What to Expect the First Year (112 page)

Check with the doctor.
Before heading away from home, make sure your baby is in good health and that you have an ample supply of any OTC or prescription meds he or she may need on the road, especially those that might not be readily available locally. Plan for unexpected illnesses by bringing along a children's pain reliever (ask the doctor what else you should pack in case baby gets sick).

Also, check with the doctor to be sure baby's immunizations are up-to-date, especially if you'll be traveling internationally. Some foreign destinations require special immunizations or other precautions. Health information on travel with children is available from your baby's doctor and online at both
cdc.gov/travel
and
healthychildren.org
.

Make sleeping arrangements.
Whether you'll be staying at a hotel or at grandma's, make sure your baby will have a safe place to sleep each night. Most hotels, motels, and resorts can supply a crib, sometimes for a fee. Call ahead to reserve one and check to make sure it's safe (run through the guidelines on choosing a safe crib,
click here
). You can also drag along a portable crib. But the most convenient option on some trips (especially if you're trying to travel light) may be to rent all the baby gear you'll need, including that crib (as well as a stroller), from a well-reviewed, reputable online or local rental service that caters to tourists. It'll be delivered, assembled if necessary, and taken away when your stay is over (all at a price, of course).

If your baby is a crawler or walker, consider bringing along outlet covers, a toilet lock, or anything else you think you may need to babyproof the place where you'll be staying (some hotels may offer a babyproofing kit, but don't count on it—or count on it being adequate). When you get to your destination, be sure open windows, blind or drape cords, electrical cords, the minibar, and so on aren't accessible to your baby.

Scout for sitting services.
Most hotels and resorts offer some type of babysitting. But what they offer can vary—a lot. It might be a hotel housekeeper looking to make some extra cash, it might be a list of phone numbers of babysitting agencies in the area (you're on your own to call and hire), or it might be an on-site childcare program (most common with big resorts that cater to families). Call ahead to find out your options if you're hoping to spend some adults-only time on your trip. Once there, check out any babysitter on the road as carefully as you would on your home turf: Interview the sitter (or at least the service), if possible, and make sure anyone you hire is screened, licensed, insured, and bonded, and preferably certified in CPR and up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters. Meet the sitter at the concierge or front
desk so you'll be sure you've got the right person.

Equip yourself.
Getting around, especially if you're traveling without another adult or with more than one child, will be easier if you have the right equipment:

• A baby carrier or sling. It will free your hands to juggle luggage—important when you're boarding and disembarking. But don't forget to bend at the knees when picking up that collection of bags, so baby doesn't fall out.

• A lightweight and very compact umbrella stroller, for an older baby.

• A portable baby seat—a cloth one adds almost no weight to your luggage.

• A car seat.

• Toys to entertain. A soft-sided play mirror, a rattle or two, and a small stuffed animal can help hold a younger baby's attention. For an older baby, tote a small activity board and a few board books, as well as a toy or two that's fun to manipulate, like a small bead maze, play keys on a ring, or an activity cube. Leave home toys with a lot of pieces that can get lost or those that are too bulky for easy packing and use in tight spaces—as well as toys that make annoying noise (and headaches). For a teether, be sure to take a couple of items to gnaw on.

• A waterproof pad for diaper changes on the fly and at your destination.

Don't rock the boat before you set sail.
To avoid unnecessary problems on your trip, avoid unnecessary changes just before it. Don't try weaning your baby from the breast, for instance, just before departure—the unfamiliar surroundings and changes in routine will be hard enough to deal with, without adding other stresses. Besides, no other way of feeding baby on the road is as easy for you or as comforting for baby as breastfeeding. Don't introduce solids close to departure, either. Beginning to spoon-feed is enough of a challenge (for both of you) at home. If your baby is ready for finger foods, however, consider introducing them pretrip. Portable nibbles are great for keeping babies occupied and happy en route, and usually make for neater eating than spooned foods do.

If your baby isn't sleeping through the night, now is not the time to start sleep teaching. There's likely to be some regression into night waking during a trip (and after you return), and letting baby cry it out in a hotel room or at grandma's will wear you out—and your welcome.

When traveling long distances on the open roads (or the jammed highways), keep these tips in mind:

Never start without the car seat.
It's essential any time you're getting into a car, no matter how long or short the road ahead—and no matter whose car you're getting into (and yes, that goes for car services, Uber, taxis, and vans, too). If you're a big traveler—or take taxis often—you'll have to know how to install your car seat without the base, using the seat belt. (Practice your technique at home—before the taxi meter's running). If you're renting the car, ask the rental company to supply you with a safe, up-to-date car seat (for a fee), though check with them ahead of time to find out what car seats they are able to supply. Or far better still, bring your own.

Screen out the sun.
Here comes the sun—right into baby's eyes? You're going to hear about it. So if you don't already have sunshades on the backseat windows of your car, make sure you've added them before you leave on a road trip.

Take your show on the road.
Remember, if baby's not happy in the car—nobody's going to be happy in the car. If you don't already have one, install a car mirror for baby's entertainment, and add links to the car seat with a bunch of safe toys. Download plenty of baby-friendly music and refresh your own playlist of nursery rhymes to recite and songs to sing.

Break it up.
Remember, with a baby on board, getting there probably won't be half the fun (and might not be any fun at all) … and it'll likely take twice as long. The best drive time will be during naptime, of course. When baby's awake, break up stints in the car with breaks for fresh air, diaper changes, feeds, snacks, stretching, and, for your walker, circulation-stimulating breaks.

