We’re in the Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado area this week visiting family for Thanksgiving. We’ve had our fair share of long distance travel lately. This post is part of the series for Huggies.
We have always lived very far away from my parents. For the beginning of our marriage, they lived in Dallas, which is 17 hours away from us. Now they live in Indiana, which is a short 11 hours away from us. Not bad in comparison!
Unfortunately, none of these trips are a quick drive away, and we have to plan our trips when we want to visit them. I wish we could drive over twice a month and spend the weekend with them.
When Hudson was a baby, I would fly to Dallas to visit my parents as often as I could. And I could go without Todd. Managing one baby on a plane without any help is easy! When Hayes was born I realized it would be a while before I’d fly alone with the two of them.
So with Hayes here, we make the drive to Indiana. I wanted to share my road trip tips and my flying tip with you!
Road Trip Tips with a Newborn
1. Start your trip right after the baby eats. Lots of people like to drive through the night, but Todd and I just get way too sleepy to attempt that, so we leave really early in the morning. You should be able to make it three hours before needing to stop and feed the baby again.
2. When you stop, go somewhere that you can sit, get a bite to eat, and comfortably feed the baby. If you have an older sibling, try to make sure there’s somewhere that they can run around and burn off some energy.
3. If possible, ride on the side next to, or behind, the baby. I needed to be able to get to Hayes if he cried, and sometimes I would hold a pacifier in his mouth or even feed him a bottle while we rode.
For the most part, newborns sleep constantly, so as long as their bellies are full and their diapers are dry they should be happy. It’s good to let them stretch their legs and arms during stops so they don’t get too uncomfortable sitting in their infant seat for so long.
What road trip tips would you add?
Flying Tips with a Newborn
1. If you bottle feed, pack plenty of bottles and formula. You do not want to run out of your baby’s food and nourishment while you’re stuck in an airport.
2. Try to wear your baby if you have a baby carrier. It will help him or her feel close to you and they’ll be more likely to sleep.
3. Feed during take off and landing to help them pop their ears and prevent any ear pain.
4. If you swaddle your baby, do it on the plane. We always swaddled Hudson as soon as he was fed, and then he’d fall asleep within ten minutes.
5. Travel light during the newborn stage. You won’t need much to “entertain” a newborn, but you will need to have your hands as free as possible in case you need to run change a diaper or you have to rush to get to a connecting flight.
6. Bring your stroller to the airport but check it plane side. If you’re traveling alone, you’ll likely need a stroller in case you need to use the restroom. And your baby may not want to be held the whole time.
As we’ve traveled more and more long distances with our babies, we’ve realized that it’s much easier than we ever imagined it would be. While I’m sad that our family is so far away, I’m so thankful for the opportunities to go visit them when we can.
What are your best long-distance travel tips?
You’re so close!! I would so drive down and see you! Have a wonderful time with your family.
Thank you for posting this. I have a newborn and we are flying to visit my sister for Christmas so your tips are much appreciated.