There's nothing like having a baby right before vacation to put a kink in your travel plans. Traveling with a newborn is hard! But here's the good news: it's not impossible. You can still enjoy the family road trip with your new addition; you just can't do it the same old way you've always done.
Stressing about an upcoming trip with your new baby in tow? Here are some easy ways to ease the stress:
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Rent an RV. Instead of packing everything into a car, travel in an RV — you’ll have more space and the comforts of home. Depending on the size of your family and your particular travel needs, you can find the perfect RV. (Make sure to check the car seat compatibility of your RV!)
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Book ahead. Flying by the seat of your pants might be part of the fun of a road trip pre-kids. With a baby, it's downright terrifying. Do your research! Find an RV park or campground where you can spend the night comfortably.
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There's an app for that. Got a smartphone? Good, because you're going to want to download every app that points you to the clean bathrooms along the way. Some have user reviews that will also indicate availability of designated family bathrooms and changing stations.
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Overpack on toiletries. There really is no such thing as too many diapers when you're traveling with a young baby, or too many medicines. If this is the first trip with baby, make sure you've given your car's first aid kit an overhaul to include pediatric medicines such as an infant pain reliever.
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Eat smart. Going out to eat with a newborn is tricky anywhere, but when you're going to tourist-y areas, it can be especially hard. The wait is long, the places are packed … and you're exhausted. Bring plenty of food and drink along with you for the drive. Luckily in an RV, you can cook some of your own meals.
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Block the sun. If you've ever gotten a sunburn while riding in a car, you know the sun's rays are powerful enough to hurt you through the window or sunroof. The same goes for baby. Their sensitive skin needs to be covered up! Newborns are a bit young for sunscreen, so make sure you put up a window shade both on the side nearest their car seat and on the back window if their rear-facing seat is close to it.
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Get a mirror. Newborns should be rear-facing, which means you can't always see what they're up to without stopping the car entirely … unless you have a mirror hung up to check things out. You may still end up pulling over to rescue an abandoned pacifier or just cuddle, but the mirror can save you a lot of stressing about what baby is doing back there.
