3 Reasons to take baby hiking (and what doctors think about it.)

I set out to write about the benefits of hiking with a baby, but once I started doing a little research I found that most parenting websites either don’t recommend it or offer suggestions and tips that seem overly cautious, especially to an experienced hiker.  Here are 3 reasons why I believe babies belong on the trail.

1.) It is healthy: As new mothers, our bodies are wrecked. Hiking is a great way to get in shape and lose the baby weight. Depending on your body size, fitness level, trail speed, and hiking terrain you can burn upwards of 700 calories in just two miles! (source: livestrong.com)  Consider this: A woman who weighs 150lbs. burns an extra 200+ calories for each hour she wears her infant. (source: myfitnesspal.com)  Hiking also works your core muscles, helping you regain stability and strength after birth.

It isn’t just about fitness. Hiking also exposes you and the baby to Vitamin D filled sunshine which is critical in the postpartum weeks, especially for mothers who breastfeed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfed babies take Vitamin D supplements due to a lack of exposure to sunlight.

“If baby gets enough sunlight, mom’s deficiency is unlikely to be a problem for baby. However, if baby is not producing enough vitamin D from sunlight exposure, then breastmilk will need to meet a larger percentage of baby’s vitamin D needs. ” – Kellymom.com

You still need to be smart about it. Pediatricians encourage parents to always lather their babies in sunscreen and keep them covered against the sun’s dangerous UV rays.

2.) It is therapeutic:
I honestly don’t know if I would have made it through those early postpartum weeks so easily if I hadn’t quickly hit the trail with my new little hiking buddy. Konnor was only a few days old the first time I took him into the great outdoors for a stroll around the neighborhood and within weeks I was strapping him into my Tula carrier with an infant insert and heading to one of our favorite nearby trails. The sunshine, the mossy oak trees, the cicadas buzzing, and the birds chirping all helped me relax and relish the overwhelming new love that had come into my life. The trail made me believe in myself and focus on the positive aspects of childbirth rather than the trauma of what my body had experienced. In those early postpartum weeks I felt stronger and more confident than ever before. I rocked FIVE DAYS of labor, including 3 1/2 hours of pushing to bring Konnor into this world. I defied statistics by managing to give birth vaginally despite the odds laid out against me. For the first time in my life, I recognized the strength and power within my body. Hiking during that “fourth trimester,” as many call it, helped me hold onto that confidence.

Clearly, I am not the only new mother who finds hiking therapeutic. There’s a group in Salt Lake City, Utah that hosts an event every year called “Climb out of the Darkness.” The event bills itself as the world’s largest event raising awareness of maternal mental illness. The woman who runs the group’s facebook page, Lindsay, says “Hiking and being in nature is calming for me. It allows me to think, to process and distracts me from the constant worries motherhood can often bring. It’s sometimes hard with little ones to get outside but I always feel better after I do.” (You can read more about them here. There are chapters all over the nation.)

3.) It is stimulating:
The breeze shakes the leaves on the trees creating a soft rustling sound above. My boots smash leaves and pine-needles into the ground producing a “crunch, crunch, crunch” below. The wind picks up the scent of a freshly mowed cow pasture two miles away sending a distinct scent of earthiness (or is that just manure?) into the nostrils. A flock of hidden birds startles in the nearby tall grass and lifts off the ground all at once. These are things we may not notice when we go for a walk, but imagine how profound these actions must seem to someone who has never experienced any senses before. Babies begin exploring the second they are born. By taking your infant on a hike you are teaching the baby how to become aware of the environment.

An article published by the University of Cyprus references several benefits of outdoor play. That includes physical development, independence and  learning to care about the environment. The author also explains how a parent can help a newborn benefit from spending time outside.

“For children 0-3 months: Provide a blanket for the baby to lay on. Point out the leaves moving, let them feel the leaves or grass, and point out the nature sounds that they hear.”  (To read the UCY article in full click here.)

The nitty-gritty:
If you do a quick Google search for hiking and babies you will find websites that recommend leaving a newborn at home and only allowing an infant under six-months-old to join you on a short hike that lasts no longer than an hour or two. Of course, it is up to the mother and her doctors to decide what is comfortable for her and her baby. I took Konnor out for entire day hikes when he was just a couple of months old. He went on a 3-night backpacking trip with us when he was between 7-8 months old. It’s perfectly safe as long as you take smart precautions. Mothers should never go against their doctors orders. Hiking, depending on the terrain, can be extremely strenuous. You should avoid attempting anything even remotely difficult or outside your usual comfort level until you get that 6-week seal of approval from your doctor.

The same rings true for the baby. It is always a good idea to talk to your pediatrician beforehand. Don’t forget bug spray and sunscreen if your baby is old enough to wear it.  If you live in Florida, like me, the sweltering summer may mean you have to be choosier about which trails to hike during certain times of the day and year. Hats, long sleeves, and a carrier with a canopy cover are also wise choices if it is sunny or buggy.

I cannot imagine being too afraid to get outside with my baby. Lets teach our future trail blazers how to hike!

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Pokemon Go: Making America Great Again

Fact: Millions of people are playing Pokemon Go.
Fact: They look really silly walking around staring at their phones.
Fact: It is a huge waste of time that could be spent on more important issues.

False: Families are spending even less time together because they are too busy playing.
False: People are so busy staring at their screens that they miss the world around them.
False: Its just another game eating children’s brains and has no educational value.

The title of this post is meant to be a joke,  but there is some truth to it. I regularly walk a 3-mile loop through my neighborhood. Usually, I pass a few kids on skateboards, a couple of neighbors walking their dogs and a handful of fit adults jogging in fancy workout clothes. This past week I observed something different. I passed crowds of children huddled together, I saw fathers out with their sons and daughters laughing and squealing as they walked down the sidewalk, I was almost run over by teenagers hurrying down the street on bicycles. They all had one thing in common: They were staring at their phones, hunting Pokemon.

I’m making assumptions here, but based on my previous excursions through the neighborhood I doubt the father who I saw being dragged down the street by two little girls regularly walks with his children. They were, without a doubt, discussing the Pokemon that was being chased down by an older boy walking in front of them. Sure, this isn’t exactly meaningful conversation, but I am betting that during the discussion of weedles and lures the father had an opportunity to talk to his children about their day at school, or if not, at least they are bonding over something.

The pedestrian traffic picked up as I got closer to the busiest Pokemon stop in the neighborhood. The biggest observation I made is the diversity of players. Old, young, black, white it doesn’t matter. Pokemon does not discriminate. I saw groups of teenagers, who I’d bet rarely acknowledge each other on a typical day, hanging out in the same spot asking each other about what they caught. They were all united.

So, in this dark and depressing time in American history, lets not bash the Pokemon Go players. Instead, lets learn a thing or two from them. If we can unite over fictional Japanese anime creatures, then surely we can unite over the more pressing issues.