You've been a new parent for 23 weeks! 👏

Medically reviewed by Valinda Riggins Nwadike, MD, MPH & Adda Bjarnadóttir, MS, LN

Month 5: Are you up for a trip without your baby?

You've barely managed to leave your baby for a night out alone and now we're asking you to take a whole trip without them? Well, only if you think you're ready. Regardless, at some point, you might want to do a short adults-only trip, so why not figure out the best way to make that happen with minimal heartache and/or headaches? Who deserves a trip more than you? Psst… no one, that's who.

Other people will say things. Ignore them entirely

When you say you're voluntarily taking a trip without your baby, lots of people will say really stupid things, and most of those things will make you feel terrible. They may say, "I don't know how you can do it!" or "Aw, they’ll miss you!" or "I wish I was brave enough to do that!" Even if the hurt is unintentional, you'll still feel the sting of judgment behind the comments. Don't.

Your baby will have you around for decades to come — one trip isn't going to even register. This trip will be so good for your well-being, so focus your energy on that.

There's no such thing as being too prepared

If you want to feel carefree while you're away (well, as carefree as you can), you must prepare. If you're still breastfeeding, stock up on backup breast milk in your freezer. If you want to supplement with formula while you're away, go for it.

Whatever you choose, just think about it ahead of time and make sure your baby has what they need. Also, make a daily schedule for your baby's caregiver with lots of details. Even if your caregiver doesn't follow it directly, it will make you feel better to know that they have it.

Make sure that the list contains any emergency numbers that they could possibly need and instructions for someone nearby to call in case they need help for any reason. Cover all your bases so that you have less to worry about later.

Don't beat yourself up for being excited

You're going on a trip! You will be sleeping somewhere else! You will SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. Who on earth would come down on you for being excited about that? Well, you would. Don't do it!

You're taking a trip because you want to. Don't feel badly about being excited about something you want to do. You've made the decision to do something for yourself and that's a healthy choice. We're excited for you! (Can we come?)

Catch up on FaceTime. But not too much

Sure, you can check in once a day with your caregiver and say hi to your baby on FaceTime. But, don't go overboard. If you call too much, you're going to interfere with the fun that your baby is having. Not to mention, you're going to depress the heck out of yourself. Just don't do it. Make a plan ahead of time with your caregiver for a daily call and stick to it unless there’s an emergency.

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, you better…

Seriously, lose yourself. Enjoy the break. Let your mind and body unwind a little bit from all the hard work of parenting that you do every day. Your re-entry back into your normal life will happen sooner than you can imagine, so enjoy every second of the vacay that you planned. Get a massage. Sleep in. Whatever helps you recharge, do it!

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Eat

32 Healthy No-Fridge Portable Snacks. Awesome ideas for healthy snacks that you can toss in your bag for a road trip or to take on the plane.

Chicken Cobb Salad Wraps. Wrap each of these up in some wax paper and take them with you for a healthy meal option while traveling.

Drink

Water with lemon. Staying hydrated while you're traveling is important, and adding a slice of lemon to your water will give you some extra vitamin C.

Read

An expert-approved guide to sleeping on a plane. If you're flying somewhere, you need these tips.

Shop

Infinity Travel Pillow. Traditional U-shaped travel pillows are great, but they don't work for everyone. The Infinity Pillow covers more territory and is super cozy.

Parenthood is expensive but your breast pump doesn't have to be. Let Aeroflow handle the entire process with your insurance company so you don't have to.

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Your baby at 23 weeks

Your baby's sitting skills have probably greatly increased by this point, and they’re able to sit up on their own for up to 30 minutes at a time. While it's totally safe to leave them on the floor this way to play, you'll still want to keep a close eye on them if they’re somewhere else, like on the couch or sitting in your supermarket cart. They can fling themselves into unsafe situations pretty quickly!

Your baby's interest in how everything around them works, and how doing one thing can make another thing happen, is growing stronger every day. You may already spend a lot of time picking things up, but there’s a new development on the horizon — your baby will discover the joy of using objects to create noise. Whether it's banging the bottom of a pan with gusto or clanging two spoons together, your baby will become endlessly fascinated with how they can make noisy things happen. RIP your ears.