babies-msg - 1/14/08
Camping with babies. Handling babies at SCA events. Infant safety.
NOTE: See also the files: baby-gifts-msg, children-msg, child-clothes-msg,
child-books-msg, teething-toys-msg, toys-msg, child-wagons-msg, baby-slings-msg.
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Babies at Penssic
I took a nine month old to Pensic last year. Because she kept growing too
fast, i didn't even try to put her in garb. I just took various of her regualr
clothes. I also used disposable diapers. And all her food came out of boxes
and bottles. Open a jar of baby food, feed it to her, and throw away the jar.
No dishes to clean (you feed her straight from the bottle, no need to warm it
up) In the morning I made her cereal from dry flakes, and sometimes fed it to
her during the day when it seemed too hot and she was fussy. This stuff won't
upset an overstressed stomach. Do not use Pensic water, not for you or the
kid. You don't want to run the risk that you might develop something, and
then you would find yourself making mad dashes for the porta johns with a baby
tucked under your arm. Take enough bottles so that you don't have to wash
them. Sterilizing is next to impossible at Pensic, and is too much hassle to
even try. If you use distilled water to make formula, then you don't need to
boil the water first. Some people worry about distilled water leaching
minerals from a person. Don't worry, the formula has full nutrition. And I
reccommend formula, don't try to take milk, your refrigeration at Pensic is too
unrelibale. A helpful hint: soy fomrula does not stain, and doesn't smell
nearly as bad as milk based formula. If your child gets moderately ill, they
will be able to drink soy formula diluted more than usual when you you couldn't
use milk formula because the kid throws it up. It's also not nearly as bad for
you to get covered in soy vomit rather than milk vomit. This has happened to
me, and believe me, at times like that, little blessings are greatly
appreciated.
Do take something that you can set up to prevent your child wandering, and shade
it. Always keep your child covered, they are much more prone to sunstroke and
sunburn than adults. Give them lots and lots of water. Whenever they fuss,
stick a bottle of water into them. Then check diaper and other usual causes
of complaint. You can't over water a child, they'll jsut pee it out. Try to keep an eye to input and output, if they are not more or less equal, you have a
serious problem. Children who are suffering illness or heat exhaustion will
become more ittitable, or conversely, quieter. If your child seems to be
deviating from its usual behaviour, investigate. Check temperature (do bring a
thermometer and acetominaphn, anti-diarhea medication, diaper rash medication,
antihistiamine, and any other medication you might possibly want. This
includes a jug of Pedialyte-one jug will allow you to feed a child while some
ones else rushes to the drug store to stock up on pedialyte for you.) If your
child throws up, convert to clear liquids and consult a chirurgeon. Vomitting
or diarhea can kill a child with dehydration within a few hours. WAter is not
adequate, Pedialyte contains elotrolytes and other necessary substances.
Remember to take some alcohol to sterilize the thermomet and other medical
apparatus after each use. Pensic is hot, be alert, your small infant
will suffer from the heat at some point, but if you are alert you can take
necessary steps to prevent serious problems form developing.
Taking a child to Pensic is doable, but not easy. My husband and I were
snappish with one another, and found our activities greatly curtailed. We took
turns staying with the child and going off by ourselves. We did not party, we
were too beat. A noble lady volunteered to babysit for us and we shot our
archery points together. My husband vetoed taking the stroller as being
unsuited to the Pensic terrain, but I wish I had some sort of transportation
because you get tired of hauling a kid around. I think maybe a wagon would be
good, it means to can put your babycare kit in the wagon with the baby instead
of carrying it. Also, if you get tired, you have something to sit on. Make
sure you drink lots of liquids, particualry water, as worrying about a kid,
plus serving the kids needs will take a lot more out of you than you ever
imagined it would.
I don't want to scare you into not taking kids to Pensic, but if you're doing
it alone, or with your partner, you're biting off a big undertaking. We were
unable to camp with our group, so our casual babysitters were not around when
we needed them. Having someone to babysit for you is a godsend. I applaud
Marian Greenleaf for working so diligently to accomodate her groups children.
That kind of group support makes a world of difference. Unfortunately, it
doesn't happen here, even though I've made attmepts to start it.
Yours in service.
