The First Time Traveling With Baby
Whether it’s your first time traveling with your baby, or maybe your first time with your baby and your older child, it can feel overwhelming. We know from experience! But traveling with our two littles went from a dreaded experience to one of our favorite things to do. Here’s how:
My very first travel experience as a new parent was a long road trip from San Jose, CA to Ojai, CA. Baby was 4 months old, and in total it took us about 7 hours with stops. We were prepared with bottles, toys, songs. But it was still a stressful situation, mostly because I was nursing with low milk supply; we had to stop every 2 hours, and even then baby wasn’t satisfied with the milk supply. It really just threw everything off. He hated being confined in the car seat and screamed in distress for long periods. We overpacked, and lugging everything in and out of the car to the hotel room and then back home was hard on daddy. Not a relaxing experience at all! Overall this was a fail for us.
Plan your first flight to be a short one! This way you can see how baby feels with the change in pressure.
First flight with baby! The 90 minute trip went great.
Jumping ahead to our second experience, it was me, flying solo with baby. Somewhat surprisingly, this went much better!
Baby was 6 months and in flight we were able to nurse on demand (can’t do that in the car!). The excitement of new things around us kept him stimulated. If at any time he was overwhelmed, I’d use a nursing cover (or swaddle) to help soothe him. I was mostly hands free by checking our bags and the car seat. I kept the stroller, baby carrier, and one backpack with me.
We’ve learned to reduce stress and make travel fun again by packing light. Leaving things behind, and using delivery services upon arrival.
2 years later we welcomed baby #2. That took some getting used to! But after 20+ journeys with our 1 & 3 year old, here are the 10 essentials we recommend:
Guava travel crib - rent or buy.
Countertop high chair - can be rented or stored in a large suitcase.
A lightweight car seat (airlines will check this for free).
Travel stroller
There are many. The Bugaboo Butterfly is a parent favorite and can be used for toddlers.
If you have considered the Doona and you plan to travel somewhat frequently with your baby - GET IT! Everyone we know who uses it absolutely loves the 2-in-1 convenience.
Pack one travel bag with lots of diapers, extra snacks, wipes, a few toys, and three changes of clothes (including one for each parent).
Sync your phone + tablet devices to make a baby monitor. Or bring a lightweight one that doesn’t need wifi, like Chillax Baby.
Bring a few things from home that are familiar: blanket, book, chew toy.
Lots of snacks, milk, and chew toys! When you think you’ve packed enough, add a few more. Milking and snacking passes the time and often keeps kiddos calm. And don’t forget the water bottles.
Toys with suction - spinners and anything else that sticks to windows or trays - will give you just a few extra minutes of peace.
If you are going to a hotel or vacation rental, have initial groceries & diapers/wipes scheduled for delivery - this saves a stop on the way when you’re all tired and baby is probably DONE being confined to the car seat.
If you are traveling to greater Portland area, make your experience much easier by renting your gear!