Travelling with a newborn can be a dream or a nightmare. With a little bit of forethought, planning, and careful consideration, new parents will be prepared to go anywhere with that sweet, new bundle of joy.
For me, my baby is now coming uo to four months old. I made myself head out in the car with her from day 3, however I waited until 8 weeks before making long car journeys with the baby. This being said, I’d prepared enough beforehand to feel confident about it.
Here’s a few factors to consider so that you can feel confident, too!
1. Don’t just look at car journeys
When you think about travelling long distances with a little one, the first thing most people focus on is going via car. Travelling by train can actually be a super fun method of travel with a newborn, as they’ll get to explore new sights and surroundings. The first time you plan to do this, it’s ideal to take your little one along with your partner. That way you have an extra pair of hands for carrying the pram, or for help if the baby has a period of crying.
Once you’ve done it once, you’ll start to feel more confident. There are many ways that travelling via train with a baby makes for stress-free travel options. You don’t have to focus hard on the road ahead and instead can enjoy being a passenger too!
2. Buy That Extra Seat
If travelling by air, children under the age of two normally fly for free. If flying on a longer trip or travelling with a newborn alone, do everyone a favour and buy an extra seat. It will make travelling so much easier in the long run.
The baby’s car seat won’t have to be checked because it will buckle in. When in the air, the baby can snooze in the car seat instead of being held the whole way. Mum and dad may even get to go to the bathroom alone, which may have been rare since the day your first child was born.
3. Stay Hydrated and Bring Snacks (For Mum and Dad)
New mums and dads tend to over-prepare for all of the things that newborns may throw their way, but they forget themselves. It’s totally normal to be focusing on a newborn during travel, in fact, you probably won’t be focused on much else, but it is important to take care of yourself too!
Pack some snacks and bring plenty of water (especially if breastfeeding). Getting hungry and dehydrated on a long trip makes a miserable time for everyone. Us mums tend to think of ourselves last when it comes to getting the family ready. As a new mum, make sure to look after yourself as well as your baby! For a worry free day out, use women’s absorbent underwear to take care of any postpartum leaks.
4. Pack That Changing Bag the Smart Way
The changing bag will serve as a best friend while travelling with an infant or newborn. Travelling is a germy business. No one wants to risk having their newborn get sick, so pack the changing bag correctly. Bring more nappies than you think are needed for the trip. Plan for one nappy change every 1-2 hours, and then pack the rest in the suitcase. That way you’ll never be short.
Make sure to have the changing pad for them to lie on, wet wipes (for the baby), disinfectant wipes (for surfaces around the baby), and hand sanitiser (if worse comes to worst and it isn’t possible to change the nappy in a bathroom). Make sure to pack at least two additional outfits for the baby and an extra top for mum too! Many times I’ve been caught out!
5. Feeding Accessories
Is the baby breast or bottle feeding? There are travel plans for both. If the baby is breastfeeding, no extra supplies are needed, but it is important to make sure that mum is drinking enough water. The body can’t make milk if it’s dehydrated.
Take care of yourself! If the baby is bottle feeding, make sure to pack extras of everything. Bottles will inevitably be lost along the way, as well as dummies, bottle brushes, and bottle tops. Pack two or three bottles in the changing bag plus formula for more feedings, and then pack the extra formula in a checked bag for later. Make sure you have everything covered for sterilising if you need to.
6. Comforting Items
More often than not, the biggest comfort item a new baby has are mum and dad. However, packing little extras like a snuggly blanket or the teething toy can be comforting for the baby as well. Don’t go hog wild in this arena, as the chances are at least one item on the trip will be lost, so the fewer unnecessary items the better.
Many small babies enjoy toys that attach to their car seats. Some toys make music or vibrate, and those sounds and movements help to soothe babies when they have to be in their seats longer than they’d like to be. Don’t forget to have a handy car seat organizer too to store your baby’s items during your trip; keeping your vehicle neat and tidy in no time
7. Don’t Forget the Car Seat
The car seat is essential when plan on taking the baby anywhere. Unless you’ve planned an all hiking trip to someplace that doesn’t have cars, a car seat is essential. As previously mentioned, buying an extra seat on the plane ensures that there will be a great place to store the car seat while the baby dozes. If the plans don’t include flying, then this isn’t as much of an issue, since the car seat is already strapped into a car.
Forgetting this essential item will be an expensive mistake, as no one can legally drive with a baby in a car without one, so you’ll have to figure out how to get to the nearest baby store to buy a brand new car seat. Sometimes, the weight of the seat is a source of worry. Manufacturers do make travel car seats, so read the reviews and check out the weight limits for travelling seats. Some are not meant for newborns.
8. Wear the Baby
Babywearing is the travelling mama’s best friend. You will notice almost immediately when taking off for somewhere new that you no longer have the correct number of arms to function as a normal adult. There are simply too many things to carry. Babywearing helps to solve that problem. Well, it at least gives mom or dad two arms to work with even if there’s still a lot to carry!
There are a wide variety of baby carriers on the market and everyone seems to have a preference. Read lots of reviews and buy a few to try out before the planned trip. There are many babywearing clubs that will teach the ins and outs of this art. Sometimes, if the group is local, they have a lending closet so you can try a carrier out before buying.
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