Traveling with a Newborn or a Baby can be a daunting thought, let alone reality for many; however, if you are properly prepared, it can be a fairly enjoyable and liberating experience.
My son was born on November 21st, 2018; the day before Thanksgiving. Thankfully, we didn’t have any major complications (apart from Shoulder Dystocia during delivery) and I was able to leave the hospital the very next morning (on Thanksgiving). We took the baby to Two different family Thanksgivings as soon as we left the hospital. 3 Weeks later, we traveled with our baby boy from our home in Virginia on a Ski Trip to Breckenridge, Colorado for a week. We haven’t spent a solid week at home since he was born. We are always at least traveling a half hour to family or staying somewhere for fun.
How do we do it successfully?
Research and preparation. Travel is a great love for my husband and I. We go on at least 4 vacations every year and countless weekend getaways. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew we would have to figure out how to make it work when traveling with a baby, so the research began. What I found was a lot of paid advertisements, which annoyed the heck out of me, and articles meant to terrify new parents of the world… so please save yourself the trouble and feel free to copy what I have learned below. None of the products I mention are from paid advertising, just me, a Mom, trying to help any other parent out there.
1.) Travel System
When I say Travel System, I mean your stroller, bassinet, and car seat combination. This is KEY when traveling with a Newborn/ Baby or toddler. For me, I got the Uppa Baby Vista travel system. Yes, it is EXPENSIVE, but by God it has been SO worth it for us. We have the car seat, toddler seat, bassinet and all of the travel cases for these products (as well as the Vista stroller of course). You can get the set discounted on Amazon (and if you have an Amazon credit card you get 5% back…and if you have an Amazon baby registry, you can use the registry discount -15%- on this stuff too!)
UppaBaby System Bundle ($1,129-1,279)
Why is a travel system so important?
Having a travel system that is easy to use, comfortable for baby, and works together makes traveling much smoother. If baby is sleeping in his bassinet and you want to go to dinner, you can simply pop the bassinet on the stroller and walk over. If baby is sleeping in the car seat, just pop it on the stroller and go. You always bring a ton of stuff when traveling so having a stroller with a lot of storage is a must so plan accordingly. The UppaBaby Vista stroller has the biggest storage basket of any stroller I found. In my research, the UppaBaby Vista system simply met every need I have and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
2.) Diaper Bag
Get a backpack. No seriously, do not even try something over the shoulder, you are wasting your money. Find a durable backpack that can hold everything you need for baby and everything you need for YOU. I do not use a purse anymore, I use my diaper bag. It’s not as sexy as my designer bags that’s for sure, but it’s utility matters so much more now. You are going to need both arms with a baby and a shoulder bag is just a waste. Get something you and your spouse don’t mind wearing, with LOTS of external pockets to keep organized and that is comfortable to wear for an extended period of time.
3.) Food
No matter what, make sure you have food easily and readily available for baby. I exclusively breast feed my son so I pump a bottle before we start traveling. I have a Spectra S1 breast pump that I take everywhere and keep in my diaper bag when flying as it can rely on battery and is really easy to use. You can’t always easily whip out a boob when traveling, but you can always give a baby a bottle. If you struggle with bottle feeding or want to know how I got my little man to take a bottle, please read my article on the subject. The same goes for if you formula feed, make sure you have everything you need to feed your baby. And when picking products (like a pump or formula mix, etc) find something that is easy to use while traveling.
4.) Storage Bag(s)
Whether you shoot for plastic bags or reusable cloth bags, have at least 4 in your diaper bag around gallon sized. If you have a blowout, dirty/ wet blanket, use cloth diapers, or drop something that will need sanitizing before another use, a baggy goes a LONG way to keep you organized. I always forget to restock my bags if I use one so 4 has been a strong number for me, but use whatever works for you.
5.) Extra Blankets and Outfits
This one you probably have already been told to death. Babies make messes. Lots of messes and while you are traveling, a washer and dryer won’t always be available. My rule of thumb is to have an outfit for every 3hrs of travel. If you have a baby that seems to have regular spit up and blow outs, add more as needed.
6.) Lots of Burp Cloths
I probably have 30 of these honestly. I use these very thin muslin ones from Walmart that my mother in law got me. They are amazing and much easier than the thicker ones I have found elsewhere. You will use these for everything, from normal spit up, to wiping down surfaces (just don’t use on baby after), to laying down on surfaces to set down your bottle or binkies, etc. I usually have 5-10 of these on me depending how long I’m going to be out. I know it sounds like a lot, but I keep them within easy reach. Some are in the diaper bag, some are in the stroller, and one is usually stuffed in a pocket or over my shoulder. Dispersing them keeps you from panicking when one is needed urgently so less stress for the mess that is undoubtedly going to happen.
7.) Disinfectant Wipes or Spray
I refuse to be the panicky mother, but I also believe you have to sanitize public spaces your baby is going to come into contact with. Bring your favourite sanitizing wipes with you and some sanitizing spray. I personally use the Baby Bum Sanitizing Spray and Babyganics sanitizing wipes. (FYI you will never use anything but Baby Bum again once you start)
8.) Cover
No matter the weather, a cover for your car seat, stroller, or whatever you’ve got is mandatory. If it’s warm and sunny, you are going to need to shade their eyes and prevent sunburn. If it’s cold, you will need something to help keep them warm and toasty. The good news is that the UppaBaby system is all 50spf and has built in shades except for the car seat. So for the car seat, we have a super soft cover as well as a fleece cover. The soft cover we use everywhere we go (even the grocery store) and the fleece cover we put over the soft cover when its cold. These items are not only useful against the cold but keep nosy people from getting too close to the baby and spreading germs.
Paige Elmore 