother, I believed that a walk was undertaken in order to breathe fresh air, and not exhaust fumes and the stench from a mountain of garbage bags near the house territories, so I always went quite far from home. In general, sometimes it happened that I cried for the entire hour and a half that we "walked". When I remember, I shudder. But the difficult period is behind us, now I am a "pumped up" mother, and a walk with a child for me is a favorite ritual, honed to the smallest detail.
Build a route
Ideally, this place should be away frombusy roads. Some mothers solve the problem very simply: they put the stroller on the balcony. But there are several dangerous moments here. Firstly, there is always a chance that cigarette butts or other objects thrown by “well-behaved” neighbors from the upper floors will fly into the stroller. Secondly, there is not always enough fresh air on the balcony - for example, if not all the windows open. Thirdly, the balcony can be simply cluttered and dusty. And besides, it is quite difficult to navigate the temperature there, and many mothers either wrap up their babies too much or, conversely, underdress them. So, when choosing a place for a walk with a child, it is better to give preference to a park or a square.
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Forethought and order
Before you go for a walk,Get your bearings based on the weather. If there is a chance that it will rain, grab a raincoat for the stroller so that the baby does not get wet. If the weather is great, but you are walking within the city, then a special net for the stroller will not hurt, which will protect against city dust and insects. Then we get dressed. First, mom, otherwise the baby will sweat. And that means hysteria, to the accompaniment of which you will have to pull on jeans, is inevitable. As a result - frayed nerves of both mom and baby, and the latter, God forbid, will catch a cold, being outside.
What is with you?
First of all, convenience.Since you have to carry quite a lot with you (I’m telling you, it’s like a small expedition in scale), you can buy a special bag for walks in advance, where essential items will be compactly placed. Such a bag often comes with a stroller and is attached either to its handle or is located in the lower net under the cradle. However, any ordinary backpack will do, the main thing is that it is roomy. So, what do we take with us? For the child - A couple of diapers, wet and dry wipes (in case of collapse on the road). - A bottle of formula. Life hack. Today, there are special very compact thermal bags for bottles on sale, which will keep the contents of this very bottle warm throughout the entire walk. - A pacifier. Life hack. The pacifier constantly falls and, accordingly, gets dirty. A pacifier clip is a very useful invention. It is conveniently attached to the child's jacket or any other outerwear and solves the problem of constantly rinsing the pacifier. - Blanket. You will be moving and, most likely, you personally will not need additional insulation. But the baby in the stroller will be practically motionless, which means that covering him with a blanket may not be superfluous. - Warm drink. Cook the compote in advance, pour it into a small thermos and do not forget to take a sippy cup or bottle with you. - Rattle. There is a myth that all babies, when they find themselves in the fresh air, immediately pass out under the influence of oxygen. But this does not always happen and not for everyone. Lying / sitting in the stroller, the baby may prefer to watch the leaves and branches moving in the wind, animals running and new people. And sometimes he can just lie and scream shrilly - it's a matter of luck. Take a rattle to distract him, if necessary.For yourself— A light snack in the form of fruit or a sandwich (sometimes walks last up to 2-2.5 hours).— A warm drink. You can use a thermos.Life hack. For your own convenience, buy a special cup holder that attaches to the handle of the stroller. And you won’t have to hold the glass in your hand all the time.— A book (or its audio version). This can be anything: a classic, a parenting guide, or a self-development book. Read as much as possible so as not to completely “wither away” on maternity leave.— A skipping rope (read more about this below).
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Walk as a way to get back in shape quickly.
As soon as I had established a rough pattern of calm andcomfortable walks, I decided to go further and turn them into a real physical education session. On Instagram, I was following one mother who regularly posted videos of simple exercises that she did right from her stroller! So for some time now, I always take with me... no, not a video camera, but a skipping rope. 30-40 minutes of "pushing the stroller" to the park and around the park, 10 minutes of simple exercises like leg and arm swings, plus 15-20 minutes on the jump rope - and you have a full-fledged cardio workout (personally, in this regimen, I managed to completely return to my pre-pregnancy weight in 9 months and even lose an extra two kilos). For my convenience, I moved the walking ritual to the first half of the day - it is in the morning hours that I am most alert, in a good mood and ready for feats. And besides, at this time of year, there are usually not many people in the park. But even if you can't jump rope, walking is still one of the most useful types of exercise, even for young mothers suffering from lack of sleep. See also:
