Baby on Board: Long-Distance Travel With a Newborn

What do you need to know about traveling with a baby? I mean a little baby, not an older one. And not a toddler. Well…

The first few months, you might notice your baby loves the car seat or hates it. If you have a “loves the car seat” baby, that’s great! Bring on the road trips! Just remember to stop frequently to nurse or snuggle (contact is important!), stay hydrated and nourished (yes, you), and change diapers. A diaper rash would be a pretty horrible “Welcome to Our Vacation” gift.

If your baby hates the car seat, maybe it’s a better idea to fly than to drive, if possible. You can wear your baby on the plane, or have baby travel in a car seat right beside you.

Or, you could have your husband or a friend drive while you sit beside the baby in the back seat. Just your presence and proximity could make the car seat hatred a non-issue.

Babies this young don’t really need much in the way of toys. Something to dangle/look at/swat is about the most they’ll want. Well, that and YOU.

They also don’t need water, food, cups, stuffed animals (unless you have a specific “lovie” you want to bring)… their clothes are tiny and easy to pack, so basically all you’ll need is…

• Diapers – cloth or disposable, whatever you use. Both can be easy to travel with.
• A way to feed your baby – boobs, bottles, whatever.
• A baby carrier – Did you see my post on my babywearing stash?
• A car seat – Whether traveling by car or by plane, you’ll need a safe seat for whenever you are driving around.
• Your baby’s clothes – An outfit for each day, jammies for each night, and a couple of extras in case of poopsplosions or excessive spit-up.

And that’s about it! If you want to get fancy, you can bring some first aid supplies just in case, swaddling blankets if you use them, and… I can’t even think of another thing to add here.

Little babies are pretty easy. They want to be nursed a lot, snuggled often, and kept clean, warm, and dry. But they don’t require a schedule or anything too complicated.

So where are you going to go with your new baby?

Personally, I like to stay close to home and snuggle my newborn babies and not go anywhere right away… but if I had to, it wouldn’t be too bad.

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