Traveling Tips

EratMama

It's not a "big" trip--but it is our first as a family!

We are planning the (7 hour ish) drive to exotic Minneapolis over spring break.  Pumpkin will be 5 months.

We are staying in a hotel (with a pool! Pumpkin's first swim for two nights, and then with friends for three nights. 

Any tips for looong drive, or hotel stays with 5 month old babies?  Bring 'em on. 

 

 

EratMama

I got a room with a mini-fridge, and we can wash bottles in the room. If we need to do laundry, we can do it at our friend's house.

We are debating the cloth/disposable thing.  I was looking forward to the break from cloth (mostly for the extra room in my diaper bag!!! Those things take up a lot of room...) But--he's only had two blow outs--both in sposies.  Hmmmmm

 Pumpkin usually wakes between 4 and 5 am to eat,  and then will go back to sleep for a bit.   We are planning to feed him, and throw him in the car.  Hoping to get a few hours of driving in before he is really awake. 

Two*True

I've gone 3+ hours with an infant but never much over that so I'm not help with the car ride.  Sounds like your plan to leave right after he wakes and eats is a good one. 

As for the hotel, DD and I stayed in a hotel for a week when she was 4 months old (we went to visit K when she was training in Kansas).  It really wasn't much different from home.  We bought a cheap bouncy chair for the week so if you have one, and room, in the car I would suggest taking it just so you have an extra place to set Pumpkin down.  

The room had two queens so K and I were in one and Jelly Bean was in the middle of the other which worked out fine because I ended up with her most of the night anyway as she was breastfeeding.

Hmmm....there wasn't really much else I needed for "survival".  At that age it's a few basic toys, milk, and mom and things were good.  

 Enjoy your trip!

LolaBelle515

Quit the Mpls knockin!  Just kidding:)  It was 80 degrees here yesterday...very exotic.

I assume you're visiting because you have family or friends here (let's admit, it's generally not the travel destination that NY/DC are)...but if you are looking for any family-friendly destinations or restaurants, let us know what you're looking for. We can help:)

ctbride08

Two*True:

Hmmm....there wasn't really much else I needed for "survival".  At that age it's a few basic toys, milk, and mom and things were good.  

 Enjoy your trip!

ditto this...we've traveled a bunch with the kids and i'm trying to think of tips but cant really come up with any since we mostly just wing it

I dont know if pumpkin is on liquid formula but I found travelling with powder to be easier.  And sposies are easier for travel (imo) but they certainly do blow out more.

2brides

Yea, we traveled a lot when they were babies, but I was never brave enough to drive more than 4hrs. We always brought pack and plays with us (tried the hotel crib once and it was a disaster!)

Traveling at this age is easy  - take advantage!

Mrs._F

Ditto pp's on baby travel being easy! You picked a good time for this trip!

When we did car trips with Henry as a baby we were able to get into a good rhythym of about 2 hours on the road, 1 hour stop, repeat. When we stopped, we'd do diaper change, snack for us and nursing for him, and then we'd drive again and he'd sleep.  I did sit in the backseat with him most of the time, to entertain him when he woke and sometimes had to hum in his ear to get him to sleep.

As for dipes - if you have plenty in your stash that you won't have to worry about rushing to wash when you get to your friends' house (and of course they don't mind baby poop in their washer ), then go for it.  We have traveled with cloth when we've gone to my ILs. If you're not sure you have enough, or you'll have to rush to get them clean in time - do the sposies. It's not worth the added annoyance. OR - you could do cloth for the car, since they are more reliable for containing poops, and sposies the rest of the time.

For the hotel - bring reading lights for you and DW for after he goes to sleep! I know a couple that puts their pack n play in the bathroom (when space allows) so that they can have the room to themselves after little one goes to sleep. Then they just take turns using the bathroom in the hotel lobby if they need to use it before they go to sleep (kind of genius). We usually get a room with a kind and all sleep together - cosleeping in a king is so luxurious!

2brides

Oh, and if you don't have a hotel already, I am huge proponents for suite hotels. But you have to check the online photos to make sure it is really a suite (with a separate bedroom with shutting door) or just an oversize room. Embassy Suites (hello free cocktail hour!) are my favorite, but we also like Country Inn and Suites, SpringHill Suites, Homewood Suites, and Comfort Suites.

thiswillbe

We took the kiddos to the beach when they were 4 or so months old. The only tips I have come from what we forgot to bring: soap to wash the bottles, a bottle brush, and a mug to heat the bottles. Also, I'd recommend locating the outlets when you first get there if you get in at night. We were hunting for outlets after the kiddos had gone to sleep (so we could plug in their apnea monitors), and wishing we'd done it when all the lights were on!

EratMama

Thanks for the tips! I am sure we'll be fine.  

 

Mrs. F--I love this tip.  We are only in a hotel 2 nights--but this might be nice to watch a movie or talk without whispering!

 

 

Mrs._F:

For the hotel - bring reading lights for you and DW for after he goes to sleep! I know a couple that puts their pack n play in the bathroom (when space allows) so that they can have the room to themselves after little one goes to sleep. Then they just take turns using the bathroom in the hotel lobby if they need to use it before they go to sleep (kind of genius). We usually get a room with a kind and all sleep together - cosleeping in a king is so luxurious!

 

And, Cloth Diaper users--I got this tip from the CD board-

 When bringing cloth wasn't an option on longer trips, I would just bring some thirsties covers and put them over the sposies.  It helped contain any blowouts.  The covers are easier to wash than prefolds/inserts, since you can rinse them out in the sink and hang to dry.

 

I think this is what we are going to do for the carride.  I thought it was pretty ingenius.