12 Tips for Traveling With Baby

Traveling with the baby is like learning how to walk on a tightrope – it will take a lot of effort, energy, and finesse to achieve the balance, but it can be done. After all, it is important to involve your toddling rascal in traveling experiences as early as possible in order to introduce them to a variety of family dynamics and slowly give them the healthy (and rather exciting) idea of how vast the world actually is. 

If you are trying to get to grips with this new factor in your globe-trotting activities, here are 12 tips for traveling with the baby.

1. Always be stacked with drinkables

Depending on the length of the trip, you always have to be stacked with drinkables. Before the journey, do a calculation of how long it will take to get from point A to point B and arm yourself with fluid accordingly. It’s crucial to keep your baby hydrated, so always bring a bottle with an easily detachable top that can be refilled whenever your baby decides it is bottoms-up time.

2. Think double

When it comes to packing more than drinks and snacks, you have to think double – make a list of the things you need, from diapers to clothing – and settle on the ballpark number of these individual items you need. Now double it and bring it all along. Babies are unpredictable and who knows what might come in handy.

3. Stay technologically armed

Babies are delicate creatures, which is a fact that can turn into an issue during prolonged traveling arrangements. If the child feels sick, you have to be absolutely armed with the technology that will enable you to contact medical experts or authorities. Make sure your cell and your tablet are charged before the trip and bring portable batteries in your backpack in case one of your devices gets depleted unexpectedly.

4. Keep your child occupied

However, technology is not only useful for contacting authorities and medical experts. Tablets can also be a source of fun for your child while you travel. In case your kid has reached toddler age, chances are they will want to be occupied with games, music or video material. If you are engaged with something else – for example, if you are driving – you can let your child enjoy some safe audio-visual educational material with interactive properties.

5. Choose a plane seat with the bassinet connection

If you are traveling halfway around the world, chances are you will purchase a plane ticket for a short “hop” across the globe. In this case, book a seat that is positioned right next to a bassinet connection. This is really practical, especially because the strollers are typically too bulky for planes. You can also maneuver through your vacation more easily with your baby strapped in the elegant hands-free baby carrier, which will serve you well both during the inconvenient airplane boarding, city touring and museum dwelling.

6. Schedule around your baby’s sleep time

However, if your child is still too young, do everything in your ability to schedule the traveling part of your vacation around your baby’s sleep time. This way, there will be no muss or fuss and no headache for either you or your companion travelers.

7. A game of association

Once your trip finally begins, it is not out of the realm of possibility that your baby will refuse to go to sleep. In this case, it would be ideal if you brought along items like a favorite plush toy, a blanket or a pillow – something your baby will associate with sleep and get into the lull mode as soon as it comes into contact with the item.

8. Don’t forget to bring a book

In order to stay sane, you need to have an outlet and entertain yourself during the trip – something that will be consistently there and only yours. This is why it is always good to bring a book for a light read during the trip.

9. Be ready to bend the schedule

Your baby does not care about schedule or rules. In order to appreciate the vacation and take care of your baby properly, avoid tourist arrangements with rigorous schedules. Otherwise, a city tour can turn into a real nightmare if your baby decides it is time to cry and demand nutrition.

10. You should not feel awkward when you’re nursing

In case your baby decides it is luncheon time at the most inopportune moment, you have to be comfortable with nursing. This means you should also avoid vacations where public breastfeeding is illegal or frowned upon (yes, believe it or not, such locations still exist).

11. Get in napping sync with the baby

The best way to get the most out of your vacation is to get into the napping sync with your baby – whenever baby goes to sleep, take a power nap to replenish your wells of energy and remain fresh throughout the vacation.

12. Never go alone

Here’s the most important tip of all – never go on a vacation with your baby alone. At least, bring a close friend along who will be ready to help out with baby management.

Try to imagine your baby is a celebrity – somebody who needs a lot of pampering and a lot of micromanagement all the time. Once you introduce a toddler into your traveling habits, it’s just like anything else – you need to get used to it, be prepared all the time, and after a laborious “trial period”, you will get used to it completely.