Stress-Free Travel with Baby

Are you going to be traveling soon? Do you have a baby? Are you stressed about how you are going to keep baby happy while on a trip? Travel can be hard on babies, but it does not have to be a stressful experience. The following is look at how you can travel with baby stress free:

1. Plan ahead. It is all in the planning. What you pack, what you don’t, what activities you do, what activities you don’t, where you stay, where you eat, where you sleep, what your mode of transportation is, etc. You know how your baby is, you know what is going to be easy for them, and what is not, and you can make your travel less stressful by planning things with that in mind. If your baby does not do well with loud noises, attending a demolition derby may not be your best activity. If your baby is sensitive to heat, planning to spend your whole vacation on the beach is sure to be stressful. While not every situation is as obvious as those mentioned, you can determine what will be easier to do with baby than other things, and plan accordingly.

2. Bring the essentials, but pack light. One of the things that make vacations or travel stressful is over packing. Do you have the luggage allowance on your flight? Will all of your luggage fit in the rental car? Can you fit it all in your car? Where will things you buy while on vacation go? With a baby it is easy to over-pack, and play the “what-if” game and thus be prepared for every situation. However, in most cases, where you are traveling to will have a Wal-Mart, and if you really need a humidifier, or whatever the case may be, you can go buy one. Do not haul stuff with you if you do not need it. While you may use a bouncy chair, your baby can live without it for a few days. While you may use a lot of gadgets at home, choose one to bring along.

3. Have all emergency info, etc. on hand. Nothing is more stressful than a baby getting sick while away from home, and you not knowing how to contact their doctor, what shots they have had, and what they haven’t, how much to give them of this or that or the other. So, bring along a small emergency kit. Ask your doctor for a condensed version of your baby’s records to take with you in case you need to go to urgent care while on your trip. Take along their immunization record, and a few of the essentials like a pain killer, an antihistamine, a dropper to give baby medicine, a thermometer, band- aides, etc.

4. Baby proofing gear. Traveling is far less stressful if you bring along a few minor things to make your hotel room better for baby. Throw a few outlet covers in your bag, a few twist ties to keep baby out of drawers and cupboards, and some corner covers to stick on a head-height coffee table, etc. and your stay will be far less stressful.

5. Food, diapers, sleep. Bring snacks, formula, baby food, plenty of diapers, plenty of wipes, and a blanket for baby, and keep them with you at all times, and your trip will be far more successful, and far less stressful.