Know When The Time Is Appropriate To Travel With Your Baby

If you’re a new parent, you might feel overwhelmed by all the information you need to absorb. How do you breastfeed? Who is the best pediatrician? Is it even possible to get your baby on a good sleep schedule? Amidst all this information, one of the questions that new parents frequently ask is when - and how - they can begin taking their baby with them on their travels.

Whether your goal is to visit a new destination and create new family memories or you simply want to head home to see your family for the holidays, knowing when it is appropriate to travel with a baby is important. Here are the answers to some of your biggest and most pressing questions.

When Can You Start Traveling With A Baby?

If you were an avid traveler before you became a  parent, it can be disheartening to learn that it’s not advised to travel long distances when you are pregnant or with a newborn. However, once your baby is at least a week old, you’re usually safe to travel. This will depend on the overall health of both you and your child, but in most cases, you can travel as soon as you are ready.

At that age, you might not want to take a trip longer than the car ride back from the hospital! However, you can travel farther if you have a good car seat. It’s generally recommended that you reserve most trips for when your baby is at least three months old, and longer trips for babies older than nine months. That being said, every baby is different. It’s important to consult your pediatrician and listen to your gut when making this judgment.

What to Pack

Packing for a baby is nothing like packing for yourself. In fact, it may take you twice as long to do so! When you pack for yourself, you likely take things like “restyling” into consideration. In other words, you may very well be able to wear the same shirt twice, matching it with different accessories or a different pair of pants. That will not be the case with your baby. Once the clothing item has been worn, it is highly unlikely that it will be suitable for wear on another day. Make sure you have separate outfits for each and every day you will be on the road, and factor in accidents and spills that might result in a midday clothing swap, too. A good rule of thumb is two outfits per day plus several extras.

Some other things you will need to pack include diaper accessories like wipes, diaper rash cream, balm, and of course, the diapers themselves. Generally, you should budget for about ten diapers per day - but this is up to your baby’s patterns, of course. You will also need multiple burp cloths and bibs, a nursing cover, and lots of extra pacifiers. A collapsible travel stroller is also a smart idea. Oh, and don’t forget snacks and entertainment! It’s best to pack all of your gear in one full-size suitcase versus multiple bags or smaller suitcases. Use lingerie organizers to keep things separate and distinct.

One final piece of advice-  if you don’t need it, don’t pack it. That should go without saying, but when you’re packing for a trip with a baby, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what should go, and what should stay. Keep in mind that many places allow you to rent gear. You don’t always need to bring a pack and play or a high chair or a crib- or even a stroller, for that matter! All of these items are often provided free of charge or for a nominal surcharge at most destinations.

Traveling on a Plane

While traveling with a baby is a stressful experience in general, traveling on a plan can be even more overwhelming. After all, what if your baby cries, or worse - has a total meltdown? First of all, stop worrying about that. You can’t control whether your baby cries, or whether other passengers get annoyed (frankly, if they do, they probably don’t have children of their own and therefore can’t possibly understand your situation).

Also, remember that there are some precautions you can take to reduce the likelihood of this happening. Boredom is a common cause of airplane tears, so make sure you have plenty of snacks, toys, and videos to entertain your little one. Your baby should be well-fed, changed, and burped before you board the plane, too, if at all possible. Another reason why babies cry on planes is that their ears hurt. Babies’ ears are still very fragile and developing.

While you might not notice the pressure change during takeoff and descent, your baby definitely will. You can equalize the pressure in your baby’s ears by giving him a bottle, breast, or pacifier during these times. At the very least, it will distract him, but it should also make his ears feel better.

What to Pack in Your Carry-On Luggage

Some thoughtful consideration into what you pack in your carry-on luggage can go a long way in preventing and avoiding meltdowns on the airplane. Consider it your emergency kit, and stash it with everything you think you might need in a  moment’s notice - and within reach. Good options to consider include a diaper for every hour of travel, an extra set of clothes (for both you and the baby) and a warm layer in case your baby gets chilled. You might also want to pack some travel-sized wipes and plastic bags for dirty diapers.

Not sure where you will change your baby while on the airplane? There are plenty of portable changing pads that you can invest in. You might also want to pack entertainment such as a baby book, tablet, or a toy. A few favorite snacks go a long way, too!

Look Into Airline Regulations for Milk

Curious about feeding your baby on a plane? Luckily, newborns are pretty easy to care for, since they only need a bit of breastmilk and formula. If you are using a breast pump, you can bring it on board with you regardless of the carry-on luggage restrictions (it's considered a medical device).

