A road trip with a baby on board can be an exciting event! But if your baby isn’t ready for those long hours in a car, it can definitely wreak havoc on your trip. There are lots of things you can do to help make your road trip with your baby easier, less stressful, and a whole lot of fun. For a memorable road trip, you can wait until your baby is somehow ready; it’s time for you to be proactive and make things happen instead of waiting for things to happen.
You can do that by making the right arrangements and preparing yourself for some unexpected things while remaining calm and flexible. It’s difficult to predict what can happen on a road trip but with a baby, it’s safe to assume anything can happen. You can’t make every minute comfortable for the baby, but there are lots of things to do to not make it uncomfortable.
Before you start getting things ready for your road trip, remember that unless you can’t avoid it, don’t take your baby on a road trip if they’re younger than three months old. Even if your baby is completely healthy, their immune system isn’t fully developed yet and this can put them at risk. It’s always better to consult with your baby’s pediatrician before taking to the road. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and simply don’t know what to do to get ready for the road trip, keep calm and carry on reading for some helpful information.
Prepare the car
Before preparing the humans, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is in tip-top condition and get any mechanical issues fixed. Do this early on before your trip so it doesn’t coincide with other things you’ll need to do as you near your travel date. Besides the obvious car issues, preparing the interior of the car for the baby is going to help you tremendously. For instance, you can have some lightweight toys spread across the ceiling of the car, as well as an organizer stretched across the back of the front seats for easy access to the items you’ll need. If your baby is going to be sitting alone in the back seat, have their favorite toys next to them in a box. If they’re old enough, they’ll be able to pull out toys easily by herself. In essence, you want to create familiar surroundings for your baby by using the toys and other items that they are used to. This can help even more with young babies and tots who tend to get restless and scared when they are out of their element in an unfamiliar environment. If there are at least two adults, you can take turns driving and keep the baby occupied when you’re not driving.
Packing
There are two types of packing to consider when you’re going on a trip with your baby: the things that will be used later on, which goes into the trunk of the car; and the things that you will need to have within reach. There’s a substantial number of things you’ll need to pack: diapers, bibs, bottles, sip cups, wet wipes, and a change of clothes for the baby. All these things need to be neatly packed so that you have easy access to them. Your baby bag should have enough partitions and compartments to pack items in an organized manner. You can also use transparent bags so you can see the items you need. In addition, have a baby blanket ready if it gets too chilly for them, and a Car Seat pillow to support their head. It’s a long checklist, but it’s a must and will pay off in making the trip easier.
During the trip
You have to plan out your trip strategically and early on. Pick the places you can stop in to give everyone a break and rejuvenate both adults and the baby. Take time to enjoy some beautiful scenery, and get some fresh air.
You and your baby can enjoy your time even more if you have a baby hip seat carrier also packed with you. Being strapped in a car seat for hours on end isn’t comfortable, and, most likely, your baby will start getting fidgety and fussy and will enjoy sitting on the hip seat while still being with mommy. It will keep your hands free and lessen that strain on your back and shoulders from carrying a heavier tot because of the removable seat that sits in your hip area. The best baby hip seat carrier that will suit you depends on the weight of your baby and your physical strength. These carriers are specially designed to distribute the total weight of the baby, and they give you a lot of freedom to move.
If you find your baby getting extra cranky while you’re driving, then stop somewhere and wait until he calms down. Driving around with a screaming baby in the back is nerve-wracking and not safe. Your first concern should always be the safety of you and your baby. A few minutes on pause won’t hurt your road trip. There will be unexpected stops that you might have to make, so make allowances for that when planning your trip at the beginning.
The trip back
Unless you’re relocating, there’s still the trip back home! If you noticed some things were just not working in your favor on the way to your destination, then make the necessary adjustments for your trip home. Maybe you didn’t have enough snacks for your baby, or maybe you needed more than just toys to entertain her. Think about CDS or books of their favorite things, or read their favorite story.
A baby’s first road trip can be an extraordinary one if you plan it beforehand. This will guarantee you a less stressful and more pleasant trip. For sure, even the best plans can get muddled up sometimes, but it’s still all part of the fun and part of the memories to prepare for your baby’s first time on the road.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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