Traveling with your baby or toddler can be a difficult and sometimes very stressful thing. You have to worry about sleep, loud noises, whether are they getting enough food, and whether are they constantly stressed; these are all things that are constant worries.
If you are a new parent or haven’t travelled with your child yet, you don’t know if you should pack Winter newborn baby clothes or how many diapers you need. Here are the best baby travel tips you can use for your next trip.
Baby on Board! 10 Essential Tips For Traveling with Your Baby
Start Small
If you travel often, the best thing to do is to start small with short trips. Short car rides give your child a feeling of what travelling is like and make them more comfortable with being in a car seat or not being able to move as much for extended periods.
This will also give them time to experience loud noises and not be in the most comfortable spot to sleep. While this may not go well the first few times, exposure therapy is necessary.
Pack Light
We all know babies and toddlers have a lot of stuff, from their favourite toy to the nine different bottles and dummies you have. When travelling with your baby, the best thing to do is pack light and only take the essentials. Not only will it be easier to carry everything, but it will also be easier to store it all and find what you need when you need it.
Have a Mini Diaper Bag
The easiest thing to do when travelling with your baby is to pack a mini diaper backpack. Have a couple of bottles, some diapers, wet wipes, and a bottle or two of baby formula on you all the time. It’s essential to pack the formula that you are already using because you might not be able to find it in the country that you are travelling to. If you are looking for the most trusted formula brands make sure to visit themilkybox.com. You can store this with you on a flight as well, and everything you may need will be with you at all times.
Check-In Early
Traveling with your baby is stressful, especially when checking in and being stuck in long queues for hours. The best thing is to arrive at the airport early, check in as soon as you can and wait beyond the gates. While you will have to wait longer for your flight, it is a much less stressful process, and if you’re calm, there is more chance your baby will be calm.
Sync Your Baby’s Sleep Cycle
This is a tip that is more useful for shorter road trips and flights, but it is still quite helpful. You will know when your child sleeps the most and longest, and flying or driving for the majority of that time will be an easier trip for both you and your child. While you may not be able to time it perfectly, your child being able to sleep for most of the trip is definitely first prize.
Book a Bassinet
Many airlines offer bassinets for parents traveling with babies or toddlers. While these are very useful, there are only a few on each flight. Booking one in advance means your child will have a comfortable bed to sleep in on your flight.
Pick the Right Seat
If you can’t book a bassinet, then you need to decide if you will book a seat for your child or not. Most airlines will let babies travel for free if they sit on their parent’s lap, but this may not be great for you.
You can also book an additional seat and put a baby seat on it, this is clearly more expensive, but if you can afford it, then it is an excellent alternative to a bassinet.
Fly Direct
Flying direct can be difficult for some, but cutting out layovers and having a shorter travel time is much better for your child. Moving around an airport, waiting for your connecting flight, etc., is stressful, far more stressful than being on a flight for 13 or 14 hours straight. You can find direct flights at DirectFlights.com and choose the schedule that works best for your trip.
Board Early or Last
The best time to board a flight with a child is either being one of the first or one of the last. You want to have some space to move and not be rushed by other passengers waiting behind you.
Boarding last is especially good because by that time, most people are seated, there are no crowds, and you can essentially take your time ensuring you have everything and that you and your child are seated and comfortable.
Have Formula to Hand
You are allowed to travel with a small amount of formula when traveling with your baby, whether it is pre-made or not. You won’t be the first parent the flight crew has come across, and more often than not, they will help you make a few bottles of formula during the flight.
Try Time Feedings
On the subject of feeding, while feeding on the road or while you’re flying isn’t impossible, it also isn’t ideal. There is more to feeding a baby than just giving them a bottle, as you may need to burp them or change their diaper.
The best option is to try time feedings when traveling with your baby, doing them before you take off and after you land, or timing your stops on a road trip. This makes feedings far easier to do and also a much more relaxing way to do it.
