How To Survive Holiday Travel with Your New Baby

October 15, 2021 Natalie Preddie

Before we attempt airport lines and strollers through security, we have the immediate adventure of travelling for the holidays with what will be a 3 month old baby ‐ Fun, right? With both sides of the family in Southern Ontario, we will be dividing our time between family events all a few hours away from one another. This means extended time in the car, nights away from home and plenty of bubbly…I mean…celebration for Mummy & Daddy.

For those of you attempting the same with your newest addition this holiday season, here are a few tips that have helped me prepare:

Driving

I thought it was just my kid but apparently most babies are not fans of the car seat. Although the main issue may be keeping your little one from crying all the way from Grandma’s house to Grandma’s house, don’t forget that long nap periods in the car seat are also not recommended. Babies are safest when sleeping on their back so bundled upright in a carseat is not the safest way to snooze. Without neck control, little heads can flop in odd positions and block airways.

Yikes!

According to What to Expect, you should stop every hour or two and take your baby out of their car seat. Keep an eye on baby while driving if you can…and also on the road, of course. We use the Britax car back seat mirror.

Sleeping

It will be tough to enforce a sleep routine during the hectic holidays. Relatives will want to hold the baby, in a new space and at irregular times…and we all know that a tired baby is an annoying/fussy baby.

When you arrive at your destination, start by ensuring a comfortable nap/sleep space for your little one. Prepare yourself by having your baby nap in different locations in your house before the holidays in their travel crib, whatever that may be. If you have a routine, try and stick to it (explain to Grandparents that if they wake the baby, they take the baby) but understand that you may need to be flexible.

Again, make sure you have somewhere safe and comfortable for baby to sleep. Remember that co‐sleeping is most dangerous when Mum & Dad aren’t super alert (or tipsy), may roll on baby without noticing or accidentally cover baby with a blanket or pillow. Stay safe, mama! This brings me to my next point:

Drinking (For Mummy)

If you are formula feeding, you are good to go! I’m sure there will be loads of people who want to cuddle and feed the baby ‐ Enjoy the break! Just make sure that baby is safe before you crawl into a bed after a few beverages. (Have you noticed I’m paranoid about this?!)

For my fellow breastfeeding mamas, we may need to plan ahead a bit. Not only do we need to remember the sleep thing (see paranoia above), start storing that pumped breast milk now. Although you can enjoy a glass of wine and feed an hour later (the booze should be out of your system), if you plan on throwing back a few (as I do), make sure you’ve got some alcohol free milk in the fridge or freezer to feed your little one. This also means that you can pass of feeding duties to a relative and as our formula feeding friends, enjoy the break! You can read more about drinking while breastfeeding here.

I know that all of this is doable in an ideal world so in reality, take each day at a time and do whatever keeps you sane and your little one comfortable. Egg nog and rum may help!

Most importantly, enjoy the time away with your family and friends. Good luck, mamas, and Happy Holidays!

Read more tips from Natalie here.

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