Awilda Halfdane
Bright Hills, Atlantia
sgj%ctj.uucp at wb3ffv.ampr.org
From: Orilee_J_Ireland-Delfs.wbst845 at XEROX.COM
Date: 15 Feb 90 21:37:25 GMT
Organization: Society for Creative Anachronism
(I sent the gentle who asked a long dissertation on taking a baby camping.
I would like to summerize for the net as a whole. If anyone has questions
or comments on my list, feel free to contact me.)
Items to consider:
A play yard (fence-type item with no bottom. Wooden ones are available if
you can find them, Sears has an okay (although expensive) plastic one).
A wading pool or tub for cooling off and bathing
Baby-type items for keeping baby happy yet confined for times when you are
cooking or whatever (highchair, swing) A little imagination could dress it
up to make it look less mundane
Easy to prepare foods. Juices in individual cartons (lots of juice - good
for hot weather). Crackers, cheese, cereal (wheat squares with raisins are
good munchies), bread and peanut butter, fruit (bananas, grapes, apple
chunks) fresh or dried.
A trunk to use as a changing table/storage
A portable crib or foam bolsters around a pile of bedding
Heavy pajama sleepers for the cool damp nights
Sun bonnets (made in period fabrics)
Baby sun screen
Bug repellant that is child-tested
Light weight garb in cottons or gauze that covers the arms and legs as
protection from sun and bugs
Heavy weight garb for cooler weather, particularly for layering, including
mittens and booties for real little ones who can't protect their hands
A babysitter for occasional babysitting time
A cart or wagon to carry the baby in, particularly at big events
blankets or throws to play on
Toys
Obviously, everything on this list should be modified to age-appropriate
for the child. Also, if you have period substitutes for these things,
Lady Orianna vander Delft, mother of a very active 2 1/2 year old
Thescorre, AEthelmearc, East
Rochester, NY
From: asparrow at nyx.cs.du.edu (Angelia Sparrow)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Camping with Babies
Date: 16 May 1994 09:42:45 -0600
Lilies is not Pennsic and a 2 month old is not a five month old, but
Here's what I have.
Baby will be fine either sleeping in your bedroll (handy for late night
nursings), a portable bassinette basket (what we used, may be too small
for a 5 mo.) or a play pen. The play pen is my choice and I'll be putting
my 2 in it for sleep at the Lilies this summer. It's nice and confining
for the big kids.
Take lots of diapers! Treble what you think you'll need, and store them
in a water tight container. I lost half a bag during Pavel's Flood last
year.
A front carrier pack is indispensible! And your broad-brimmer hat should
provide enough shade for both. But, if he'll wear it, pack bonnets. It
really helps.
Sunscreen, specially formulated for babies, and ignore the under 6 mo
warning. It's necessary.
PArental sanity: take more trhan one adult per kid. Nap when the baby
does. Don't over schedule. Don't be afraid to nurse in public. Drink
lots of water. Be prepared to call it a night at 8 pm, instead of 2 am.
The magic expanding baby dress in the old KNown WorldHandbook is a life
saver. (Make a T-tuni wqay too big and then take it up.)
Aetyhelynde, with a terrible Two for Lilies this year.
From: berman at cauchy.math.lsu.edu (Glenn Berman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Camping with Babies
Date: 18 May 1994 14:16:45 GMT
Organization: Louisiana State University InterNetNews Site
Just one follow up to the excellent suggestions already posted. Choose
your campsite very very carefully so that the noise won't wake up the
young one at 1 A.M., and don't be afraid to let people know that you have
a child and would appreciate they take the volume to some other section of
the event site.
Best of Luck (taking my child to any sort of camping makes me yearn for
Monday when I can get a good nights sleep(but it's worth it))
From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Camping with Babies
Summary: tips, medically-orientd mostly
Date: Tue, 17 May 94 11:52:03 EDT
kgandek at world.std.com (Kathryn GandekTighe) writes:
> This August we will be taking our 5 month old son to Pennsic. Having
> been there as adults, we've got that part of the camping down to habit.
> However, going with a baby obviously involved other considerations! I'd
> be interested to hear anyone else's handy tips/things that worked for
> you. How did you handle the heat? the sun? the cold? In what did your
> child sleep? Any parental sanity tips? (Being still at the stage where
> he and I are still getting up in the middle of the night, I never
> underestimate parental sanity tips :-)
Respected friend:
I have children's nurses' aide certification, and four years
experience in children's hospitals, and have only missed one Pennsic since
#5. Some suggestions-
Use the diaper service out of Butler- dispoasbles are Very Bad in
the sticky humidity which adds so much to the Pennsic ambiance ;-}.
