How To Survive a Trip With a Newborn
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Munchkin®. The opinions and text are mine. #munchkinpartner
Traveling can be stressful, add in a baby and it can feel like too much to even bother but I’m telling you right now, this is THE TIME to travel! Milly is four months old and she’s been on a handful of flights including across country twice. We took her with us on two business trips to New York City, conquered public transportation, the TSA and plenty of not-so-baby-friendly places. Plus, she’s been with us on weekend getaways to Temecula, Big Bear, San Diego and Palm Springs…and we’re just getting started.
Milly loves to be out and about. In fact, she thrives from it! Our babe is definitely not a homebody but we also started traveling with her early on and it became a part of her lifestyle. I remember friends with children telling us they didn’t go on trips until their baby was six years old and I never wanted that to be the excuse why I stopped doing things I enjoy.
Traveling with a newborn is actually amazing because they are so predictable. They eat, sleep and potty. They’re small. They aren’t mobile…yet. They don’t have opinions or tantrums and did I say they aren’t mobile? And they fly for free, people!
I’m here to tell you, you can do it. Whether you have a road trip coming up or a flight ahead-here are my tips and top travel must haves for not only surviving but enjoying a trip with baby.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Prevent yourself from feeling rushed or stressed by giving yourself plenty of time to do everything you need to do. If it took you an hour before baby, add at least another half hour with baby. Whether that’s allowing extra time to go through security at the airport or allotting enough stops on a road trip for diaper changes-if you build that extra time into your schedule, you won’t want to pull your hair out when you need to change your baby’s soiled outfit for a second time…which leads me to my next tip.
Pack Smart
Preplan your baby’s outfits (including bibs & blankets) and pack them in zippered bags. This makes getting your baby ready super easy and then at the end of the day you can place the dirty clothes in the bag. I take pride in Milly’s diaper bag. Everything is organized and easy to find and that doesn’t mean I fill every pocket with something different. I find that you never remember where you put something and unless the bag is completely clear you spend more time searching for something when you need it. I love my goPad™ Diaper Changer. Every diaper bag should have one. This is a lifesaver! I can’t imagine traveling without it.
Instead of lugging the diaper bag to the lavatory on the plane or through a restaurant/store/etc. you just take this instead. It’s a diaper bag clutch. You can even hook it to the stroller. I keep it fully stocked with Milly’s diapers, wipes, cream and hand sanitizer so I can just grab it and go. The extra large cushioned pad makes sure she’s comfortable even when the sometimes make-shift-changing-table isn’t and it has an expandable bonus panel to use as she grows. The diaper pad zips off and the vinyl surface makes it easy to clean. There’s even a disposable bag dispenser that comes with 25 bags.
Know Before You Go
If you plan on flying with your child, know the policies before you go. If you have a child under 2, they fly free on most airlines...but some will give you a seat for your child as long as the flight is not sold out (so wait to check your stroller until you get to the gate and always check airline policies on extra bags, strollers, etc). Also, sometimes it's worth purchasing a seat for them even if they fly free. Consider this option for long flights. You will be more comfortable, your baby will be too and if you book it far enough in advance, it's really worth it. We recently flew across country and paid extra for "even more space seats." However, by the time we did that round trip, it was almost $400 for the upgrades. We decided it would have been better just to pay for a seat for our child to have our own row! Also, try to book direct flights so you don't have to deal with extra travel time due to layovers and stops!
Wear Your Baby
When you’re a mama, you’re used to doing everything with one hand but sometimes you need both of your hands, especially when you travel and that’s why a baby carrier is key! I actually use a hand-me-down baby carrier from 10 years ago that my sister used with my nephews. It makes traveling so easy, especially when I’m by myself. You don’t have to worry about where you’re going to put your baby when you need to do something or if the stroller is going to fit somewhere because your baby is comfortable and safe right on your chest. Eliminating having to push a stroller gives you so much freedom! We’ve gone through museums, spent hours exploring and site seeing and even went hiking with Milly in the carrier. Plus, she loves being in her carrier. She really enjoys looking around and seeing everything. And most of the time she falls asleep in the there!
A Rested Baby is a Happy Baby
Traveling can be tiring, especially for babies and it can be tough (even for me) to get quality sleep when on a trip. My secret weapon for getting Milly her much needed rest is her sleep soother. This Shhh…™ Portable Sound Machine is as small as a baby bottle and battery operated so it’s super convenient for on the go. It features three different sounds: shushing, heartbeat and white noise and has a timer. It also acts as a night light (that can glow solid or pulse) which I love since it does double duty when we’re away from home. We used this when we stayed with family and friends. I’ll use it to help drown out noise when she’s napping in her stroller. It was really useful when we traveled to the Big Apple because the portable sound soother helped to drown out any noise from the bustling big city below.
I hope this gives you the confidence you need to travel with baby! And remember that no matter what, everything you are is enough for baby! You got this!!! Stay tuned for a full round up of all my favorite products for traveling with baby! What are your travel must haves? Let me know in the comment box below and be sure to subscribe on here and YouTube and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so you never miss a thing.