Back behind the wheel

I can hardly believe how quickly the first six weeks have gone – even if it’s all passed in a slight blur. I’ve finally started to feel like I’m beginning to get to grips with life (a bit, anyway) and to start pushing my boundaries a bit further. But as I’ve been slightly restricted after the Caesarean by not being able to drive or heft buggies around on public transport, and as Minnie is too small for the sling/baby carrier I have, it’s been walking distance or waiting for someone else to take me.

Except this week also meant my postnatal check with the doctor, where after a whopping 55 minute wait (thankfully I’d been able to leave Minnie with my parents) I was told the scar was healing nicely and given the all-clear to get back to normal life.

So I celebrated by taking a bit more advantage of having babysitters on hand and taking my new car, a Ford Fiesta, out for a drive. Living in London and working at home means I haven’t driven regularly for years – and while it’s not quite like riding a bike, the basics all come back very quickly, especially when doing a maximum of 20mph along the quiet, familiar roads around home.

But I do still feel nervous about the thought of getting behind the wheel with Minnie tucked up in her car seat in the back. Given how safe the car is, I’ve probably got more chance of embarrassing myself trying to squeeze it back into the driveway than anything more dramatic.

The only real solution is practice… which gives me the perfect excuse to fit in a few trips. The big question is where to begin.

Image: Scott Nolan/Flickr