Traveling has always been a big part of our lives and we are SO happy we now have Blake to bring along and make all of the family memories! Showing her new places is so exciting and I can’t wait to keep doing it as she gets older. That being said, it’s not always as pretty as it seems on Instagram, as traveling with a baby can be tough. All you mamas out there know what I’m talking about! We’ve taken several trips now with Blake and have definitely found our groove, so I wanted to share all of my tips for traveling with a baby. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always perfect, but making these adjustments have been total game changers for us and for Blake. Keep reading for all of my tips and don’t miss all of my baby travel essential items at the end!
My Baby Traveling Tips
Always have toys and snacks ready
Blake loves little gadgets, busy boards, books, and teethers. For road trips, we have a bag where we keep all of her toys and snacks so they are all in one place. We love this tote bag because it stands on its own and is easy to find things. We also choose snacks that are not super messy and use cleaner simple ingredients. You can find all of our favorite snacks in the collage below! We also always have a water bottle on hand.
Bring Slumberpod and sound machine for hotel rooms
Sleeping in the same room as a toddler is definitely not ideal but spending twice the amount of money on a double room hotel room is not ideal either! If we plan on stopping halfway at a hotel during our road trip we love using the Slumberpod. It completely blacks out any light around the crib so if we need to get up in the room she cannot see us! Whenever we travel we usually try to get an Airbnb so we can book something with two bedrooms.
Bring a good travel stroller
One that doesn’t take up too much space! This makes a big difference especially if you are driving with limited space. Honestly, any umbrella stroller is great but we love our Nuna! It folds so small. About the side of a small carry-on and has storage. The Doona is also a great travel stroller for newborns!! It is a car seat that converts into a stroller.
Be flexible
Traveling with a baby means they aren’t always going to be on their typical routine, and that’s okay! Incorporate as much as you can from their regular schedule to keep familiarity but don’t stress if it’s not perfect.
Utilize rest stops
We truly maximize our time when stopping. No matter what we will always do a diaper change and get Blake out to move around. We have found that stopping for a little longer during rest stops will make the entire road trip go smoother. We also throw away any trash to keep the car organized.
Break up travel days
You know your baby best and every baby has their limit when it comes to time spent in the car. With Blake, her threshold is 8 hours in a day. So we usually will drive no more than 8 hours. Blake is never in the car for 8 straight hours because we usually take regular rest stops and whenever we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner we usually eat outside to stretch our legs and get some vitamin D. It makes the biggest difference. Blake is also pretty good at speeding in the car too!
Plan to be a backseat warrior
I accepted the fact that my days in the front passenger seat are long gone. I usually just stay in the back seat with Blake to be more efficient and be on hand for anything that she needs.
Keep shows on standby
When all else fails: have some kid-friendly shows on standby as a last resort. We rarely let Blake watch TV but we also definitely know there is a place and time for it! Haha! Whenever we are at our wit’s end we will download some kid’s shows from Netflix. It works every time. We try to stay away from overstimulating shows though, and some of our faves are Franklin and Trash Truck!
Stay positive
Go in with no expectations and try to keep a positive perspective! Traveling with a baby is unpredictable and can be very challenging! I feel like babies can sense when we are stressed, so if you go into it patient, and remind yourself of the bigger picture, I swear it helps!! These moments are always so temporary and the memories made on the trip will be far worth it. I have found that the more we do something the better we get at it! Traveling has become less stressful each time we do it. Sure there are those unexpected things that happen that can put a strain on your trip, but we just have learned to roll with the punches!
Check out all of our baby traveling essentials below – these come with us on every trip and help so much!
