Traveling Easily with a Baby by Rebecca Garland

Your first trip with a baby might leave you wondering where to start. Every aspect of travel is affected by bringing a baby along, but that’s not to say traveling won’t be as much fun as it used to be – it will just be different.

Travel Planning with a Baby
When you’re planning a trip with a baby, there are certain considerations you should bear in mind. Your first step in traveling easily is to pick a family friendly destination, hotel, and flight. Flying in the evening with a baby is usually a bad idea as that is when babies are fussiest, so opt instead for an early morning flight before the morning nap or an early afternoon flight after your child has a chance for a good morning nap and before the afternoon nap.

Taking your baby to Disneyland will provide plenty of family friendly activities as well as accommodations and help familiar with young children. On the other hand, taking your child to the mountains for a ski trip will leave you, and your baby, with very little to do. Babies can’t ski and you can’t either unless you’ve brought along a babysitter. The beach, hiking trips and sightseeing trips are all easily managed with a baby – just be sure to bring along any necessary equipment.

Packing for a Baby
Your first step in packing for your baby is to start with the large items. These are the easiest to remember, so it’s simple to begin by making a list of what bulky items you’ll need. If you’re hiking, do you need a backpack or will a front carrier do? Will you need a sunshade for the beach or your larger stroller for all the museums you’ll be visiting? Consider using a crib from a hotel rather than dragging along a bulky playpen, especially if you’re already bringing other large items.

You’ll also need to bring along a carseat for your baby. This keeps her safer on the plane and you will need it for any car travel with you arrive. The smaller items you’ll need are essentially the same ones you use on a daily basis. Bottles, diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, baby cups, baby spoons, and a few toys are a good start and be sure to bring along baby pain reliever and a thermometer – just in case.

Travel with a Baby
The actual trip with the baby should be as similar as possible to her home routine. Have an early breakfast then head out for a short morning adventure. Return to the hotel for a short nap or let her sleep in the stroller while you explore a quiet park. Have lunch around her usual time, and head back to the hotel for a longer, restorative afternoon nap. Use the longer part of the afternoon for one more outing, but play it by ear.

Don’t force your baby to go our when she really needs to rest and don’t push yourself to stay on a schedule that’s making you crazy. You’ll be in for earlier morning and much earlier nights traveling with a baby than when you traveled alone, but use that time to plan what is most important to see or do the following day. Stay flexible and accommodate the needs and desires of all travelers – especially the youngest one.

You should showcase your first road trip with Baby using TotSites!

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