Schedule right.
Try leaving really early in the morning or late at night, so your baby will sleep through part of the journey—depending on your baby's sleep schedule. Big caveat: Make sure the driver stays awake—start out well rested, take turns at the wheel, and pull over as soon as the designated driver becomes drowsy.

Don't forget cleanup supplies.
Travel with a baby is rarely neat. Make sure you bring loads of wipes, hand sanitizer, disposable bags for dirty diapers (and potential carsickness), paper towels for spills, and an extra set of clothes for baby and those near baby (kept in a reachable spot).

For safety's sake.
For a safe car trip:

• Make sure everyone is buckled up.

• Don't drive to the point of fatigue (accidents are more likely to occur when the driver is tired).

• Never drive if you've been drinking.

• Don't talk on the cell phone while driving—in many states it's against the law. Even hands-free is too distracting to be completely safe.

• Never text, post, or email (or read them) while driving

• Store heavy luggage or potential flying objects in the trunk or secured by a cover.

• Ban smoking in the car, of course.

Taking flight with your baby? Keep these plane pointers in mind:

Book early.
If you can, get your tickets well in advance. On many (but not all) airlines, this allows you to choose the seats you want. If you can, print out your boarding passes at home before leaving for the airport, or at a kiosk when you get there. Or take advantage of mobile boarding passes. It could save stressful waits at the airport.

Travel at off-peak times.
The less crowded the terminal, the shorter the security lines will be. The less crowded the flight, the more comfortable you will be, the better the service will be, and the fewer passengers your baby will be able to potentially annoy. So check flight loads before you book. Try, too, to choose flights at times when your baby ordinarily sleeps (night flights are great for long trips, nap times for short trips). Maybe, just maybe, your pint-size passenger will cooperate by snoozing in flight. Just keep in mind that flight delays can foil even the best-booked plans.

Consider a nonstop.
In most cases, the faster you get from here to there, the better for all. That said, sometimes a very long daytime nonstop may be too much for anyone to handle (your baby, you, the passengers sitting near you). If you think a coast-to-coast flight might put your baby over the top, consider breaking up the trip into two shorter ones (you may get a less expensive fare while you're at it). You'll want a layover to be long enough so you can get to the next gate without huffing and puffing, and have time to get a bite to eat, wash up, take care of diapering (it's a lot easier to change a squirmy baby in an airport bathroom than in a tiny airplane one), let your baby expend some crawling energy, watch a few planes take off and land, and—if there is one—visit the airport play center. But too much time in the terminal can be … interminable.

Consider an extra seat.
Though on most airlines kids under 2 can travel for free (if you keep them on your lap), you may want to consider purchasing a seat for baby anyway. Paying full fare for a baby who can fly for free may seem like an extravagance, but it will make sitting, playing, and eating less of a hassle for both of you. Plus, it's a lot safer—babies buckled into an FAA-approved car seat secured in a separate seat are less likely to be injured in severe turbulence than those restrained only by a parent's arms.

If you're traveling with another adult and your flight isn't crowded, you may be able to book an aisle and a window seat with an empty seat in between them. If you specify that you have a lap child, some airlines won't sell that seat unless absolutely necessary. As long as the seat stays unbooked, you've got a free seat for your baby. If it doesn't, you can be pretty sure the middleman (or woman) will be willing to trade seats with one of you rather than having a baby passed back and forth over his or her lap during the entire flight.

Favor the aisle.
Opt for the aisle seat—otherwise you're going to end up trying the patience of those you'll have to keep scrambling over to take your restless baby for a diaper change or for a walk (but keep in mind if you bring along a car seat that the flight attendants won't let you place your baby in an aisle seat for safety reasons). Parents often favor bulkhead seats because they provide extra room in front of the seats for a baby to play and some planes have space there for a baby bassinet. There are some downsides: Trays usually unfold over your lap, leaving no room for your child, the armrest usually can't be raised (which means your baby can't spread out across two seats to nap), you're right on top of the movie screen, if there is one, and worst of all, there's no underseat storage (everything, including your diaper bag, must be stored overhead during takeoff and landing … as well as during delays on the runway).

Check bags curbside.
To avoid having to lug your luggage through a sprawling airport, check everything but valuables and the essentials (your diaper bag and carry-on bag) through at the curb. To avoid having to lug your baby, use a lightweight stroller and check it at the gate (protect it, if possible, by packing it in a stroller bag).

Plan ahead for the security line.
Preferably, way ahead. To make your whole security experience easier on many flights, consider signing up online for TSA PreCheck (go to
tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/application-program
). With PreCheck, there are faster-moving lines and fewer hassles (no taking off shoes or coats, no separating laptops or liquids).
Any child under the age of 12, if accompanied by a PreCheck-qualified adult, can go through these expedited lines, too—making this program a big help for families on the go.

If your baby's old enough for one, a light umbrella stroller can be your best friend when going through security, whatever line you're in. It'll be easy to fold up at the last second and plop on the x-ray's conveyer belt. (You'll probably be allowed to take it right down the jetway and leave it at the plane's door before you board—it will be waiting for you at the door after landing.) Slip-on shoes are your second-best friends at the security checkpoint (that way, if you don't have PreCheck and/or you're asked to take them off, it won't be a last-minute struggle—but do wear socks so you don't have to walk barefoot on that icky floor). You'll be able to hold your baby in your arms (though not in a carrier or sling) to go through the screening, but you'll both have to be hand screened if the security officer singles you out for a pat down—which you probably will be since you won't be able to have one of those full body scans while holding your little one. Again, measures are likely to be less strict with PreCheck.

You'll likely be able to bring through security enough formula, breast milk, baby food, or juice boxes to last the flight, but be sure to check out
tsa.gov
for the latest information, since regulations often change.