Adventuring Akiva’s First Bushwalk (Hiking with a Newborn!)
Akiva definitely takes after his father. In fact, he is probably more like Rabbi Ben than Rabbi Ben is like himself, if that’s possible!
I carried two-week old Akiva in a sling, where he was curled up and comfy just like he was still in the womb.
Adventuring Akiva went on his first bushwalk long before he could walk. He went on a bushwalk in Middle Cove (in Sydney), Australia long before he could ever walk. In fact, he went on his first bushwalk when he was only two weeks old. Incredible, right? Well, with Rabbi Ben you would expect nothing less!
It was a short bushwalk, the round trip only taking an hour and a half or maybe two hours with breaks. Akiva, being a newborn, slept the entire time. It’s actually pretty easy to hike with a newborn if you have a sling. For a newborn, I felt more comfortable using a sling than a Baby Bjorn (and anyhow I didn’t have a Baby Bjorn yet then). We use the Baby K’tan sling because it is pre-tied and so it is easy to put on. Using the “cradle” or “pouch” method of tying the sling creates a pocket where the baby can curl up and feel just like he’s still in the womb. In fact, while wearing newborn Akiva like this I have been mistaken for still being pregnant!
A sample of the terrain on Akiva's first bushwalk. The path was well-maintained and easy to walk. While carrying a newborn, you must be very careful where you step.
The only thing about hiking like this with a newborn is that you must be extra careful not to slip and fall. Since the baby is still very fragile and no longer has the benefit of placenta and amniotic fluid to cushion it in the event of a fall, you have to really watch every single step you take. I recommend only doing easy hikes.
Also, I found that Akiva would sleep for as long as he was in the sling and I was walking with him. Once, he slept 5 hours like that. This sounds great, except that babies that young need to eat more frequently than that in order to get enough calories and to grow well. Their tummies are so tiny that they cannot hold so much milk all at once. When Akiva woke up after 5 hours in the sling, he was starving hungry and screamed until he could be fed, which took a couple of minutes! Also, he then ate too fast and spit up a lot of what he ate, in addition to swallowing too much air. So if you are hiking with your newborn, please make sure to take a break every three hours or so for an hour to allow your infant to eat and play a bit.
I’m sure Akiva enjoyed his first bushwalk, even if he slept through the whole thing – or maybe because he slept through the whole thing!
