If you’ve got a new baby then the first thing we want to say to you is congratulations. That’s so exciting and it’s the best feeling in the world to have a new little one in your arms. It might be the case though that you’re going to be heading off to travel very shortly and you’re not sure what you should do to have the best time possible with the baby. The good news is that we are here to help. In this article, we’re going to be discussing some of the different things that you can do to make traveling with a new baby as easy as possible. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out a little more!
Get A Baby Sling
The first thing that we’re going to recommend is that you get a baby sling or a baby carrier as these are so much easier than trying to hold your baby all of the time. When they are a newborn, you will likely find that you don’t really want to put them down all that much, but carrying them everywhere is impractical. So, the solution to this is to get something that is wearable so that you can hold them whenever you want while still having your hands free to do something else.
The baby sling is a great way to ensure that you are able to bond with your baby, even when you are busy doing other things. Having them close to you is one of the best feelings in the world, and we strongly encourage you to do whatever you can to make this happen as often as you can.
Always Carry The Right Equipment
You also want to make sure that you are carrying all of the right equipment with you wherever you go. Not just equipment, but anything that you think your little one is going to need while you are out and about. This is especially important when you are traveling as you can’t just pop home to get whatever you have forgotten. For example, you need to ensure that you have enough diapers, or that there is somewhere you can stock up on them where you are going. You also need to have bottles and/or your breast pump with you if you use either of these things, also carrying something to sterilize the bottles with.
Trust us, we know that there is so much to bring with you and carry around but we promise that this is what is best for your baby, and therefore you’re just going to have to find a way to do it. It’s probably best that you have a whole small suitcases dedicated to stuff for the baby to be honest, as this way you know that you’ve got it all.
Too Much Is Better Than Too Little
It’s possible that you were reading what we said above, thinking that it all just sounds like too much stuff. We can completely understand why you think that, and if you’re packing your stuff up and having this thought, we know that it can be tough to justify taking it all with you. However, we would like to say that there is no such thing as too much when you have a new baby, and if there is, it’s far better than having too little. Not having something that you need for your little one is far worse than having a bunch of things that you didn’t end up needing, but could have. You never know when you’re going to be caught in a situation where you need something out of the ordinary, and you do not want to be caught in a situation where you do not have whatever it is that you need.
Get Travel Size Things
One of your best friends throughout your travels is going to be anything that you can buy in travel size. Usually these things can be compacted in some way so that you can easily store them for travel, and this is going to be a lifesaver. Trying to fit full sized things into your suitcase can prove to be difficult, so it’s best to get as much of this as you can. For example, you’re going to need somewhere for your baby to sleep safely while you are on your travels, so getting a travel bassinet for baby is the best option. It promotes safe sleeping, and it’s easily transportable wherever you go, making it an ideal choice no matter who you are.
If you look around, you should be able to find travel sized things for most of the larger items. Generally this means that they will easily fold up or pack away, not that they are necessarily smaller.
If You Have Other Kids…
If you have other kids then it can be even more difficult to travel when you have a new baby. You’re worried about making sure that everyone gets enough attention, and this can be a tough thing to achieve. The best thing that you can do is try to spend as much time with them as you can, rather than just putting all of your focus on the baby. Let them help with their new sibling if they want to, but ensure that they are not being forced as this can lead to them resenting the baby.
If you have a partner around to help, then see if they can have the baby while you spend some time with your other kids, and then you can swap over so the other person gets to do the same. This is a great way of bonding with all of your kids, ensuring that nobody gets left out, and everyone feels the love from all sides.
Try To Sleep Where You Can
Sleep can be tough when you have a new baby, especially when you have other kids that you are taking care of as well. Unfortunately, you just need to try your best to get in that sleep when you have the time. When traveling you might get a little more rest on the plane because everyone should be occupied or asleep depending on the time.
Sleep when the baby sleeps is good advice, but it can only go so far. There is only so much time that you are going to be able to spend sleeping when the little one does, as there are other things for you to be doing. It can be hard, and the lack of sleep can end up feeling like it’s going to kill you, but we promise you that it’s not, you just have to stick it out a while longer. It will end, like all phases do, and you will sleep again. For now though, just get as much as you can whenever it is offered to you.
Understand It Can Be Hard For Them
It can be hard for a new baby and your other kids to travel so much, and you have to try to be mindful of this. We’re not saying that it’s not harder for you because it undoubtedly is, but you have to understand their feelings in the matter as well. Your baby might seem a little more unsettled than normal because of all the change going on around them, but that’s completely normal. Plenty of cuddles should help soothe them because you are their safe space, and wherever you are, they should be fine.
New babies sleep a lot anyway, but a traveling baby may sleep even more due to the extra information their brains are trying to process. This is not a bad thing, so don’t panic.
Be Mindful Of Others
The final thing that we’re going to say is that you need to be mindful of others. If your baby is crying excessively on a plane, you need to try everything you can to calm them down. Don’t stress yourself out over it, most people will understand that you are doing your best. Having said that, you should be trying everything that you can to calm them and soothe them, especially if it’s an overnight flight.
As well as this, you should be doing whatever you can think of to try not to disturb others with your baby. Of course, there are going to be times where this is unavoidable and you don’t need to worry about that. It happens, it’s okay. Just do your best.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be doing if you are going to be traveling with a new baby. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but we can assure you that it is doable if you are prepared. Sometimes it feels like the hardest thing that you could possibly do, but we promise that it’ll be okay if you can just keep going day by day. We wish you all of the luck in the world!