Traveling with a Newborn to Eight-Month-Old Baby

Traveling with a Newborn to Eight-Month-Old Baby

Traveling with a Newborn to Eight-Month-Old BabyYou are not the only parent who wishes to just stay home with their little baby, snuggle her, enjoy the time with her and rest. But, sometimes, travelling imposes itself as a must so it’s up to you to think of ways how to manage the whole thing. Being a mom myself, I can only imagine how complicated a travel may sound, especially with such a small baby on your hands. Not to mention you are probably exhausted and the last thing on your mind is traveling. Do not despair – thing’s aren’t as bad. Follow through this little guide I’ve put together – I hope it will help you the way it helped me.

Time Frame

If you are wondering when your baby is old enough to travel, the answer is – straight after she is born. Most airlines prefer babies to be at least two days old but other than that, there’s no fuss there. Plus, the younger the baby, the better traveler she is. You just need to make sure she is fed regularly, cuddled and secured. Further, movement and activity of the travel will help the baby sleep as you are rocking her without even realizing it. This goes for car travels too.

Still, you may reconsider traveling to far destinations if you feel the baby is fragile or you are feeling overwhelmed with being a new mom. There is no need to push it, really. After the baby is about three months, she’ll be more than ready to travel with you. She is still small enough to not mind whether her bed is your arms, a crib or a hotel bed.

A big challenge when it comes to traveling is when the baby establishes a routine, which is usually around seven months to nine months. This is a time frame the baby has become mobile and when she got used to her environment.

Transportation

No matter what the destination is, you need to have the right travel gear. A front carrier or baby sling is an ideal way to transport your baby, regardless of the type of transport. Baby carriers make travelling much easier not just on plains, but on trains, cars and buses too.
Once she feels she is still close to you, she won’t be causing any fuss. Plus, you’ll be hands-free to look find money for fares, delve for passports, carry bags or even take a nap yourself  – all while you hold your baby snugly.

A travel system with a car seat that fits on to the pushchair chassis is probably the best option (among not so many, unfortunately), especially if your baby is very young. Even though it can be a little uncomfortable for getting it in and outside of cars and airplanes, the trouble is worth it – you can move your baby from the plane to the arrivals lounge, from the car to a café and all without disturbing her sleep.

The Road

If you are traveling by car, I hope you have an SUV or some other bigger car as otherwise, there’s no way you’ll be able to pack anything! Or, you will but you’ll feel extremely uncomfortable.

Before you start your journey you need to have your car checked. Do you have enough gas? Is oil okay? Breaks in check? No flat tires in sight? These and other things should make to your to-check list before you’ve organized a trip. Always carry an extra gas case with you, because sometimes you can’t be sure where you’ll find a first gas stations. Buy tires (tyres) if it seems like you should (your mechanic will know if you should). Further, make sure your car is cleaned properly – vacuum it, wash the windows, spray it with some anti-bacterial liquid that will eliminate nastiness from the car. Do this a day or two before the journey, so the car has the time to vent.

Necessities

Better than anyone by know, you know how your baby functions and what all she needs. But, as traveling tends to get so overwhelming, us mothers can’t help but forget to pack something! Apart from the usual baby supplies, here’s, I believe, a helpful list of things to carry with your baby bag: wipes, nappies, changing mat, nappy rash cream, sunhat and sunscreen, bibs, tissues, breast pump, first-aid kit, car seat, travel sterilizer kit, formula, bottles, toys, clothes.

I hope this little guide helped you and you’re not as panicked about going on a journey. It’s all going to be fine, your baby is stronger than you think! Don’t forget to bring the camera to capture this wonderful experience of your baby’s first journey!

Image Credit: Pixabay

Have you ever traveled with a baby? If so, share your experience.

 

 

 

Comments

9 responses to “Traveling with a Newborn to Eight-Month-Old Baby”

  1. Lalia @ Found Frolicking Avatar

    My son is 2-years-old now, but goodness, I still remember traveling with him when he was little! He was about a month old when I was so desperate I bought a pacifier hoping that it would make his experience traveling in his car seat less traumatic, it worked! But only until 6-months-old, when he decided he’d never touch a pacifier again. I don’t miss those days! He’s much easier to occupy now, even though he’s still rear-facing.

  2. Rina Avatar

    Been in a long flight with my son, who was not even 1 year old then. Oh my, he couldn’t stop crying a quarter of the journey, I felt sorry for the other passengers. We also had a long road trip with him. The two hour journey took 4 hours as we had to stop every half an hour whenever he started to feel bored and cried. Those are experience that I love to treasure but definitely don’t miss it 😀

  3. Czjai Reyes-Ocampo Avatar

    To be honest, I preferred traveling with my son when he was still an infant. Back then he would just sleep and wake up when the car stops. He became carsick as he grew older, but planes are a different story. 😀

  4. Rose Alexis Avatar

    Yep, we’ve traveled with our babies…all four of ’em. And to date, no problems (knock on wood). 🙂

  5. Stephanie Pass Avatar

    My parents live an hour away from us, and when my youngest was a baby, it was hard. She always cried on the way. Once we went on a 3 hour car ride, and we had to stop at least once an hour for her.

  6. Lisa Rios Avatar
    Lisa Rios

    Really a great post indeed! I am going to share this with my cousin sister as few months before only she got a girl baby and they are planning for family trip. It might be very useful to her. Thanks for sharing this.

  7. Rebecca Swenor Avatar

    These are great tips for traveling with a baby. I will have to share this with my sister and niece whom have lil babies. Thanks for sharing.

  8. bharat Avatar

    excellent post, visited frequently this for such kind of knowledgeable articles. keep writing.

  9. Meenu Avatar

    Very informative, Thanks for sharing…. I will visit again to check on some more articles