What You Need to Know When Traveling with Your Baby

Traveling with your baby is a thrilling adventure for your family. It can also be a stressful process ensuring you have everything you need, and that the trip is a pleasant experience for everyone. What should you pack? How do you handle adjusting sleep and eating schedules? Here are some essential tips you need to know about traveling with your baby. 

Create A Packing Checklist

When parents are away from home, it’s reasonable to want to bring the entire house to ensure their children feel happy and safe. A packing checklist can define the absolute essentials you’ll need and serve as a reminder to not forget something valuable. To start, consider how old your baby is, if they’ll need to be breastfed, and what you can fit into a carry-on or diaper bag. Then, you can further break down what you’ll pack by important documents, food and formulas, bottles and brushes, clothes, nursing necessities, and toys. 

What To Check-in For Your Flight

Boarding and exiting planes as well as maneuvering through an airport can be difficult to manage when you have luggage, a stroller or a baby jumper, and your baby in tow. Plan ahead for what you’ll be bringing with you on the flight versus what you can check at the gate. For the latter, you can check a stroller at the gate. Additionally, ask the ticket agent if the flight has extra seats available. Depending on your baby’s age, you might be able to get their seat for free allowing you to bring a car seat for them. 

How To Adjust Sleep/Eating Schedules

If you’re traveling on a long flight, time zone changes might throw your baby off of their regular sleep and feeding schedule. Because they might have to adjust to napping on the go, it’s pivotal to bring accessories that signal when it’s time to eat or rest such as their favorite bibs or blanket. Because babies get jet lag too, try to be patient as they catch up with your normal schedule when you reach your destination and return home. 

How to Ease Anxiety

Staying calm is easier said than done when it comes to traveling either by yourself or with a baby. If he or she starts to cry mid-flight, use one of your baby’s favorite toys to distract them and minimize a possible temper tantrum. Some parents who worry about alienating their neighboring seat buddies also buy and offer earbuds to near-by passengers. Additionally, your baby might feel agitated when the air pressure in the cabin changes. Giving them a snack or formula during take-off and landing can help pop their ears. 

The best way to travel with a baby is to prepare as best as possible. Often you’ll find that airline and hotel staff, even fellow passengers, are more than willing to lend a hand and help make your trip easier.

Author Bio: Paige Jirsa- I work with Top10.Today, a shopping comparison site, where we strive to help consumers find the best quality and priced products.