First time travelling with a baby? We can assist if the idea of travelling with your infant makes you break out in hives. Although it can be difficult, you can overcome the obstacle of taking that first trip with a newborn. Here is all the information you need to get through your child's first road trip or flight and feel like YOU, too, had a vacation.
This advice for travelling with a baby applies to both domestic flights and long-haul foreign flights. SheBuysTravels, who has travelled the globe with their infants, has tested them all!
Find all of our most useful family travel advice right here, all in one place, including what to pack for a road trip with kids, important air travel tips, how to handle naps between sightseeing, and why a baby carrier is your best option for travelling with a baby.
1. Start small
To get your infant used to spend time in her car seat, go on brief vehicle trips.
You don't want to discover, as Julie Bigboy of SheBuysTravel did when snarled up in rush-hour traffic on the interstate, that your infant dislikes vehicle rides. They were stuck in traffic for a very long time, and the baby wailed the entire time.
2. Travel light
On my first road trip, just travelling to my parents' house seemed like a major task. We loaded up on baby toys, packed a stroller, and filled a diaper bag. At least we didn't have to bring the high chair and crib because my mum, a first-time grandma, had previously purchased them to store at her home.
I wish I had known then how TravelingDad Greg Stump managed to travel without a crib. Naturally, I now realise that young toddlers don't actually require all of these items.
Just bring the essentials: a few extra diapers than you anticipate needing. particularly if your child uses cloth diapers. There should be at least two additional garments on hand in case of diaper leaks. One or two toys and the baby's lovey.
Really. I'm done now.
And yes, you are allowed to bring as much luggage as you can on your first and possibly second road trip with the infant. However, on that third trip, throw away everything you didn't use on the first two.
3. Drive when they're sleeping
She Buys Travel When Anuja DeSilva and her infant were ready for a weekend escape, they searched for locations within a two- to three-hour drive of their Westchester, New York, home. They timed the drive to fall during the infant's nap.
She and her husband viewed the trip as a reconnaissance mission for a future visit when the baby was older.
They drove around a lot during their trip to the Hamptons while the baby napped. Even if it wasn't as exciting as a trip before the baby, they weren't at home staring at the same walls. Additionally, the infant was adjusting to sleeping in a new location. That's the very first important stage in bringing up a dedicated traveller!
SheBuysTravel Tip: Read our survival guide for road tripping with a baby before embarking on your first road trip with a child. It offers very helpful advice on everything, including how to breastfeed in the car and change a baby's diaper there.
Traveling with a Baby
Yours and your baby's preferences are of course personal.
Some individuals adore those jogging strollers with large wheels that appear to be capable of crossing the Baja. Simply put, my husband enjoyed holding our children in his arms. Because they are compact and simple to transport up and down the stairs of the L in Chicago, I chose umbrella strollers.
4. Reasons you require a baby carrier
SheBuysTravel Nasreen Stump, who has taken all four of her children on vacations since they were newborns, is a firm believer in baby wearing. Why? possessing hands When you have the baby on your back, you can bring a carry-on suitcase through the airport, eat a lunch, pack the beach toys, and even just take a break from holding the infant while waiting in line for rides at Disney World.
There is a variant of carriers for everyone, just like jeans. You must discover what fits you best. For emergency ups, Nasreen has a Tula soft structured carrier in her vehicle (even though her youngest baby is now a toddler).
To keep your baby close and introduce them to water safely if you're going to the beach, search for a water carrier or sling.
5. Before the journey, test your travel equipment.
You should include the equipment that will make travelling with your baby and you the most comfortable, like strollers, car seats, baby carriers, and diaper bags. Nobody wants to find out a mile into a three-mile trek that the baby doesn't like the backpack you're carrying her in, not you or the infant.
What motivates your desire to test the diaper bag? because when travelling with a baby, you need to feel comfortable with the bag. Even more crucially, you must be aware of where everything is and be able to quickly access it in case of a blowout or baby needing a binkie.
Flying with a Baby
If you're taking a baby with you on a flight, it's preferable to get him his seat. Tomsickova Tatyana provided the image through Shutterstock.
A five-hour flight from California to Florida was Julie's first flight with her infant. Alone. She has more courage than I ever did. She is a mama warrior, though.
She offers the following advice to help both of you have an easy first flight.
6. Begin small
Start with a brief flight of fewer than two hours if you can, much like road excursions. It will allow you and the infant to evaluate the entire procedure.
Was she frightened or intrigued by the TSA experience? Did she scream in anguish or did she enjoy the sensation of takeoff and landing? Was it simple to hold her on your lap, or do you wish the infant had a car seat of her own?
7. When feasible, select a direct flight
When you know you just have to do it once, getting on and off the plane with a carry-on and a baby is less stressful. When feasible, avoid the stopover and proceed directly to your final destination!
8. Select the proper seat
This will be the window seat for some. The aisle seat, for some. It goes beyond merely personal taste. It all depends on how much you plan to get up.
Will you need to carry your infant every time the "fasten seat belt" light is off? Or is he content sitting on your lap or in the car? Is the flight long enough to warrant at least one bathroom stop for a diaper change?
SheBuysTravel Tip: Read Nasreen's incredible advice on changing a diaper on a plane before you fly with your child. Thank you very much.
9. If it's a lengthy flight, choose a red eye.
Your baby will probably sleep for most of the flight.
10. Get on board as soon as you can
If the airline allows families to board early, take advantage of it. Before the crowd arrives, you'll have time to put everything in the overhead bin and settle yourself and the infant.
