What does it mean to “go camping” in a hospital?

The sun is shining brightly. You’ve hung up your woolies and transitioned into open-toed shoes and sundresses. And, you are excited to get your tent or camper out of storage and hit your favourite park for camping.

The wind is already blowing through the trees. Even simply thinking about it makes your body relax. But, there is one issue:

You’re having a baby any day now!

Is it possible to go camping with a baby this summer, or will you have to skip the whole season?

Like with most questions concerning having children and parenting them, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.

Camping may be a good choice if you are expecting a baby in the following month.

Camping usually calms people, and being relaxed before the baby comes is a wonderful thing!

Before you go, there are a few things you should consider.

What is your Bishop Score? You won’t want to go far if you have a high Bishop Score. Read our Bishop Score primer to find out if your baby is likely to be born sooner or later.

How far are you willing to go from your selected delivery location? 1 or 2 hours is not a long time, particularly if you go into early labor. You may find yourself, however, trapped in a car or truck for a couple of hours while having strong cramps that get stronger as time passes. Are you capable of doing so?

What is your back up birth place? Determine the locations of the maternity hospitals along your journey. Every now and again, a woman goes into labor and, instead of taking 8, 12, or 24 hours to deliver a baby, it just takes a few of hours. Things might proceed quickly, and you should be prepared to travel straight to a hospital suited for births.

Newborn babies are crazily portable. They basically simply lie around all day, so they need very minimal equipment. That can make camping with a newborn really appealing.

Things to think about before going camping after the baby: how is baby being fed? You’re in luck if you said nursing! Breastfeeding a newborn requires no special equipment. Except for the breasts.

Regrettably, nursing may be difficult at times. Before deciding to head a few hours into the woods, Check to see if you have any breastfeeding difficulties. Your relaxing trip into nature will not be relaxing with a hungry wailing baby who is having trouble transferring breast milk. And aching breasts and nipples are a huge bummer when you’re trying to relax.

Utilizing formula, pumping, and supplemental gear including as tubes, nipple shields, and bottles adds a new degree of complexity. Camping sanitation and refrigerated storage are problematic. Bottles, accessories, and pump components must all be cleansed and sanitized on a regular basis to avoid baby illness. You may have a fridge in a camper but think hard about possible electrical problems that could compromise baby’s food supply when you are far from on call electricians.

We hadn’t even mentioned diapers. Babies pee and poop a lot. Make sure you bring extra diapers for the duration of your vacation. And bring a couple of those mint scented garbage bags to collect diaper waste into. You will need to properly dispose of soiled diapers. Please do not flush them down the vault toilet! I don’t care how environmentally friendly they are!

Carry a soft carrier, such as a wrap, sling, or mei tai, so you may snuggle your baby while remaining hands-free. Bring a mosquito net for a bassinet or a screened-in travel bed for infants as well. Little newborns don’t need much equipment, but these two items in particular will make camping with a newborn simpler.

Postpartum bleeding is something that nearly no one ever informs new moms about as they prepare to have a baby. You will have a hellish time for 4-6 weeks (on average) after your kid is born. It’s called Lochia and it’s no joke.

If you are bleeding, make sure you have enough of huge thick pads on hand. You’ll go through them all. Keep in mind that there may Nursing-induced flooding that occurs in the first several weeks while your nursing helps your uterus shrink to its pre-pregnancy size.

Did you have any kind of repair? Are you still experiencing postpartum bleeding? While camping, sanitation is always a concern. Normally it’s fine to not bathe for a few days or even a few weeks, especially if you can swim every day or two. But, if you are still having postpartum bleeding, you will be unable to swim. You will also be unable to use public restrooms.

To put things into perspective, imagine a placenta-sized wound on the interior of your uterus. It is attempting to heal and is susceptible to infection. If you go camping during this healing time, make it a point to relax. Just relax and take care of your child. Hiking and physical activity, such as standing for lengthy periods of time while preparing meals and cleaning up, will be taxing on your body. If you see bright red blood suddenly start up, you’ve gone too far.

Remember those mint-scented waste bags? These are especially important for your sanitary napkins (nothing inside the vagina like tampons and cups until after your normal cycle has returned later in the year) and discouraging animals. You don’t want the bears to ruin your first camping season with a baby.

We suggest waiting approximately a month after having a baby before going camping again. By this time your postpartum bleeding will be finished or very close to being finished, you and your baby will be past most initial breastfeeding challenges, and your baby will still be small and cuddly enough to be content in your arms or laying in a shady, quiet spot.

If in doubt talk to your doctor or your midwife.

If you are still not quite sure if you should go camping with a newborn, ask a medical professional who knows you and how you are doing. They have the last say on whether something is medically safe.

We hope you have a wonderful summer!

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