London with a newborn (ish).

Izzy (my eldest) was about 3 or 4 months old when I got the opportunity to go to London for the day. I was on maternity leave, I’d just about got the hang of being a mum and knowing what my little lady needed. My sister in law had a conference in London and needed company on the train journey. I was all prepped, bottles ready, bag packed. I opted for my Tiba and Marl Elwood bag and Caboo sling to carry Izzy as there was no way I was navigating the tube with a pram on my own. First stop was a brew for the train and to make a plan of what sights to see.

First stop was London Science Museum (Visit | Science Museum, London), entry was free and there was loads of great sensory play for Izzy to interact with, even though she was such a small baby, she was wide-eyed and interested in all of the lights and textures. It also had lots of spaces for a pit-stop or as we liked to call it “bocky-o-clocky”. After a good look round the museum and some lunch we headed to Big Ben, the houses of Parliament and to see no.10. It wasn’t long on the tube; I’d bought a 24 hour pass so I could hop on and off all day for a set price. It’s done differently now; you just use the same bank card to tap in and out of stations and it maxes out after a certain amount of journey’s, and it stops charging you and you can keep travelling for those 24 hours. We walked (Izzy in the sling) from Westminster up to Horse Guard and through the park to Buckingham Palace to see if the Queen was in.

Pretty exhausted from the walk and in need of changing Izzy’s nappy we headed for Harrods. Harrod’s had by far “the best” baby changing facilities I’ve ever seen. It was so quiet and luxurious, hard to believe it’s in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of the capital. We stopped and took a moment for ourselves in the peace and quiet, sat in a comfy armchair it was time for another bottle before looking around the toy section, it has to be done on any trip to London.

Wasn’t long before the little lady had fallen asleep, snug as a bug in her sling. We soon got the call from my sister in law to say she was all done with her conference and it was time to head back home.

We made our way and met her at Euston station. We grabbed some train snacks and headed for our platform. The train was PACKED!!!!!! We didn’t book seats on the way home and it was a free for all, we didn’t manage to get a seat but found a safe spot to stand. Then restoring my faith in humanity a lady gave up her seat and told us to sit down. I was so grateful, explaining that her bigger kids were at home and she’d been in my shoes. Note to future self… book seats.

Not only did that wonderful lady give up her seat for us, it also had a table. I managed to change Izzy ready for bed and had enough space for her to have a little stretch before falling asleep all snuggled in. It was a great but exhausting day!

My top 5 tips for doing London in a day with a baby.

1. Ditch the pram! Those tiny folding prams weren’t a thing when Izzy was a newborn, even if they were I don’t think they’d have been much help. The Caboo sling was perfect. I meant I had Izzy close, she felt secure, and I could still function and had both arms free. Below is a link to a very similar sling to the one I used.

https://amzn.to/3YJhEed

2. Take a rucksack. Not only did it hold everything I needed for the day, but it also counter balanced Izzy in the sling and saved my back! I took my Tiba and Marl Elwood bag. Practical and stylish. Below is the link to the one I have, they come in many styles, although the leather looks the part, I find it’s quite heavy when it’s empty, let alone stuffing it with bottles and nappies, you might be better with a fabric one.

T+M x Selfridges Elwood Changing Backpack Black / Gold - Tiba + Marl – Tiba + Marl® Official Site (tibaandmarl.com)

3. Reserve your seats on the train. For peace of mind, to make sure you have somewhere to rest your tired legs after a long day. This can be easily done on the trainline app, if you book your tickets through them.

4. Download a map of the tube onto your phone so you can navigate your way round easily. I used this one. Tube and Rail - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) the tube is so easy to use, if you know where you are going.

5. Plan to have pit stops and make sure you are somewhere with good baby facilities. I chose to go to family friendly sights and attractions, because they were sure to have everything we needed. Things I felt I needed were; somewhere to change Izzy that was safe and clean, somewhere that I could sit and grab a drink, somewhere I could feed Izzy. The Museums and department stores are perfect.