What are your best tips and tricks for traveling with a newborn?

Question

Tips to help a new mom who has just given birth and dealing with sore bottom, or tummy (C-Section), engorged breasts, low energy, etc. who must travel with their newborn a week or two after giving birth.

Tips to help baby during traveling.

Best answer gets the 10 points.

Answer 1

1.) BREASTFEED! Not only does it relieve engorged breasts, but it's far easier than trying to find a place to sterilize & heat bottles while on the go. (Not mention not having to lug around bottles or formula!!)

2.) Cold packs for bottom & tummy. (Sorry about the C-section. Would hate to have to travel right after that!)

3.) Plan to stop every hour or so to feed & change baby. If you've already built this into your calculations, you won't stress when you are forced to do it. (And you will be.)

4.) Pack more baby wipes than you think you'll ever use. Whenever we've traveled, we've found that diapers haven't been as big an issue as wipes! (Wipes get used for so many "extra" things on the road...)

5.) Buy some of those scented diaper-disposal bags (you can get them at Target). In an enclosed place where you can't take trash outside (ie: planes, trains, & automobiles), they really make life more pleasant.

6.) Sleep as much as you can. If you've had a C-section, you won't be driving, so take advantage of that. Sleep whenever the baby does.

7.) Carry water & some healthful snacks. Fruit, nuts, cheese...

8.) Have a couple extra outfits for baby AND FOR YOU. (At minimum, a spare shirt for yourself.)

9.) Try to relax. Luckily, at this stage, baby has no idea what's going on, and won't get motion sick. Just get through it, and schedule some rest-time when you arrive.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Whoa. Does she really HAVE to travel? That's not such a good idea.

But if you HAVE to, I drove a friend quite a long way after her baby was born.

Get a pillow to sit on. Don't put ANYTHING behind mom's seat, because she might need to recline it to be comfortable. Use that space to store the diaper bag on the floor, but nothing else. Make sure your bra is comfortable. It needs to be really supportive, because the breasts are already sore ... if you're not nursing, maybe even get a sports bra. The vibrations of the car will make them even worse. You might want to take Tylenol before leaving, and every four hours after that.

Try the seatbelt before leaving, too. It might be too much with the C-section wound, and if it is, you'll have to ride in the back and just push the lap belt under your tummy, like when you were still pregnant.

See if you can get one of those full-seat pads ... the ones meant for people with sore backs. It'll add a little padding and make her back more comfortable.

Know where rest areas and things like that are before leaving. You might end up with a mess in the car (from a diaper change, spit up, etc) that needs cleaning. You get dirty looks if you clean stuff like that in a gas station parking lot ... I guess people are worried you're just going to dump a full diaper on the ground. Trust me.

Bring a garbage bag for things like that! Make sure it has drawstrings so it can be closed between messes and opened up for the next one.

Paper towels will be important. And upholstery cleaner.

Leave around the time baby usually takes a nap. Then he/she might sleep part of the first leg.

If you can at all, feed while you're stopped pumping gas or cleaning a mess. My friend's baby got a lot of gas when we fed her while the car was moving. I don't know why ... but she did. Maybe the vibrations made her ingest more air? Whatever it was, when we started pulling over to feed her, she was fine.

Bring snacks to keep mom's energy up. Yogurt, pb&j, fruit, chicken salad, etc. Anything with protein or natural sugars that she can keep cold in a little cooler and eat in the car.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

I always sit in the back on trips longer than about a half hour - I just feel so helpless if I am in the front and my dd is upset, or wondering where I have gone. You cant' always stop on a highway either, if there is a problem - it is def easier to have someone in the back to hand out toys, put the pacifier back in, etc. The newborn will probably sleep most of the way, not really a lot to help there. Make sure you are also factoring in that you have to stop long enough to feed - even feeding bottles in the car is not a great idea, you can't burp them for instance and it is kind of a difficult position. For the 18 month old I would identify favorite toys that are small enough to bring and then set them aside for a few days prior to the trip, so that when you bring them out in the car they are new and exciting again. And plenty of foods that are good for non-messy snacking.

Answer 4

I traveled for 2 wks when my son was 5-6 wks. First of all dont over do it. Listen to your body. Hopefully you have someone traveling with you due to you have a c-section because if you dont I wouldnt recommend it. Its far worse to have something happen to you and the baby than it is to miss whatever you are traveling for. Make sure you think of everything you are gonna need: diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, if you bottlefeed: formula, bottles, bottlebrush and cleaning agent. Also, getting one of those play pens that have the attachment for a bassinet is essential so the baby can take naps in it. The biggest thing is listen to your boay and your baby: if its getting too stressful or tiring: stop and relax! You can do but you will so excited once you get home and everything goes back to normal (well as normal as things can be with a newborn). Good Luck and Take care.

Ps: dont forget an emergency kit with fever reducer etc.

Answer 5

Firstly make sure you take time to rest now!! .. get baby into a routine of sorts! Babe will probably sleep ... so I wouldn't worry too much about little one! By the time you fly your breast should have eased up a little .. this usually takes a couple of days! I sympathise as it is really uncomfortable! Cabbage leaves inside your bra can ease the burning sensations, but if used too often can slow milk flow! But if you are flying for an hour or so .. give it a try! But you should have relief soon anyhow! Just make sure when you get to your destination, that you take time to have a sleep, and rest! Don't overdo it, as your body needs to heal!! Don't stress ... if you feel tired, or anything, just ask a member of staff to help you! I have flown within weeks of giving birth and the staff were tremendous! Have a happy flight!! PS make sure you drink loads of water while flying to keep you hydrated!!

Answer 6

First of all, I would get a pillow for your own bottom. Then, they have car bottle warmers, those are excellent. They didn't when my daughter was born and we would have to stop at gas stations and ask for the microwave. Also, just make sure that you have plenty of extra change of clothes and diapers, and one more binkey then what you think you would need just in case you loose one. Also make sure that you have something that will make soft music by your baby that will remind him of home. They have those toys that hang on the baby seat, those are good to give the baby something to look at. And even though you don't want to think about it, pack a small bag that has things like gas drops, infants Tylenol, things like that. hope this helps a little bit.

Answer 7

if you can make the trip wait til after 4 weeks do so. you will be in alot of pain at two weeks still and that is kinda young for the baby too. i traveled at 4 weeks after i had my son and i was still very sore. your bottom wont be too sore but your tummy will. place a pillow against your tummy to relieve pain. and carry your pain meds with you. as far as the baby dry diaper and a feed before leaving. packs lots of diapers and bottles or breat pump. plan lots of stops one every hour or two to change baby and feed it. and possibly change clothes. babies spit up alot after eating good luck and congrats

Answer 8

I would say pack a donut cushion for your bottom. And one of those heat wraps they have now for your back or what ever seems to be tight/painful. Lots of clean pads..the ones with the wipes on them. Tylenol for pain. A well stocked diaper bag...diapers, wipes, those travel size of lotion and baby powder and shampoo and baby wash, a plastic changer, plastic bags...just in case of a mess...Depends on if you in a car or not...air freshener, extra clothes, binkis, if your using powdered formula prefiller bottles with water.......the list could go on...we just went to florida with a toddler...car seat, maybe one of those plug in bottle heaters. extra water.