Call your tent manufacturer and find out if the material in it is
a UV blocker- Years ago, a child had to be hospitalized after lying in the
"shade" of a Non-UV blocking tent for four hours.
Bring Pedialite. If the baby has any trace of loose stool, start
feeding it ASAP. Get him used to the taste starting now.
If you can't nurse, start getting the baby used to powdered formula
made with distilled water now. Don't use tapwater at Pennsic for baby's
food unless you live within a 70-mile radius of Butler on a well-water source.
(IE not treated municipal water.)
Don't use liquid formula concentrate unless you're bringing a
refridgerator and have guaranteed power access. If baby must have liquid
formula, get the single ready-use kind- hideously expensive but much safer.
Don't let anybody give baby uncooked honey. It may contain live
salmonella. This includes more things than you might realize- be careful.
One period baby-toting system was a slat-woven pack basket, well
padded. Get one now and practice. This _is not_ safe for a child who can't
hold his head up yet.
Or make a hip-holder out of a strip of soft wool or flannel.
Or make a little cart with a shady hooped top. If you use inner tube
for the suspension straps it will have somewhat less jarring motion- but be
sure the innertube doesn't show.
Make up a handout of `What to do and not do around babies' for the
others sharing your campsite.
Find a babies' sunblock now that doesn't irritate his skin. Bring two
bottles minimum, since brands vary so much by region and you don't want to
expose him to an unchecked one when he's away from home. Keep one in the car
in case the campsite one grows feet.
Take infant & children's CPR classes through your Red Cross or
equivalent. Your baby won't need it this year, but someone else's might. And
when he's into solids he'll be crawling and you'll be too busy.
Take naps. If you get sick, he's in trouble too.
Make his tunics from children's sleepwear materials. Even at four
dollars a yard, the stuff's worth it for any Pennsic-bound child. It does come
in decent colors, so call around. Bring _detergent_ to wash them in; soap will
destroy the fire-retardency you paid serious bucks for.
If he has a known medical problem, find a nearby Pediatrician- the
Slippery Rock or Butler hospitals may have a referral service- and get
duplicate records sent to the office before you head out. It will make
emergency care much, much easier.
Memorize a polite way to say `You're infectious and I don't want you
near the baby.' Practice until you can say it nose-to-nose with the scariest
Megaduke we've got, if necessary. Use it.
Was your hands and his face every chance you get. If you nurse, wash
before feedings, since the local dust will contain different microbes than
he was exposed to at home. But don't get obsessive about it.
Lay in an adequate stock of your own prescriptions, with a duplicate
supply for the car.
Wear comfortable walking shoes. Break them in at home.
_Do not_ lay him down in tall grass. Ticks are bad.
Decide who you'll let hold, play with, and babysit him now, while you
have time to think it through.
Just accept that a lot of young adults will talk to your baby and
ignore you. It may be hormonal.
Don't forget to take good care of yourself, and of other family
members.
Don't forget to have fun.
Yours in service-
Honour/Alizaunde, Demoiselle de Bregeuf, C.O.L.
This may be reprinted _once_ by any local nonprofit SCA newsletter,
provided both my legal and SCA names appear as author.
Other camping event/war names may be substituted where appopriate. No other
editing is permitted without prior consultation, and a copy must be sent to me
at PO Box 56, South Lyndeboro, NH, 03082. All other rights reserved.
From: ercil at astrid.UUCP (Ercil C. Howard-Wroth)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Camping with Babies
Date: 19 May 94 02:29:13 PST
In article <CpwEKJ.DrK at world.std.com> kgandek at world.std.com (Kathryn GandekTighe) writes:
>This August we will be taking our 5 month old son to Pennsic. Having
>been there as adults, we've got that part of the camping down to habit.
>However, going with a baby obviously involved other considerations! I'd
>be interested to hear anyone else's handy tips/things that worked for
>you. How did you handle the heat? the sun? the cold? In what did your
>child sleep? Any parental sanity tips? (Being still at the stage where
>he and I are still getting up in the middle of the night, I never
>underestimate parental sanity tips :-)
>
>Thanks!
>Catrin o'r Rhyd For
>Kathryn Gandek-Tighe
>kgandek at world.std.com
We have been toting our now 2 yr old around since she was born.
