A family trip is everything, but for new parents, traveling with their new bundle of joy is a huge challenge. While a lot of new parents forfeit their yearly vacation because of the arrival of their baby, some others take up the challenge which turns out to be tedious and less fun because a lot of things were not properly taken care of or thought through.

New parents with a 6 to 12 months old baby, might be thinking about forfeiting their vacation, but don’t have to. 

According to Yewande Salisu, when she was traveling interstate last week, she noticed a woman at the airport who was trying to get her things together with her baby. She looked so tired and frustrated. Then she came to a conclusion that a lot of women with babies do not take enough time to plan their trip, with their baby. In this post, Yewande highlights some of the tips mothers should note when planning to travel with their babies.

BEFORE YOU DEPART

• Check with your doctor to see if it’s okay to travel. You can travel whenever you want with your baby, but your doctor can advise you about anything that you may not have thought of such as vaccines.
• Since this would be the first time your baby would be flying, choose a destination that is close to your home country. The flight time should be between 2-5 hours at most.
• Although not mandatory, an umbrella stroller can be quite handy when traveling. They won’t be as sturdy as your regular stroller, but since they fold up, it can be easy to transport as you travel around.
• Be smart about what you pack for your baby and for yourself. Don’t pack too many diapers and outfits for your baby. You also do not need too much outfit for yourself. Also, ensure you have extra cash for the things you won’t be packing but would be needed.
• When reserving your hotel accommodation, be specific about all you would need as a family and most importantly for your baby. Let them know you are coming with a baby so they provide you with the right space.

AT THE AIRPORT AND ON THE PLANE

• Get to the airport early. They would allow you access priority boarding since you are going with a baby. You don’t want to overwork yourself by rushing down to the checkpoints. Remember you would be carrying more stuff than usual, therefore, luggage check would also take more time.
• Speak with your flight attendant after you’re seated. They will give you the breakdown about safety procedures with a child and advice you on which washroom is best for changing your baby. Also note that when taking off, you should hold your baby in a burping position.

WHEN YOU’VE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION 

• Finally, you have arrived at your destination and it’s time for some fun. But first, you need to get the remainder of your baby’s supply like diapers, formulas and other things you didn’t park to avoid excess luggage.
• Your activity schedule should revolve around the baby. Therefore visit attractions that would not wear you out and does not require so much physical participation like climbing etc. Do more of site seeing.
• Use an umbrella stroller, it’s easy to transport and carry as you move around and it’s safer for your baby.
• Use hop on buses. You might not like hop on hop off buses, but with a child, they are usually convenient. These buses will take you to all the major attractions so you don’t need to worry about transportation.

Hopefully, this tips would ease off your anxiety and help you prepare for your first family vacation.