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Success after IF
njdcgirl
member
Out of town with an infant - need tips please!
njdcgirl
member
We are heading to NJ for five days to spend Christmas with my family. It's our first trip out of town with Andrew.
I think we are going to need a bigger car!
The trip itself shouldn't be too bad - it's only about 3 hours away, so we will hopefully just coordinate with a nap, and plan for extra time. It's more all the STUFF that we need to bring that is stressing me out.
Any tips for traveling with an infant? What are the essentials? What is overkill to bring? I have a list about a page long of things that I've thought of to bring just for him! Since I'm mostly feeding him frozen breastmilk (my supply is shot and only getting about 2 feeds a day) the cooler alone for that will be big! And, we still need room for the presents! How do you do it, ladies?!?
Thanks!
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Re: Out of town with an infant - need tips please!
We travel home to visit my family often (about 10 hours). I over pack. I have learned now that's she's 2 that the Target back home sell diapers too. So, I'm learning to relax!
How often are you going to visit? We did buy doubles of a few things for DD for each grandparents house.
Also, do you have any family up in Jersey with baby stuff?
You can improvise a lot. DD never needed a highchair until she was older because someone was ALWAYS holding her!
What big stuff are you worried about traveling with? How close to South Jersey are you traveling? Are you staying in a hotel or with family? Will it be crazy (tons of kids running around, etc.) where you'll be?
P.S. I'm in South Jersey. If it's anywhere nearby, I have tons of stuff for DD that is stored in our basement that your welcome to use:) I also have a North States Superyard if you think you could use it. I find that helpful to keep the baby away from the other kids, if it will be crazy:)
ugh. I remember those days - pack 'n play, boppy, swing, bouncy chair, outfits!!!
is it possible for your family to buy a pack 'n play to keep at their house? we eventually did this and it made a huge difference in traveling. you can get a decent one for under $100 and it's TOTALLY worth it.
have a safe trip!
2 infertiles' journey to 2 pink lines (and a baby girl)
"our IF story"
Yeah, I should have mentioned that we are staying with my parents, and there are 4 neices/nephews in the area. So, I don't have to bring the kitchen sink - luckily! My mom has a crib, but I'm debating still bringing the cosleeper, since he is used to sleeping in that (and we can bring it to my brothers for Christmas day).
She also has a swing. My SIL's have given me lots of their infant stuff, so I think I'll have to bring our own bobby and bouncy chair. Great stuff, ladies, keep it coming!
(I'll be in South Jersey - in the Medford area. I'm not sure if I'll need to borrow anything, but thanks so much for offering! I'll let you know!)
I'm mostly focused on bringing lots of clothes, cloth diapers and pumping paraphernalia, assumed I didn't need the big toys because people will hold him and expected that we can rely on target or BRU where ever we're going for anything we forget.
We're staying at a hotel when we travel over the new year, so we don't have to worry about where DS will sleep, but we do bring our own sheets, because that makes me feel a little better about making him sleep somewhere else. Oh, and lots of blankets to function as playmats!
I skipped bringing diapers and just bought them when I got to where I was going, other than enough to get Claire to where we were going.
Claire had a major fever incident on our last vacation. I didn't pack my thermometer because she's never sick. At 3 am, when I really could have used it, I didn't have it. PACK IT, just in case and Tylenol/Motrin. You never know. I'd skip the Bobby/Bouncy Seat, if possible. You can make due with a pillow, towels, etc, if you're really pressed for space in the car.
Make sure you pack Andrew!!!! lol
I second BrideinOC's recommendation of a thermometer and Tylenol. Sure, you can always go buy it, but wouldn't it be nicer to have it right there? When we went away when he was 4 months, we brought the bouncy seat and the boppy, but we weren't going to visit family. So I think you might have extra hands to hold him.
Don't forget bottles - if you're giving him bottles. And burp cloths. Jacob was a big spitter.
Also, don't forget the camera and extra batteries! You definitely want to capture his first Christmas!
I'm a little south of there. I'll drop you my email in a PM:) Feel free to email me if you wanna borrow anything (i.e. superyard is great for blocking little ones from the baby swing/etc.). I 2nd the thermometer and meds. DD first illness was OOT.
Don't stress too much! My family is also 3 hours away, and we've visited at least once a month since DS was 4 weeks old
The drive really is no big deal - if we timed it right and left right after his bottle, he'd sleep the entire way! One time he did wake up screaming about 20 minutes from home - so my suggestion would be to just keep driving and power through (as in, don't even stop for the restroom unless you absolutely have to!) - but also make sure you have the ability to pull over and feed him quickly, should the need arise (don't know how that works with frozen BM - sorry!)
We have a pack n play that we keep at my moms, which is a huge help. We keep a hooded towel, wipes, brush, and other things like that there. We even eventually bought bottles and a bottle warmer to keep there - so much easier. She bought a few toys at a consignment sale that she keeps there too, which is awesome - and people hold him so much, anyway, you really don't have to worry about keeping him entertained!
So, as to what we actually pack -- food, clothes and pj's, a lovie, sleep sack/ swaddle, lots of burp cloths and receiving blankets, aspirator and infant tylenol, pacis . . . one recommendation is to take an extra shopping bag to use for his "dirty" stuff - you don't want to haul dirty burp cloths home mixed up with your other stuff!
Also relevant to my family, maybe to yours
-- my family keeps their houses *much* warmer than DH and I do, so I pack just shortsleeved onesies for him to sleep in rather than his usual footed pajamas.
Oh! And the white noise machine! Can't forget the white noise machine