Walking down the aisle, I felt my son’s diaper leaking onto my arm. I turned to glance at my husband behind me and subsequently smashed my gigantic carry on diaper bag into the head of an innocent fellow passenger.
Yeah, that was me. I have learned a lot over the years about traveling with infants. Here are a few tips I have to offer you.
16 Tips for Traveling with Infants
# 1 – Travel Light
For yourself. For your kid. Don’t overload on toys. There will be a lot of new things for the kiddo to discover. Remember there are stores where you can buy things if you absolutely have to (diapers, etc). You don’t need ten diapers for a trip to the grocery store. If you’re traveling on a plane, bring enough diapers for the road, then buy a small pack once I arrive at our destination. You will be surprised at how much you can live without or simply don’t need it while traveling.
#2 – Wipe it Down
Bring antibacterial wipes for plane seats, trays, arms, seat belts, windows, etc. My little man wants to eat everything. I am not a crazy germ lady but better safe than sorry on planes, trains, and automobiles (e.g. taxis). Also carry Purell at all times for yourself.
#3 – More Space
Whether on an airplane or train, try to get a whole row to itself if possible. More room is a big plus and also not worrying about bothering your neighbors.
#4 – Friendly Neighbors
Make nice with your neighbors asap. Bring earplugs, cookies and/or a few drink coupons if anything went array (snacks work well too!)
#5 – Familiarity and Flexibility
Re: sleeping on the road…bring something familiar to the kiddo like a blanket he sleeps with or a few stuffed critter whatever you think might bring him comfort (besides the boob!), prepare to go with the flow (naps will be off, accept that you cannot control that)…
#6 – Upgrade!
Request two double beds in the hotel, or upgrade to a suite with two rooms. Sometimes with a kid if you are really sweet and your kid is really cute (or because they feel bad for you) the hotel will give you a courtesy upgrade. Many hotels do provide cribs but I have found the cribs to be old and not super conducive for my little guy to sleep but your kiddo could be different.
#7 – Pealing Makes Easy
Re: food…Happy Baby has these great organic puffs that melt in infants’ mouths. The puffs keep them busy. They can eat them or simply play with them. Super light and airy so works if your kiddo is hungry or not. Bring a bottle of milk on board in case your kiddo is too distracted to breastfeed (request a window seat. in my experience this situation has worked best for breastfeeding). Bananas and avocados are great travel foods because they are easy to mash and peal easily.
#8 – Accept Help
…across the board. From housekeeping at a hotel (they will take care of you), flight attendants, the guy sitting next to you, etc.
#9 – Be Neat
Bring small bags for diapers. No one likes a stinky diaper in the small airplane bin, or in a guest room of a friend or family member. What if the bin is full? As a guest, it is courtesy to your hosts. In a hotel, I try to be neat for the housekeeping staff. If you can get on the housekeeping staff’s good side, they will take care of you.
#10 – Mentally Prepare
Traveling will be tiring for you. Managing your expectations around how challenging the journey will be will help you deal with the situation. In most cases, you will be pleasantly surprised.
#11- Be Bottle Ready!
Have a bottle prepped in the fridge, grab it out of the fridge right before you head out the door to maximize the milk’s time
#12 – Easy Access Baby!
I keep this bottle tucked in the back of the passenger’s seat for easy access
#13 – Solid Food on the Go!
I pulled a serving of the chicken “cluck cluck” puree from the fridge. The puree was stored in Babycubes, which are 2 ounces so I grabbed two for a serving. Alternatively Sprout Baby has good packaging for on the go eating!
#14 – Contain the mess!
In order to minimize mess and to be somewhat organized, I stored these Babycubes in a larger container, threw two spoons (always good to grab extra), and a bib in the container and tucked it in our bag o’ goodies.
Feeding in a moving car can be a little tricky but the good news is that the car seat does well keeping him contained and you just have to work on being steady with your hand (no poking of eyes). If all else fails, pull over. The kid will need his diaper changed at some point anyway, might as well kill two birds with one stone.
#15 – “Busy Food”!
The other item I carry with me for entertainment mostly is Happy Baby puffs. they provide entertainment to the infant and are safe to eat when the infant puts them in his mouth. Keeps them busy. plus they come in a container with which my Little Man loves to play.
#16 – Pump on the Go!
Oh and I carry my pump. Love the Pump! I have a battery charger that connects to the lighter outlet but also has a battery-powered option as a backup. I carry a little cooler with a freezer pack to keep the bottles of milk fresh. This milk can also be used as a back up if you run out of milk from the bottle you prepped for the journey.
Read more tips on traveling with kids