Taking your new baby on a trip can be an incredibly stressful time. After all, you are just getting to know their routine, and now you need to introduce a massive change. Not to mention the practicalities of planning a trip with a newborn regardless of how you are traveling, be it via plane, train or car.
These tips can help you prepare for your trip and ensure things go as smoothly as possible.
Make sure the baby is well-rested.
This is easier said than done. However, the more rested and relaxed your baby is, the easier the trip can be. It might not work in practice, especially if you are flying. Still, suppose you can time your baby sleeps and feeds around setting off to ensure they are comfortable. In that case, you have a better chance of a smoother trip than introducing massive changes or not being able to interrupt your trip to feed or change them, for example, on a road trip where there is nowhere to stop safely.
Keep your essentials on hand at all times.
Make sure you have a bag of essentials to hand for however you are traveling. Be it a formula, diapers, wipes, or clothing and medication. If it is something you need regularly, ensure it is within easy access of you to help you deal with any issues quickly and cause undue distress to your baby.
Pack extra clothes and cleaning accessories than you think you will need for the trip
You never know what will happen when traveling with a newborn. From diaper explosions to spit-up and more, the last thing you want is to be caught unaware and struggle through the trip on the back foot. So while you should aim to travel as light as possible with a baby, this isn't always feasible. Pack extra accessories and clothing for those just-in-case times.
Choose an appropriate car seat and stroller.
When traveling, it might be easier to get a combo stroller, and a car seat can be more accessible when transitioning from car to plane to the stroller without having to disturb your baby overly. Make sure you know how to efficiently fold it down and remove the car seat if applicable, and it is lightweight enough but sturdy to cope with the strains of traveling, especially if you are changing transport modes frequently.
Relax baby's schedule during traveling
Getting your baby into a routine is something they need, especially at such a young age. However, it might be nearly impossible to stick to this schedule when traveling strictly. For this reason, if you try to reinforce the schedule, you might upset both yourself and your baby. Try to be accommodating and flexible with the schedule where possible.
That's not to say you should abandon everything you have in place but appreciate how different things will be when outside of the home routine and let go of expectations to avoid frustration and disappointment with things not going how you expected them to.
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