When our little girl Emilia was only 6 weeks old we took our first vacation together as a family of three. We visited Victoria, BC for our first trip and truthfully, it was both harder and easier than we expected. The plane rides went super well but exploring the city with an infant in tow took a lot more planning than we were used to. We definitely had to cut a few activities short due to a screaming infant not being up to the task! But overall, the experience was a memorable one and I know it will be only the first of many travels with our little girl.
From our first trip traveling with an infant we definitely learned a lot and today I thought I would share with you all a few tips so you can be confident traveling with your baby.
5 tips for traveling with a newborn baby:
1. Pack a stroller!
Even if you don’t typically use a stroller much on a day to day basis, when traveling a stroller is absolutely essential. I personally find that I walk way more when traveling than I normally do at home and a stroller is so helpful for making sure you won’t be carrying your baby for the entire vacation. The ErgoBaby 180 is a great choice for bringing along on a trip. I love that it is a reversible stroller so you can choose to either have your little one facing you or looking out and exploring her surroundings as you travel. It also has an insert for newborns so you can use it with your little one right away. The ErgoBaby 180 also has an extra large sun shade which is so great for exploring on sunny days and gives them a cozy spot to nap on the go.
2. Consider alternative accommodations!
Newborns don’t always have the most reliable sleep schedules and even the best sleepers can be thrown off by traveling to a new place. Choosing to stay overnight in a place with more than one room is a huge asset. If a baby wakes up during the night, it’s so helpful if one parent can take the baby to another room so the other parent can actually get some sleep. Taking turns caring for the baby when traveling can save your sanity so I would personally recommend finding an Airbnb instead of a hotel so you can rent a home with multiple rooms. (ps. you will get $45 off your first Airbnb by signing up here!)
3. Survive the plane ride!
For all four flights we took during the trip Emilia was a total champ. The white noise created by the airplane was absolutely perfect for napping. We fed her both on takeoff and landing to prevent pressure equalization issues then she slept in our arms for the rest of the trip. Our seat-mates heard barely a peep from her on any of our flights. In fact upon landing, someone on our flight proclaimed her the “best baby ever”. How’s that for a parenting win?!?
4. Location, location, location!
Usually, I don’t mind staying further away from main attractions if I find accommodation that is more affordable, but when traveling with a newborn I recommend staying as close to main attractions as possible. During our trip, we were constantly running back and forth to our rental home for naps, feeds and outfit changes. I am so glad we chose a place nearby otherwise we likely would have spent the majority of our vacation in our car.
5. Don’t under-pack!
Normally, I try to pack light but with a newborn you are better off bringing more things than you think you will need. You don’t need to bring your baby’s entire wardrobe, but definitely try to pack more than enough diapers and wipes. Spending your vacation shopping for diapers is a total drag, plus as you use up diapers you brought along you will make space for souvenirs and items to bring back home. In addition to your normal diaper bag, make sure to include a bottle of dish soap for cleaning bottles, stain remover and laundry detergent in case you have to clean up a mess or two.
I hope these tips help you when planning your first trip with a little one! Have you taken a trip with a baby before? I’d love to hear about your experience! Leave a comment letting me know how it went.
