Becoming a mother to a newly born baby is god’s gift to a woman. It sets additional responsibilities on your shoulders. Your everything now revolves around your child. Your routine, eating habits, sleeping routine, your work, and passion, everything has got one variable attached, which is your baby. Life never remains the same as it was before becoming a mother.
Now, if you are a travel enthusiast and wish to travel, you will surely be in a lot of thinking as you aren’t alone now, and traveling with a baby will present its challenges, especially for the first time. You may question yourself, “Can I travel with my baby?” In addition, the answer to that question is simple, “Yes, of course. You can travel with your baby, but just have to prepare a little differently”.
Is it Dangerous, Irresponsible, or Difficult?
You will be thrown a lot of questions to discourage you and buckle you down. Is it difficult – Yes, dangerous, irresponsible, or selfish – No. But so is traveling solo for the first time. Even at times backpacking and traveling without much planning and reservations. Traveling with a born baby would mean more work than picking a handful of diapers, but it’s worth it.
A few tips to get you started planning and packing to go out on your first trip with your baby are:
Breastfeed
This is the best time when, as a mother, you do not need to worry much about your baby’s food as breastfeeding is the best food for your born baby. Readily available, not to be prepared, and wherever your baby needs it can have it. It also spares you the hassle of packing bottles, nipples, food formula, hot water, etc. Moreover, it keeps your baby immune and satisfied too on their first outing.
Carry a sling
A baby carrier allows you to carry your baby on your chest or back and hence leaves your both hands free and allows you to take the baby easily for hours. It will enable you to walk, wander around, and even do hikes or treks. Slings not only carry the baby but also substitutes a blanket, a changing diaper bag, or even a bed to allow your baby to nap in a sleeping posture.
Keep a lot of wipes.
Dry and wet wipes come in handy for many occasions and are often proven the best resource for a new mother. Can use them to mop up spit-up, sticky hands, and faces, even serve as toilet paper (try not to flush these), and are handy to clean surfaces your baby may need to touch. Wipes and surface disinfectants can make the sometimes-grossly public bathroom a little usable in emergencies.
Over-scheduling
Remember that you are not alone, and traveling with a baby changes many things, especially your travel routine and plans. Often the timings go haywire as you do not know when your baby needs tending. Do not cram too many days or stopovers into your trip schedule. You will end up exhausted, irritated, and frustrated at times. Instead, plan a relaxed, baby-friendly destination, and allow yourself to have enough time to tend to your baby. Do not go strict on the clock.
Choose baby-friendly location
Maybe you love to walk the streets, climb peaks, or prefer to camp in a jungle, but find your way out in a glacier or backpack to an unknown location to experience the thrill, but why not make your first trip with your baby a different one? The journey of becoming a mother itself is a thrilling one, full of adventures every day.
Why not make your first trip instead a comfortable one:
Choose a destination with favorable weather conditions, allowing your newborn to adjust comfortably, avoiding extreme cold or hot temperatures. Ensure that necessary facilities are readily available nearby, and check the local transportation options. If you are planning a trip to another country like Spain, it is advisable to research lodging options in advance. Considering the presence of a newborn, public transportation may not be suitable, and opting for a car rental service (to learn more, visit StressFreeCarRental.com) could be a healthier choice for the baby.
The hotel where you would be staying is the most important; make sure it has the necessary facilities to attend to your (baby’s) untimely needs and help you get a comfortable stay. While traveling cross-country or to another country, you may also have to consider that baby is comfortable in flight. If you think the baby can get flustered due to the crowd, you can look for options such as a private plane. You can do research on the cost to rent a private jet, including other necessities like staff costs, insurance, fuel, onboard facilities, etc. This can help you handle a newborn and keep them relaxed during long hours of travel.
Medicine
No doubt this is the first time for your infant, with everything new and different around. It might make your child a little off the routine and cranky. A running, disturbed sleep in an unknown bed, the unwanted appearance of teeth (teething), change of weather, upset feeding, and sleeping pattern, all could lead to a sore and cranky baby.
Keep baby Tylenol or Advil or whichever medicine is prescribed by your pediatrician handy. A cranky and upset baby is not something you would wish for during your trip.
Packing for your baby
This could be one of the most exciting but tiring exercises for a mother. Make sure to make a checklist of all necessary things and pack a separate bag for your baby so that everything stays in one place and is easy to fetch when required. Nevertheless, do not overpack by considering the “what if” scenario. Do not panic; all necessities will be available wherever you are traveling. Remember, baby-friendly destinations.
Finances:
This might cross your mind that with a born baby, the expenditure might skyrocket. But it isn’t true. It doesn’t cost a fortune to travel with a baby, but still, in case you feel the burden. There are private lenders in the UK that will help you out with your trip with easy and comfortable terms and conditions.
