Tips For Traveling With An Infant - Mini Road Trip

For my birthday, Max originally planned for us to be in Tulum.  As we all know, the pandemic had other plans.  We ended up taking a 2 hour drive to Coronado Island.  It was simply beautiful!  We had a great time and it was probably best to start with a mini road trip with Mia versus traveling on a plane.  As a rookie in this I learned a lot!  However, I must say, I didn’t do too bad.  In case you’re like me and you google every single thing, here are 10 tips for traveling with an infant.  A couple of the tips are specific for a road trip but majority of these tips will help anyone traveling on a vacation with a baby.

Tips For Traveling With An Infant

1. Plan before you pack. This is key for making sure you don’t forget anything. I love lists! I love making them and I love crossing things off my list. Before our trip I literally ran through our daily routine in my head and jotted down what we use for each daily activity (ie: diaper changes, getting dressed, combing hair, bath time, feedings, etc). As I packed, I checked things off of the list. I’m proud to report that I didn’t forget anything! Not to worry if you do, I’m sure there’s always a store nearby where you can pick something up. 

2. Pack the day or night before. So this was my rookie mistake and lesson learned from this trip. Prior to becoming a mom I used to pack the morning of my trip if I had to leave in the afternoon. I tried to do the same with this trip. I definitely underestimated packing for myself and a baby while taking care of that baby and getting us dressed. I was stressed and things were a little chaotic. I wished I had packed the day before so I could have been calm that morning. Lesson learned!

3. Bring favorites for the car ride. My daughter, Mia, is not a fan of car rides, at all! If your baby is like mine, be sure to bring their favorites for the car to try to keep them entertained, but also be prepared to make stops if necessary. I brought Mia’s favorite toys and also purchased a few new toys. News toys usually hold her attention a lot longer! 

4. Take a break. Like I mentioned above, bring toys but be prepared to take a break.  I tried to plan the time we left around Mia’s nap time.  That would have been ideal but it didn’t work out that way leaving for our vacation.  About 30 minutes into the car ride we had to pull over because Mia was crying so much.  We stopped and had a quick sandwich, I nursed Mia, and we got back on the road.  She was calm and ended up falling asleep.  On the way back home I did a better job of planning around her nap time.  Five minutes after we hit the road she was out and slept the entire ride home!  Mom win! 

5. Set up an area for changing diapers and clothes.  So I basically have zero advice for changing other than to have a designated area to change your baby.  When I tell you this made me realize how happy I am to have a changing table at home!  If your baby can roll over, be prepared for a complete workout while changing diapers and clothes.  Mia thought it was very entertaining to keep rolling over in the middle of changing her.  Every. Single. Time!  My only tip is to set up your area just like at home so everything is in one place and you’re not looking all around for items.  These washable diaper changing pads definitely came in handy. 

6. Tub or wash up.  Since you’re driving you can bring your baby tub, depending on how long you are staying.  I thought about bringing her tub but last minute decided to wash her up.  Again, I had a designated area for “bath time” as well.

7. Bring baby food to the restaurant.  I usually puree all of Mia’s food.  For this trip, her dad bought Gerber baby food for ease and convenience.  I would pack a fruit and veggie, and a sippy cup with water for her each time we went to a restaurant.  We requested a high chair (which we would watch them sanitize). I held Mia until the food came. Once they brought our food, I put her in the high chair. I knew if I put her in right away, she would want to get out while we were eating. I gave her toys to play with first. Then, when she was no longer interested in the toys, I fed her.  A couple of times her dad had to stand with her but for the most part she was entertained. 

8. Schedule outings around naps.  I would try my best to schedule going out to eat after naptime. Most babies are much more pleasant after a good nap. On occasions, Mia also napped in the car and we let her continue her nap in the stroller. 

9. Don’t forget sleeping arrangements. Mia slept in the bed with us and was totally fine. However, some parents like to stay as close to the at home routine as possible. You can always bring a pack and play for naps and night sleeping. 

10. Go with the flow. Just keep in mind that things are different now. You can definitely still have fun! You just may have to bring the party to your room. We had drinks, listened to music, and danced in our room after dinner.  It can also still be romantic, just wait for the little one to go to sleep. And lastly, you can still have me time. Take turns switching off with your partner. I was able to have a nice, hot bath in our jacuzzi tub.