6 Tips for Traveling with a Newborn
For those of you who are new to my blog, I travel a TON for my job. Nearly once a month, I am out of town for a short period of time to properly fit dancers in pointe shoes, and it’s not something I would stop doing now that I have a child. In fact, I have the opportunity to take him with me just about every trip!
My little guy has braved through two business trips with me since his birth, driving and flying, and did so much better than I expected. I am thankful that both my mother and mother-in-law have traveled with infants and had an abundance of tips for me when it came to travels. I am here today to share those tips with you mamas in hopes that it will make traveling with your little babe smooth and easy!
1.) Over Pack!
Do not be afraid to over pack for your child! The first trip we went on together, I packed him about 20 different outfit changes for a 4-Day trip. I packed more diapers than I thought he might ever need. I made sure he had plenty of formula in case I couldn’t step away to breast feed him. You never know what your little babe may need, and it never hurts to be over prepared and not need something than under prepared and have to make a few emergency Target trips when you least expect it.
2.) Separate Baby’s Luggage from Yours
This made looking for things SO simple. For the 4-Day trip via car, Benjamin had is own suitcase of everything he may have needed. For the quick 36-Hour trip to Dallas, we shared a suitcase that zipped closed on one side, keeping his things separate from mine. I am so particular about packing for trips and organizing everything and this helped more than I expected.
3.) Keep the Diaper Bag Close
This one should be pretty obvious, but was essential on the plane flight. While we were driving, I kept the diaper bag in the back seat with him for easy access when we needed to make a stop. Baby’s diaper bag counts as a carry-on item, and I stored it under the seat in front of us during the flight. The flight from Seattle to Dallas was a long one, and several diaper changes and feedings were needed while we were in the air. Having his bag immediately ready kept him from getting so fussy that he would scream.
4.) Entertainment
Whether you've got a newborn or an older infant, bring plenty of things to keep them occupied during your travel. Ben is very curious with anything that crinkled, so I packed a few of his favorite toys. He was also teething at 3 months old! I had forgotten to pack his teethers, so a last-minute, night-before-the-flight trip to Target was necessary!
5.) Feed When Taking Off & Landing (Flights)
This tip helped IMMENSLEY with Ben when we flew to Dallas. I waited to feed him until we started to take off into the air. This helped his little ears pop, and he fell asleep immediately afterwards which made the flight smooth sailing.
6.) Plan for Break & Stops
As a first time mom, traveling for the first time with her infant, I made extra sure to plan stops and extra time into our trips. This way, if we needed to stop to feed or change Ben, we didn't feel rushed. A normally 2-hour drive can easily turn into 4-hour drive depending on your sweet little infant, which in turn can be stress-inducing if the extra time was not accounted for. I have pretty bad anxiety, and Ben will 100% pick up on it and immediately start screaming. For example; I dropped my driver's license at the hotel in Dallas, which was 30 minutes away from the airport. Our flight took off at 5:15 pm, we arrived to the airport at 4:30. As soon as I realized my ID was gone, my anxiety went through the roof. 2 minutes later, Ben started wailing at the top of his lungs while my mom and I bounced between trying to calm him and trying to get my ID to the airport. It was extremely stressful, but our flight ended up being delayed… It was an eventful trip to say the least!
These six things helped me immensely when it came to traveling with my first child, and I hope it helps any of you mamas out there! Experienced mamas, what are some things that you make sure to do when you travel with your little ones?
This is all for now!
Tootles,
~ Izzy