Ten Tips for Your First Vacation With Your Baby

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Make sure that your first vacation with your baby is a success. Take some time and do some upfront planning.

Here are ten tips to follow to help you when planning your trip.

1. If your vacation plans involve traveling to a remote location, or if your plans include time on a cruise ship make sure that you have made arrangements for food and water for your baby. If you are off to a major city in North America or Europe you will be able to purchase the required items when you arrive.

2. It will be easier to treat any issues that your baby may experience when away from home if you pack the right medicines with you before leaving home. It is much easier and more effective treatment for sore tummies, low grade fevers, diaper rashes if you have the right medicines with you - rather than trying to find a drugstore after your child starts to feel under the weather.

3. Think about your accommodations more when you are traveling with a baby. When it was just the two of you traveling you probably didn’t spend much time in your room-or in your cabin if on a cruise ship. Things are different when traveling with a baby. They will be napping and they will need more time in the hotel room or cruise ship cabin. Because of this you might want to upgrade your room to one that has a balcony. The balcony gives you more room-and it also will allow you and your partner to better enjoy the extra time that you will be spending in your room.

4. Reduce your expectations. Anticipate that your vacation will not be as jammed packed as it used to be. Plan your day’s events around some time to stop and play and exercise with the baby. Identify the vacation places that each of you really want to see or visit on the trip - and then agree upfront that each of you will have times to see what they want to see while the other parents looks after your baby.

5. Our babies love to sleep in the stroller. That is great when we are at home - but not always so great on a vacation. If your baby is in their stroller too much during the day they may end up having too much daytime sleep making it difficult for them to sleep at night. During the day plan for regular breaks to get the baby out of their stroller and play with them at a park, or place a blanket on the ground and spend some time playing with them outside of their stroller.

6. Takes direct flights when flying. When possible avoid connecting air flights. Flying for babies is not always easy. The change in air pressure during take-offs and landings can be hard for babies.

7. If you plan on bringing a travel bed with you on your trip don’t wait for the vacation to get the baby accustomed to sleeping in it. A couple of days prior to your trip let the baby start sleeping in it to get them used to it.

8. Car seat. If your vacation plans include renting a vehicle then think about bringing your child’s car seat with you. Having your on car seat means that your baby will be comfortable in it and you will be comfortable knowing how to put it into the rental car and knowing that your child is as safe as they would be at home.

9. A month or so before you travel contact your baby’s doctor to advise that you will be travelling with your baby. Ask the doctor if there are any required vaccinations for the places that you plan on visiting during the trip.

10. Check list. Write a list of the items that you will carry with you as you travel and a list of the items that you will pack for your baby to be used during the trip. Check the list a week before the trip and then check it again the day before the trip to make sure that you have everything.