Traveling with A Baby
- How to Stay On Top of Things!

Traveling with a baby can be a great experience...

or...

A screaming baby, runaway older siblings and furious, exhausted parents...

I've been there, done that. But there are ways to make baby travel times much better.

Below I've gathered some tips to help you make your family trip successful! Start out with our general tips that work for almost any trip you plan to do with your baby.

There are also some extra things to think about if you plan to travel by air with your baby. Click here for some tips on air travel with a baby. My number one tip?

No matter where you're going or how - plan and pack ahead!

More on that below!

Are you traveling to some place hot? Click here for some tips on how to care for your baby in hot climate.

And have a great time!

Tips for Traveling With a Baby

Plan and pack ahead

When traveling with a baby it is so important to plan ahead.

I've done the opposite so many times - packing the night before leaving the house.

It's not a good idea!

You will sleep poorly if at all, and will spend the first of your well deserved trip exhausted and irritated. If you breastfeed, the quality of the milk may also be affected, making your baby less content.

In addition to being exhausted, the risk is much higher that you bring too much if you desperately pack just before you leave. Traveling with a baby means bringing a lot of things anyway. There is no point in bringing even more stuff than you actually need.

Plan and pack ahead!

Your sleep

Well if you do plan ad pack ahead, it will be possible to make room for a good night's sleep the night before you leave.

Good idea!

Traveling with a baby (or traveling at all, actually) can be quite exhausting. With a new baby, you are probably tired anyway, so becoming even more tired can be tough.

If you will be traveling by car , being sleepy is of course very dangerous!

Your baby's sleep

If your baby needs a pacifier , a certain blanket or stuffed animal, don't forget it at home! It can be worth even bringing your baby's pillow or sleep sack if he uses one.

Anything that will make the sleep situation as normal as possible will help your baby feel safe and hence sleep better.

It may also be a good idea to teach your baby to sleep in different environments before you leave. Let him sleep in the stroller, the car seat, on your bed, in your arms, in daylight if you usually draw the curtains, with the radio on and so on.

This is actually very important if you plan to travel by air with your baby, since an air plane there is nowhere to go to find a calm spot.

Keep to the routines

If possible, keep an eye on what time it is to be able to some degree maintain your baby's usual eating and sleeping schedule even if you are away from home. I would say that the sleep schedule is the most important. If you breastfeed, it is very possible that you will feed your baby more frequently as it is a very effective way to soothe a baby.

But it is easy to forget the baby's sleep if there is a lot going.

Toys

Depending on how old your infant is, you need to bring toys to distract him. The older the baby, the more things to play with.

A tip is to take away a few of your baby's favorite toys two weeks before the trip and then introduce them one at a time during your traveling.

Hopefully a happy reunion!

Food and drink

Make sure that both you and your baby have ample access of food and drink. It is not fun to have to wait in line or desperately seek for a gas station for clean water or something to eat for your crying baby.

If you breastfeed, your baby's food is fixed easily, but you'll have to take care of yourself to produce enough milk. You may also want to make sure you feel comfortable with breastfeeding in public. If your baby eats formula or is old enough for solid food, keep it readily available. Also bring a few spoons, baby bibs and paper napkins. A small bottle of water to clean the baby (and yourself...) after the meal is also practical.

When traveling with a baby, you may want to consider what type of baby food to serve during the trip. Tomato sauces and carrot purées are hard to clean off without warm water.

Baby crackers and bananas are great snacks to bring along.

Insurances

If you haven't fixed it already, make sure your baby (and the rest of your family!) has appropriate insurance cover before you go traveling with your baby. What is needed depends on where you live as well as to where you are traveling and for how long.

Medical kit

Don't forget to bring a medical kit that is appropriate for all family members.

If you travel abroad, I think it feels the best to bring your own aspirin, nose spray or drops etc, because you know they work and are safe for your baby.

Other things to bring are a digital thermometer, medical spoon, nasal aspirator, band aid, and baby nail clippers.

Don’t forget to talk to a pediatrician well ahead of traveling to any exotic places, to have time for immunizations as well as to get advice on additional medicines to bring.

Diapering

When traveling with a baby, it is not always easy to find a nice spot to change diapers.

To facilitate diapering, bring a foldable changing pad that fits into your diaper bag. With this and a small towel, you can put your baby down for diapering almost anywhere if you have to.

Also bring plastic bags and lots of baby wipes so that you can change diapers without access to water. If your baby's skin is sensitive to baby wipes, bring soft napkins and a bottle of water.

And bring enough diapers to last until you can find new ones, of course.

So, this was a few tips for a successful traveling with a baby. I hope you'll have a great time and come back to contribute your own tips for great baby friendly vacation spots!

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