First Family Vacation With Baby
Being a first-time mom, I didn’t know what life had in store for me. My family and I took our first vacation with baby with no clue what to expect. Whether your family has just become a mommy and daddy, or you’re a seasoned parent that’s ready to take your little ones on their first family vacation, there are some tips and tricks you’ll want to keep in mind.
Planning a family vacation can be a lot of fun and excitement. You want to take the time to travel somewhere fun and exciting, even though you know it will be a busy week or two after you get back. Planning is important when it comes to having a successful vacation with your baby — or children in general. The holidays are just around the corner and you’ve been planning a family vacation with baby. With so many factors to consider, my first question is what should I pack? Should I rent or buy baby equipment? Will the plane be too uncomfortable for mummy and baby? Will it be comfortable enough for daddy too?
First Family Vacation With Baby
Most people are usually not able to go on vacations with their family during their first pregnancy, but it’s important that you try. It is better to burn off the excitement and stress of pregnancy on a vacation instead of at home.
When we left for our family vacation I didn’t know what to expect. It was our first vacation with a baby, we were going away for two weeks and we’re first time parents. This wasn’t an international vacation but we were going to be driving a lot, which made me nervous since my baby is not a fan of the car.
I was also anxious about taking a vacation with our baby because I wasn’t sure how she would react to all the changes but to my surprise she did great. I feel blessed because she is such a good traveler which means this is only the beginning of our family traveling adventures.
During our vacation I learned many things that I’d like to share with you so your family vacation can run smooth.
Tips for a family vacation with a baby
The first time you show baby a new thing they might be scared
It was our baby’s first timegoing to the beach and she was scared of the waves. It took my baby 3 visits before she loved it.
I learned that exposing your baby to the same activity several times is important. This doesn’t mean if your baby is crying you should force her to do the activity or stick around. You might have to leave and then try again later. But just because they don’t like something the first time, it doesn’t mean they won’t like it some other time.
Babies are learning about the world around them and at times it might feel overwhelming for them. Expose your baby to as many new things as possible and watch their cues. They, better than anyone, will let you know how they feel about it.
Don’t let the fear of how your baby might react stop you from trying something. You might be surprised to discovered the things your baby loves! So expose them to as many things as possible, and try again if they don’t like it the first time.
Be flexible, very flexible
Having a set schedule doesn’t work. We knew what we wanted to see/do during each day and would accommodate around our baby’s nap times. Sometimes this meant we didn’t get to see everything we wanted or that we didn’t stop at a city we planned to see because she our baby sleeping and we had to take advantage of this to keep driving.
When you travel with a baby your schedule is more like an outline of what you want to see and do, but stay flexible because the chances of plans changing are very high. You might that your baby needs some down time, away from whatever stimulus they’re having. At other times you might find that you can enjoy an activity longer than you expected.
So have a plan, but remember to stay open to changes and to go with the flow when needed.
A baby carrier is a MUST
I’ve been using baby carriers from day one but during travel they are absolute necessity. Your baby can nurse in the carrier, nap in the carrier, stay close to your (and away from strangers who want to hold your baby) when she’s in the carrier.
