Afraid, To Have A Vacation With Baby? Learn About 7 Ways for a Happy Baby Trip

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Pregnancy is a beautiful phase in women's life, but, delivering a baby is a different experience all together. Never does a woman goes through such a pain in her entire life - weather a one time massive pain in a natural labor or a long term pain due to the stitches in a c-section. And this is just a small part of the immense mental pressure that comes post delivery. The increased body weight, hanging baby pouch in front of your stomach, hair fall, exertion, sleeplessness and much more, make you a total zombie ready to hiss and bite everyone.

"You Really Need A Break! A Vacation! And So Does Your Partner And Your Baby!"

But when it comes to thinking about planning a vacation with a baby, new parents generally get worried - about the health of baby, crankiness of baby and exertion with the baby. As I said in one of my old blogs, babies do not cry for No Reason, you can be assured that this time as well, they won't. Click here, if you missed reading my blog on Why Babies Cry. With these fundamentals set right, you can be assured to have an awesome trip.

There is absolutely no need to worry. Like any exam, you just need some preparation to get through this one as well. With all the tools in hand, you will be amazed how the level of enjoyment doubled with the new member of your sweet little family.

Babies enjoy the trip just like you do. They are always curious to know the world and get happy to see new things. Meeting new people and visiting new places takes their excitement to another level. It is a good learning experience for them as well. From the interiors of plane to the details of your hotel room, from the air hostess to the tour guide they notice everything.

Below are the tips you can consider if you are planning your first vacation with your tiny-miny:

1. Pre-Travel Baby Training

You are all set for your vacation, but, is your baby set? Due to the nuclear family culture or situations, babies get confined to interacting with only two or three people. Before you take them out to new places and between new people, it is important to accustom your baby and prepare them for the situation. The best thing to do is to take them parks, malls, restaurants, super markets etc. where they can see new faces. Take them out in their prams or front carriers that you plan to carry with you in the trip so that they get used to sitting. 

2. Flight Preparations and Precautions

Start giving the saline nasal spray to your baby 24 hours before your flight, four times a day. This will prevent any ear pain due to air pressure. Feed them with breast milk before the take off and after the landing. This will give their jaw some exercise and prevent headaches and ear pains. At all the times keep a fever medicine, recommended by your pediatrician, with you for any emergencies. Babies may start crying out of fear. In such cases try to divert their mind with games or songs that you already know calms your baby in everyday routine. (I have been singing few prayers since my baby was in my womb. And every time he hears those prayers and songs he immediately calms down.)  Keep a blanket with you during the flight. It always gets a bit chilly up in the air. So when your baby sleeps, the blanket will keep them warm and will give them a good sleep, and to you - a much needed rest.

3. Prepare An Everyday Travel Bag

This is a must. At all the times, right from when you leave your home until you come back, you must carry a mini baby bag pack with you. Keep all the baby items that the baby may need during the day in that bag. Basic stuff I would say are - 3 diapers, change clothes, additional clothes, powder, medicine, food, utensils, handkerchiefs, bibs, toys, blankets, cap, goggles, socks, shoes, wipes, umbrella, dettol, sanitizer, vim bar & sponge and front baby carrier. A Baby carrier is again another must. It helps in the situations when you can't use pram and are needed to carry your baby. It puts very little weight on your shoulders. Thus is very less tiring for you.

4. Stuff to carry for the Baby during the Trip

Babies are expert in getting themselves dirty. You must keep an average of three clothes a day and four diapers a day for them. Carry two to three blankets, few under-sheets, extra lowers, quick dry sheets or plastic sheets, hats (for warm place) or caps (for cooler place), extra goggles, small glass bottles or vials (to carry baby food like mashed potatoes or bananas that you can prepare in morning daily at hotel), big plastic bib (to cover the entire body while eating which will protect the clothes), extra nipples, all their important toys, additional carry bag (to separately store the dirty clothes), inflatable baby bath (not a must though), clothes to give various layers of clothing specially if you are visiting a place with unpredictable weather. You may want to buy baby's one piece inner to keep their stomach area covered during the trip. It is always OK to carry extra stuff for baby than to regret not bringing. You may keep less for yourself, but for babies, extra is always the best option.

Start your packing at-least 1 week before the trip. So that you have enough time in hand to arrange for all the important stuff. I personally prefer preparing a checklist so as to not miss out on anything important.

5. Let Your Baby Relax and Enjoy Too

You have enjoyed various vacations in life already, let your baby enjoy this one. After all its their first. Try to go with the baby's pace. After a long day of roaming around in the new city, try to leave your baby diaper free when you come back to the hotel. If it's too cold to do that, then give them the lower without a diaper. (You are anyways carrying extra lowers, remember?) They will love it. You will have a great time watching them relax, stretch, giggle, laugh and play. Let them take their time, after-all it's their trip as well. Thanks to Zomato and the google you can now order the dinner of your choice in your hotel, so use that option while your baby enjoys his time. Night life of the new city will surely attract you, but, evaluate if it's worth tiring your baby now or would you rather want to keep him fresh for the next day. 

In the morning, let your baby wake up on their own, let them have a good sleep. Even if you lived for 5000 years, you can't see everything on this earth. So relax and let your baby relax too. Match your pace with your baby's. Give them again a diaper free hour to freshen. You can use this time to have breakfast or give massage to the baby (No need to carry massage oil, you can always order olive oil from the hotel). You can massage with oil in morning and give a dry massage in the evening when you come back to hotel to relax your baby.

Don't be afraid to give your baby a nice bath in warm water. They just love it. If there is not enough arrangement in the hotel for a baby bath or if you forgot to carry the inflatable baby bath, ask your partner to help you with the baby bathing. Let him put water on baby while you hold baby and put bath gel. It will be a good family bonding activity as well.

You can go for private tours, the ones that pick you from the airport, take you around the places and leave you back. Private car with driver will help you match the pace of the baby. And on top of that your baby can sleep well on the seat  and can play carefree. If you breastfeed, it will become easy for you to do that also. And the end result - A happy well fed and well slept baby, ready to explore the world!

6. Ensure that Baby is Well Fed

Feed the baby well, before you leave from the hotel for the day, this is basic. 

Remember, you also packed some vials with you? Now they will become your best friends, if you do not feed your baby with the packaged supermarket food, like me. You can prepare variety of food for your little one who just started eating. You can get variety of things at the breakfast from the hotel, like, eggs, cookies, fruits, yogurt, potatoes. So use them and get creative. Your baby will love the fresh and variety everyday. You may also want to keep boiled water.

7. Demonstrate Teamwork

Teamwork between husband and wife is a must when you are traveling with a baby. You will have to take turns in holding the baby while your partner relaxes or eats or make other arrangements. Patience will be very much needed. 

Trust me, it's not that difficult at all. So relax and Get Set Go! Have a fun filled vacation.

Please do not hesitate to leave you comments or ask any question, in the comment section below.