Traveling with your baby for the first time can be very difficult for new parents. If you are inexperienced in the art of traveling as a new mom or new dad, you must decide which products to or not to buy, what to pack and what not to pack, and that can be stressful and challenging. Check out our article “5 Must Haves When Traveling with Babies”.
Traveling can be one of the most stressful things for anybody, especially for new parents who are flying. Your little babies who are not used to the noise and movements of people would have to deal with that in airports, bus and train stations, and this can significantly increase their anxiety levels. When flying, the hustle and bustle of navigating from ticketing – to checkpoint & security is a sure process. The added time waiting to have bottles checked – to finally making it to the gate just to sit and wait for the plane before it’s time to get right back up and board. And that’s not the end. The movements pickup once the plane stops and the chaos doesn’t end until the family reached their destination. That is such a rough journey for little ones, but it doesn’t have to be horrible.
The truth is, while traveling for the first time can be a daunting task for new parents, there are also basic guidelines and tricks that make the process manageable and even easier. This post is here to share some of the tips that can help you travel easier and reduce your stress tremendously.
- ENSURE BABY IS HEALTHY
The health of a baby is of top priority, and even more so when traveling. Before you take a trip, ensure your child’s immune is strong enough to embark on that journey, as traveling with a sick baby is one of the biggest nightmares any new parent can face.
- BE FRIENDLY WITH OTHER TRAVELERS
It really helps to form good friendships with your seat partners on the bus, plane or train. These new-found alliances will help you a lot, as you will get to find out. When the people around you are friends, you find that it is easier for them to help you out when you are struggling and for them to tolerate you and your baby’s wailings.
- PREPARE YOURSELF MENTALLY
No matter how well you pack and prepare for the trip, you must understand that the trip may become rough, and even more so for new parents. If the boarding wasn’t rough, maybe changing the baby in the tiny bathroom will be the hardest thing ever. You must learn to keep your cool and understand that this is a phase that many parent’s experience. Understand that your attitude will also influence your child’s behavior, so be sure to remain calm throughout the trip and just do what you can in the meantime. If somebody shush your baby, then shush them right back and kiss you little one.
- CHOOSE AN ISLE SEAT
I would say the window seat is better for toddlers and an aisle seat is better with babies. If you have the chance to choose a seat, go with the seat on the aisle. This is because it provides you with the ease of access to the walkway where you can walk up and down if your child becomes restless. There is no such freedom however for the window seat without bothering the friend you just made sitting next to you. Hopefully you’re not alone and can simply pass by your guest passenger with no issues.
- CARRY ALONG A BABY CARRIER
Keeping the baby inside a carrier from the moment you arrive till the moment you leave is a huge help. Most car seats need to be checked downstairs, while some can be handed over at the gate. You can use the stroller throughout the airport and check it at the gate, but it’s more inconveniencing than it is helpful. Strollers need to be folded and placed on the belt during security, requiring baby to be removed from the stroller. This is not fun for a sleeping baby. However, if baby is in a carrier to begin with, the Transportation Security Administration should direct both mom and baby through at once, usually followed up by a hand swap.
- BRING LESS CARRY-ON & PERSONAL ITEMS
Carry one diaper bag that is big enough for the entire family. Most times, mom will have a purse, dad will have his laptop bag, then there’s a diaper bag, a milk/snack bag and more. Make your life easier by carrying a diaper backpack that will fit everything. The Ultimate Parent Backpack is voted Mom & Dad’s Favorite Bag and it’s perfect for traveling parents and families of multiples. See it here: http://localhost/elev8ed/product/parent-backpack/. Also known as the UP Bag by Elev8ed Cre8ion, it is essentially 3 bags in one (a backpack for mom, dad and baby(s). It has a designated place for a laptop, tablet, phones, baby’s essentials and mom’s things too. It has a luggage strap, hidden security pocket for passports and wallets, extra insulated pockets for bottles, waters and frozen breastmilk, easily accessible pockets for a phone and credit/card on the straps and so much more. This is the perfect bag for new parents, especially those traveling for the first time.
Always remember, as a new dad or mom, traveling with your baby for the first time may be full of worry, but it’s still an exciting milestone. So – enjoy it and create good memories. Take pictures and safe travels.
