Traveling with a Baby
So I did not want to make this post a "tips" post because what works for Brad and me will not necessarily work for everyone else. However, we have found a few things that does work for us when we travel with Melody. We have only taken three 'big' trips: two to Memphis (approximately 3.5 hours away) and one to Gulf Shores (approximately 6 hours away). Each trip seems to go easier than the last. I am sure as she continues to get older, we will have to tweak things.
1. Travel when the baby naps the longest - We have found it easier to travel early in the morning when Melody naps the most. We wake her around 5, and we give her a bottle. While one of us is feeding her, the other is packing up last minute things [we packed most things the night before]. After we feed her, we change her diaper and put her in the carseat. Then we take off. On occasion, we will leave when Brad gets off work. Luckily, she sleeps a lot then as well. The biggest key is to travel when you know your baby is most likely to nap. And leave right after a feeding. This will help you keep your stops to a limit.
2. Make sure you have a travel diaper changing pad - We have found on most of our trips that not all gas stations have a diaper changing station. We have had to change Melody in the car numerous times. It has been nice to have the changing pad to lay down on the seat to change her. Even the gas stations and restaurants that do have changing stations, I will take in the travel changing pad and place it on top of their changing station. They are not always super clean, so I don't want to leave Melody laying directly on one.
3. Always add 1 hour to your expected travel time for each feeding - If you are trying to get somewhere by a certain time, make sure you account for feedings. I can usually feed Melody in less than 30 minutes, but when we travel, I plan for at least an hour. Babies get easily distracted, and you will not be in your usual setup. You may be feeding her in a car or in a restaurant. Either way, it can be distracting and difficult. Therefore plan accordingly.
4. Make sure you have a mirror where you can see your baby in the back seat - Most parents have one of these for general travel around town, but if you don't, be sure you have one for long distance travel. You don't want to stop every 30 minutes on a 7 hour drive to check on your baby. Instead, if you have a mirror, you can look back and see her at all times. Also, make sure you install it ahead of time. We were given a mirror, but it would not work in Brad's car. We had to go out and buy a new one that would work. You will want to check this in advance so that you aren't trying to find a replacement the day of your trip.
5. Prep for every feeding plus one [or two] - I did a post a while back about how I prep travel formula. Make sure you prep for each feeding you will be traveling plus an extra or two. You don't want to be caught on the road without a bottle. If you don't want to prep the formula and you do not breastfeed, you can always purchase the ready made formula in stores. Either way, prep for this ahead of time. Have the formula in separate containers and measured out for each bottle. You don't want to be in the car trying to measure it then. And you don't want to be dealing with it the morning of your trip. Plan ahead!
The key in general is plan ahead. You know your baby better than anyone else. Do what suits her. Keep her comfortable and she will be less fussy.
