Having a baby as a travel companion can complicate things, which I discovered when I did two road trips with Berry: one at four months (a smaller trip for a practice run) and a slightly longer one at 6 months. I wish I knew on the first trip what I am sharing with you now. If you are planning on hitting the road with your little one, read on for a smoother ride!
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Packing
First trip with a baby and you will realize you’re full swing in mom mode! I packed so much stuff “just in case.” Click on the download button to download my baby packing list for overnight road trips to help you start! Not only will this checklist keep you on track packing, it also includes product recommendations I love for traveling!
Travel with Another Passenger
You may not be able to have another person travel with you, and that is ok! However, if you are able to bring someone along for the ride (other than your baby) do so. My first road trip with Berry I conquered alone, and it provided challenges.
If you have another passenger, have them sit in the backseat with the baby. This way if the baby wakes up fussy, they can distract them until you are safely able to pull the vehicle over for a stop. They can also watch your baby if you need to leave the vehicle for a bathroom break, order food, etc.
If you are traveling alone, having a safety car seat mirror like this one in my opinion is a must. A quick glance in the rearview mirror is reassuring that your baby is ok.
Stay OFF Schedule!
Be extremely forgiving with time. Leave only after your baby has been well fed, has had plenty of play time and their routine is complete. Leaving prematurely can cause your baby to become cranky on the road and uncomfortable. Since your departure time is estimated, be lenient with the arrival as well.
If you need to provide others with an ETA, provide one with a window of time. Instead of saying, “We’ll be there around 12,” say, “We’ll be there around 12-2 p.m. depending on the baby.” Communicate your revised ETA on breaks if necessary, which brings me to my next point: breaks, breaks, breaks!
Give me a break, Give me a break!
My first road trip with Berry I made the mistake of driving as far as I could before she woke up. I equated her time asleep in the car seat to sleeping through the night. BIG MISTAKE! Berry woke up angry. I was on a highway with nowhere to safely pull over. Driving to the closest exit felt like an eternity with her crying hysterically. I felt like the worst mom in the world. I felt helpless. Luckily, she was happy when we stopped, at least for a short while…
About 45 minutes later, Berry was up again! She was just as upset as before! Once again, I had to stop in a less than desirable spot. I was dreading the return trip home before we even made our destination. I knew I had to go about things differently, so I did, and it worked!
On the way home, I stopped at least every 90 minutes whether she was asleep or not. I planned the stops at rest areas instead of the impromptu McDonald’s off some unfamiliar exit. We had no crying spells the whole way home!
Don’t make my mistake. Take plenty of breaks!
Leave an Empty Space in Your Vehicle
Don’t cram your car with luggage. Leave the seat next to the baby’s car seat open. This will allow you to lay your baby down on the seat for diaper changes. It will also allow for you to feed your baby in the car seat (when vehicle is not in motion) if you choose.
Keep Essentials Easily Accessible
Make sure to have items your baby will need accessible. This includes food, diapering supplies and toys.
Bottles
In my post: Seven Non-Baby Items You Need for the Home I recommended purchasing the makeup refrigerator. You can plug it into the 12V cigarette lighter and keep premade bottles cold. If you’re asking, “COLD BOTTLES?” checkout that post and I explain why!
Another option if you’re using formula, PopYum invented these nifty bottles where the formula and water stay separated until you’re ready to use. Simply push in the button and shake! I use these and love them!
Diapering
There’s two things I recommend to make life easier for diapering on the road. If you don’t already have them, buy a wipe dispenser for on the go and a diaper bag dispenser like this one: Scented diaper bags make traveling more pleasant if you had to do a change where a trash can is not accessible.
Toys
I recommend having a rattle, a teether, or another small type of toy near your baby. This can keep them occupied