My first advice (unless you are nursing of course) is to leave your baby
with your parents or other willing relative and take a small break (maybe
only a partial week). Also read this past TI as the Chiurgeon General had
a word or two for us parents and potentially pregnant people, who go
camping.
If she is reading Mistress AEflead of Duckford (Mrs Gunwaldt on the
net sometimes) knows lots and lots about kids. She runs a superb
newsletter called `Thinkwell' and has some supplements on children and
the SCA. I'd love to hear her ideas too.
But if you are like us you won't the child at home for whatever reasons.
Sooooo, Take a porta-crib. It is
one of the best investments we made in terms of baby paraphanalia.
Take a sling. Don't bother with a stroller, but if you do please
disguise it with cloth draping or more elaborate scheming. I am a parent
but I hate to see undisguised strollers at events.
Remember that you and your husband are a team and if you don't or can't
work together as one team, your Pennsic vacation will be difficult for you.
Each of you needs time alone and you need time together (if you have
a sister or brother who can watch the youngling for an hour or two).
This is another reason why you bring the porta-crib.
Bring lots of extra diapers. Bring infant tylenol, your thermometer,
and infant benedryl. Many chiurgeons do not carry children's medications
of any kind. Make sure your first aid kit is child proof either locked
or something you can hang from a tent pole. Your baby is 5 mo now, but
will be crawling, walking, climbing, exploring, and tasteing very very soon.
Practice is perfect and besides other children may be around your camp site.
The kind that get into those things are the kind that do not know - this
is not their tent-. Prevention is a good thing.
t-tunics of different fabric are great for warmth. Onesies are great. I
sewed a skirt onto one and added trim in the right areas. My daughter uses
it now for one of her dolls. I use the long sleeve baby kimonos as an
underdress for the t-tunics. It helped layer her. Baby garb is easy and
fun.
Bring two or three sets of extra bedding. We found that a porta-crib
gets the baby off the ground, but the damp cold can still seep through.
I layered and layered first the baby and then the bedding. I bought
a kiddy sized sleeping bag and unzipped it. The layers went like this:
1. mattress, mattress quilt, quilted sheet, 2 baby blankets, sleeping bag
Place baby on top. (baby is in long johns and blanket jammies w/socks on too)
2. Many blankets.
The idea is to insulate from the bottom as well as the top. Be sensitive
to the cold and be ready to have the baby sleep with you. A nurse told
me that a naked baby could be kept sufficiently warm by being next to her
mother's skin. The above arrangement kept our daughter warm during a
night when it rained/slushed/snowed and was cooooldddd. She slept through
most of the night totally covered and toasty warm.
Take sunscreen (the kind for babies and children)! I cannot stand to see
baked babies totally red and later crying.
Pennsic is wierd. It is hot and cold. It always rains at Pennsic.
One thing I discovered our last rainy camping event was the new leak
in the tent... right over our daughter's bed... soaked clear through.
I always try to be considerate of who I am camping next to since my daughter
is a herald in training and has awakened many adult people _not_ her
parents at events. She has even screamed so loudly (about not sleeping
at midnight) that several constables came to check that we had not
abandoned her to an empty tent.
Incidently, she slept through Rolling Thunder's drumming/dancing contest
at a recent war so the issue is not noise, but you might also consider
this issue when deciding where you want to camp.
Be ready and be able to break camp and get a motel room if necessary.
We did this at the snow event.
Read the other Pennsic threads, but dry blankets, bedding, and clothing,
and quarters for a laundrumat in the car (for the baby).
You may know lots of this already, but I just wanted to assist if I could.
From a fellow parent, who remembers sleepless nights and wishes you a good
time at Pennsic,
Astridhr Selr Leifsdottir
E. Howard-Wroth
...uunet!astrid!astridhr Shire of Heatherwyne
astrid!astridhr at uunet.UU.NET Kingdom of Caid
70327.1614 at compuserve.com
From: kohrn at bach.seattleu.edu (David B. Kohrn)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Babies camping out
Date: 26 Aug 1994 09:59:39 -0700
Organization: Seattle University, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Traveling and camping with babies is possible, but yes it does
require extra preperation. Long before I had kids I noticed
that many SCA kids were miserable because they did not have the
right clothing for the weather. Many parents skimp on kids' SCA
garb which will only be worn a few times before it is outgrown.