Until recently, you have welcomed a new member to your family – a newborn child. Congratulations, you must be overjoyed! However, having a baby is not just fun and laughter. It requires responsibility and significant dedication to take after a baby, especially in the period of the early growth.
It had been hard at the beginning, I can understand, but you have caught up the rhythm, and now you`re confident when it comes to taking care of your baby. Plus, it`s always great to have somebody that can help you once in a while.
Travelling with babies
After some time holidays might start and you`ll want to travel with children somewhere. However, until now you might not have had the chance and the experience to go somewhere with a baby. And the truth is, it`s not as easy as some might think it is.
First of all, your baby had a little time of adapting to the environment and starting to learn the people and things around it. Taking the baby into a new environment, surrounded by new strange stuff and unknown people might cause some changes in the behavior of the child. These changes might seem strange to you, and that might scare you a bit. But don`t worry, it`s normal. You just have to keep control of the situation.
Secondly, all babies have somehow scheduled daily activities, like for example they must be fed on every 4 hours or have to be bathed every night. This schedule might be interrupted because of the different conditions during the time you have to get from point A to point B. But don`t stress out about this stuff. You don`t want to panic and ruin your journey. That is why you should read the following tips on how to prepare yourself and your baby for the trip you`re planning.
If you`re traveling by car
- That`s great, even though it might take more time to get to the desired destination. Traveling by your vehicle and preferably being accompanied by another person other than your baby is great because you`ll have the flexibility you need to stop wherever and whenever you want to on the road. If you have to feed your baby or change the diapers, you can simply park the car on the exit of the highway and do whatever you have to do in peace.
- Traveling by car also allows you to bring as many bags full of clothes and equipment for the baby as you want to (or at least as much capacity your car has). However, before departure, remember first to clean up the whole car and do it thoroughly, because any dust and dirt can be dangerous for the soft skin and health of your baby. Even if it happens that the pacifier might fall on the ground, always have something to sterilize it with. Also, having something to disinfect your hands with is a MUST!
- When traveling by car, have in mind that you provide your transportation, so it`s you that gets to pick the time of departure. And you have to pick it wisely and to consider the year and the period of the day you`re planning to travel. Avoid traveling when it`s too hot or too cold. Remember that babies don`t have high control of the temperature their body adapts to, so keeping your baby in a colder or hotter area than the one of your home may cause consequences. If the destination you`re trying to get to is further away and the weather is hot, you might want to consider starting your trip before night time and arriving in the early morning. On the other hand, when it`s cold it is better to travel during the day since the temperature lowers in the night.
- Regarding the feeding of the baby, if you`re not able to breastfeed anymore or the baby has already grown up a bit and started eating baby food, then make sure to take a mini refrigerator where you will keep some stash of food for the baby. It`s good to be sure that the food won`t go stale and that you`ll have more food than you need because if you go out of baby food, it might be challenging to find some on the road.
- If you`re only traveling with a companion and your baby, make sure that one of you drives, and the other sits back with the baby. Don`t leave it alone on the back seats, even though it is sited in an exclusive baby carriage and its seat belts are fasten up. Be always beside it and never come up with the idea to put it on your lap while sitting next to the driver. Never!
- Don`t forget to bring some of your baby`s favorite toys. And be careful not to sing many lullabies – you don`t want to put your driver to sleep as well.
- Make sure that the driver is driving slow, being careful and sober throughout the whole way.
If you`re traveling by plane
- Well, this can be a lot more stressful for you than traveling by your car. But it will definitely get you faster than other means of transportation.
- When packing for flying, you have to remember that you have a limited number of bags and limited weight. It is always good not to carry too many stuff, especially when traveling alone with your baby. Just think about holding your baby or pushing a baby stroller and having many bags that you have to take with you as well. Doesn`t sound practical, right? It`s always good to think about the essential stuff you need and not just put everything in the luggage. Plus, always put your baby`s stuff as a priority, instead of taking too many clothes for yourself. Also, don`t put everything for the baby as checked-in luggage, but take some spare clothes and diapers with you in a small bag. You might need them if a sudden “poop accident” happens.
- Buy yourself a nursing shawl, and you`ll be very satisfied. It is great for feeding your baby in public, and you will avoid the awkward feeling of the person sitting next to you, staring at your breast.
- Take some clean sheets or disposable changing pads to cover your seats in the plane and the table for changing the diaper of the baby. Who knows what you might catch, having in mind the vast number of passengers that have traveled on that plane.
- If you`re bringing toys, don`t choose the ones making squeaky and loud noise. You don`t want to scare out the other passengers, as they`re already stressed up because of the flight itself. Also for entertainment, especially when the plane is taking off and landing, put several video clips and interesting baby songs that your child likes so that you can distract it from current events.
- If you`re traveling along with other people, let the one that is the least scared of flying take over the baby, as it may remain calm and safe. Being stressed out about a flight is not good for you and is not good for your baby because even if it is so young and still not aware of many things, it can feel when something is not right, especially when the one that`s being the most stressed out is the mother. Remember how babies put their hands on your heart to feel the beat and when the rhythm of the beat goes faster, the baby will know that something is wrong.
Many of these rules apply to every means of transportation, no matter if it is a bus, car, train, boat or a plane. It is good to care a lot and think of the journey ahead, but don`t let it make you panic, just try to organize everything as good as possible. Talk with other people that have been traveling with babies. Listen to their situations and write down as soon as you hear something you haven`t still come around to prepare. Make a long to-do list in order not to forget anything. You might have a difficult time traveling with you baby, but just think of the lovely memories you will make like your baby`s first holiday abroad or your baby`s first vacation at sea. Just don`t panic, but organize!