As for the formula and breast milk itself, you can bring a “reasonable quantity” of formula or milk through security (that’s the official wording from the TSA). You can also pack materials needed to keep the milk cool, such as frozen gel packs and freezer packs. Packs that have become slushy might be subjected to additional screening.

Bring All Paperwork

Just because your child isn’t walking yet, that doesn’t mean you can bring him on a plane without a ton of documentation. On a domestic flight, there’s a good chance that you will never be asked for documentation for your baby. However, you may need to supply documents like a birth certificate or a passport.

Prepare for TSA Checks

If you thought TSA checkpoints were stressful before you had children, just wait until you try to go through them with your new little one! If you bring a stroller through, keep in mind that you will need to push that through security and have it checked, too. If you decide to carry your baby, you will usually just be able to carry her with you through the metal detectors. Wearing your baby through the airport and security is smart, as it will free your hands up during the process and also make it less likely that your baby will come into contact with any germs or the chance of injury.

Try Not to Travel Solo - If Possible

You might have no control over whether you travel with others or by yourself, but bringing someone with you to help out with the little one can definitely make your life a little bit easier! When you’re trying to travel with a baby, you’re going to have a lot of stuff to tote around with you. An extra set of hands will be much appreciated.

Don’t Overplan

This sounds counterintuitive, it seems, especially when compared to all the other tips in this article that advise you to plan. However, when it comes to airline tickets, it’s best not to purchase tickets for an infant too far in advance. Some people make the mistake of planning a flight for a newborn before it is born. Every birth is unique and some babies may be fine to fly even within those first few weeks. However, if that’s not the case, you might be best playing it by ear.

Remember, too, that you do have a choice to hold your child as a lap baby - you don’t have to book them their own separate seats. These come with their own fees, but it’s sometimes much less than booking an entire seat. A car seat offers added security in case of turbulence or a hard landing.

Make Sure You Are Cleared to Fly

If you’re a postpartum mom, make sure you have the go-ahead from your doctor to fly. Almost even more importantly, make sure your airline doesn’t have any restrictions on how old your child must be to fly. For example, airlines like Frontier, Spirit, and United do not allow passengers to travel with infants younger than one week old. Others, like Delta and Southwest, allow it, but you must come prepared with a medical release for travel.

Taking a Road Trip

Luckily, taking a road trip is a bit easier than flying on an airplane to travel. There are some considerations to make, however. These tips will help you head out on the open road feeling totally prepared. Be Ready to Turn Your Backseat or Tailgate Into a Changing Table! Poop happens - even when you’re flying down I-90. While you can minimize the likelihood of a blowout by fitting your baby with the right-sized diaper, accidents can - and frequently do - happen. Unfortunately, they always seem to happen at the worst possible times (like when you’re on a deserted backroad with no gas stations or convenience stores in sight).

Be ready to turn the back of your car into a changing station at any moment. To do this, just make sure you have at least one diaper for every hour you will need to be in the car along with a backseat stash of wipes, diapers, diaper cream, and a toy. You will also want to make sure you have a portable changing pad, a towel, and (we don’t need to explain why) a change of clothes for yourself.

Keep Wipes - and Plenty of Them - in the Car

If you don’t already do this, make sure your car is stashed with plenty of baby wipes. From wiping up snot to sanitizing sticky hands from snack time, it’s important that you have a supply ready to go to deal with any mishaps. It is highly inconvenient to have to pull over and buy them, and almost just as frustrating to have to pull them from the trunk.

Don’t Put Diaper Bags in the Trunk

As a corollary to the point above, try to avoid stashing any necessities in your trunk. It might seem like a good idea when you first pack the car (after all, it saves space up front) but it’s a mistake you will make just once. Keep the diaper bags handy, and you’ll be able to live to tell the tale when there’s a major blowout!

Plan Stops Along the Way

When you didn’t have children, it might not have been a major feat to travel cross country and only stop a few times for gas and food. However, when you have kids - particularly, a baby - to care for, that’s a luxury you can’t afford. Before your trip, make sure you look up plenty of gas stations, restaurants, and rest areas - anywhere you can safely change your child’s diaper.

Traveling With a Baby is a Learning Experience

Let’s not sugarcoat anything - traveling with a baby is far from enjoyable, and it’s definitely not easy. However, if you arm yourself with the right tools and knowledge, the experience can be one that you master in no time. Just stay calm - and don’t forget the diaper bag! Safe Travels!

Jessica Lauren is Founder, contributing Author and Owner of Citrus Sleep. Citrus Sleep is an online publication that highlights brands, sleep products, women’s fashion, subscription services and ideas creating positive social change and promoting a healthy lifestyle. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for several brands and startups, Jessica knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and guest posts.

Follow Jessica at @jessicalaurencs | Jessica Lauren

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