There is almost nothing worse than being out and about running the mile high errands that have to get done and then have your cute little baby initiate a meltdown. As if having a list of errands to run and grocery shopping while toting the baby around with you isn’t stressful enough, now you’ve got all eyes on you putting the pressure on even more to get him/her to stop crying.

Personally, I hate grocery shopping so if I can get out of it and somehow convince my husband to go without me, I do. That is the number one way to get yourself out of the “fussy baby while out and about” taken care of. But that is not always realistic or possible, even for me. So, my diaper bag is my number one defense and is on hand at all times. As my son gets bigger his needs change and so do my supplies. Now that he is eating regular foods, I make sure to pack his favorite snack foods. I use small containers to make sure not to take up too much room in the diaper bag for other necessities.

Bottles are must for any long trip. For formula fed babies (and I do have to supplement now), remember that bottles should be tossed out after one hour of being made. While on the go, I get two or three bottles together with ONLY super hot water and put them in the insulated pouch in my bag so they say warm. In another small Tupperware container, I add the amount of formula I will need for the three bottles and toss in the scoop. This way, when he is ready for a bottle, they will have cooled down enough and it will be fresh. By using a Tupperware container, you’re taking up less room in your bag since you don’t have to tote around the big can at home.

And last, but not least, toys! Make sure to grab some of those too. In order to make sure that they are toys that will keep my little one’s attention, I don’t pack toys that he plays with all the time. If they are new to him, the more interested he is in them and I only give them to him one at a time. He doesn’t get a new one until I notice him getting bored with what he has. The number rule to making sure baby is happy during your outings is to pay attention. Your little one will start showing signs of hunger and boredom long before the meltdown ensues. Watch your baby’s cues and see how much smoother your next trip goes.