Prepping with infants?

Kamaria Wingender - January 4, 2023

AdviceGear

So, I’ve decided to start prepping. I’ve been reading all these articles bout prepping and gear. I’ve even read how to prep with kids but I’ve found nothing about prepping with infants. And so I don’t even know how to start prepping with infant.

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Here’s a forum thread on prepping with infants. There’s lots of advice specific to infants.

https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/preps-with-a-newborn/

Also, I think this beginner guide is a good place for anyone to start, and I still go back to it on occasion.

https://theprepared.com/prepping-basics/guides/emergency-preparedness-checklist-prepping-beginners/

Intermittent supply shortages have become quite common since 2020, and I expect that to continue in 2023. There have specifically been baby formula shortages since 2022. Consider buying an extra month or more of anything your baby needs frequently, such as formula or diapers, in case it becomes more difficult to purchase later.

 

I would recommend focusing on things that get you more equipped to “bug-in” and your bags for leaving the house contain what you need to get by at a friend’s house or hotel.  Our bug-out-bags are pretty simple and light since we’ll also be moving around with a toddler.  He came into the world about the same time as COVID so we’ve navigated a lot of supply chain issues.  we just but things in bulk and follow FIFO.  We typically bought a couple big boxes of his current diaper size and the next size.  It wasn’t too big a deal to eat the cost of a box of diapers if he grew out of them while we still had some.  The local diaper bank was happy to take them.  We have a change of clothes stashed everywhere, often a size or two too big to minimize having to swap them out frequently.  It doesn’t get very cold here so over-sized t-shirts go a long way in a pinch.  A battery-powered sound-maker is pretty good when the power is out.  You can also get phone apps that would work too but I haven’t looked into it.

I hope that helps.  I’m typing while being told it’s ‘his turn’ to use the laptop.  I think it’s great that you are working to make you and your family more resilient.  In a way it simplifies things — anything that involves tents and camping isn’t practical for us.  Luckily kids are pretty resilient.  

 

Hi, Kamaria. Welcome! I too have been prepping with an infant. Mine just turned 1 last week.

Water is one of the main concerns. Whether breastfeeding (you need to drink water) or formula feeding (reconstituting powder formula needs water), you’ll need to have more water on hand than you would otherwise. We did a mix of breastfeeding and formula. Elsewhere on the forum there are several reviews of water containers if you are looking to purchase some.

Diapers – have extra of whatever type you use. We attempted cloth but it didn’t work for us. So we have to consider the extras of trash bags and hand sanitizer in our preps. We do not want to get cholera from baby poops! If you use cloth, do laundry before you run out. As Redneck has said elsewhere on the forum, laundry is a form of prepping.

Think about how you will transport the little one if you need to evacuate. My husband has back injuries sustained from playing American football as a child that make it difficult for him to carry our baby in any of the baby wraps or slings. So we keep a stroller stashed in the car and one in the house.

As noted by AT, bugging in is almost always the better option with littles; less disruptive to everyone if you can manage it. However, if you have to bug out, consider which friends or neighbors you might be able to bug out to or with. Other people with littles could be a huge help in an emergency and are likely to have items you otherwise might forget: toys to share or bibs and baby foods (if your little one has started solids).