Road-tripping with your infant is fun, but it can be challenging and stressful, especially during your first time. There’s much to learn and practice before you can get comfortable and used to going on road trips with your young one. Implementing the right tricks and techniques can help ensure a smooth and enjoyable ride, even if you’re a first-timer. Here are five road-tripping tips with an infant.
- Use the right car seat
Infants (children between 0 to 12 months) should use rear-facing car seats. Their harness allows them to cradle and move with your baby in a crash to lower the stress on their fragile spinal cord and neck. Infant car seats are of three types, infant-only car seats (meant for newborns or tiny babies), convertible seats, and all-in-one seats. The infant-only seats are only used rear-facing. All-in-one and convertible car seats have higher weight and height restrictions for rear-facing, letting you keep the infant in a rear-facing position longer. To ensure toddler car safety, review the safety guidelines and get the seat inspected by a professional.
- Get car seat accessories
Car seat accessories help ensure your infant has a fun and comfortable ride. Since infant safety seats are installed rear-facing, checking on your baby as you drive can be difficult. Attaching mirrors on the headrest helps ensure you’re watching them through the rear-view mirror. Car seat covers, such as designer baby car seat covers, help protect your baby from harmful sun rays, wind, and chill. They’re easy to open, giving fast access to your toddler as they sleep on the move. You can also get infant strap covers, or support inserts for car seats without harness covers for extra support. Getting window shades keeps your little one from getting sunburned.
- Plan regular breaks
Prioritizing your baby’s nursing time on a road trip can help ensure an enjoyable experience. Try to stick to your nursing schedule. Don’t breastfeed your infant in a moving vehicle or when strapped in a car seat because it’s unsafe. Make frequent stops to nurse your child and change their soiled clothes or diapers. Plan your route before hitting the road to ensure you know where to find rest stops, gas stations, and infant-friendly hotels where you can take longer breaks.
- Bring all the essentials
Packing everything you and your baby need significantly contributes to a beautiful road trip experience. Pack your diaper bag, including enough or extra diapers, washable changing pads, diaper cream, wipes, burp clothes, a nursing cover, and a change of clothes for your child. You can also bring plastic bags for dirty or wet clothes, pacifiers, toys, formula or breast milk, milk bottles, and healthy snacks, food, juice, and water if your infant has started on solid foods. Pack enough essentials for yourself too. A checklist for road-tripping with an infant can help you pack smart.
- Prepare for the unexpected
While you may have everything planned out for the road trip with your infant, preparing for the unexpected keeps you on the safer side. Bring pediatrician-recommended medications for your infant’s safety. You should also layer-pack in anticipation of weather changes.
Endnote
A road trip with a small baby can be challenging. However, these tips can help ensure a smoother road-tripping experience with an infant.