10 Tips to Surviving Baby’s First Road Trip

Do we fly or drive? That was the big question we debated for a while after we decided we wanted to travel north to see my husbands family. Traveling with a baby (ours was 7 months at the time) brings on a whole new set of challenges and I felt there were pros and cons to both modes of transportation. I usually stressed before any trip pre-baby so I knew either way, I would more than likely act like a crazy person in the days leading up to our trip (my husband will gladly agree with that!). We ultimately chose to drive, yes the 15-16 hour VERY long drive from South Florida to Maryland. Call us crazy, I know! We have actually done this drive many times before, thanks to hurricane Irma we did it fairly recently while I was in my third trimester (first time my feet swelled from all the sitting!). We decided to make the best of it, enjoy the time together, and take our time.

 Of course, before we left I researched and read about all the essentials for traveling with a baby. Many I found super helpful and some I discovered as we went on our adventure. In this post, I share some tips and insight if you are thinking of doing a road trip with your little one. It’s totally doable and there are lots of ways to help make it as smooth as possible. 

Bring LOTS of toys

If your little one is anything like mine, about 5 minutes after I gave him a toy he would chuck it to the other side of the car (out of my reach of course). Therefore, LOTS of toys are essential to keep your little one entertained for as long as possible. It was VERY helpful to have the toy bag right next to my seat so I could easily grab new ones.

Bring a head pillow for your little one

If you’ve read my previous post about our struggle with flat head syndrome, then you know we try to do everything possible to ensure Ricky’s head stays nice and round. 🙂 This was a huge concern for me when we chose to drive but the doctor assured me that as long as we took frequent breaks, his head would be fine. I was NOT about to reverse all the work we just did. So if this is a concern for you, definitely bring a flat head pillow for the car seat. This is the one we bought from Amazon.  

Bring ALL the napping/sleeping essentials AND stay on schedule

Our essentials included our ocean baby einstein, a white noise machine, and a monitor. For his naps, Ricky falls asleep to his ocean baby einstein every single day so we weren’t about to leave that behind! We set it up in the car so he could watch it and fall asleep to something familiar and it was a LIFESAVER. At night we use a white noise machine and a monitor (don’t forget the chargers/batteries if needed) so those helped both him and us feel comfortable. Whatever nap/nighttime sleeping aids you use for your little one, BRING THEM and try to stick to your usual schedule. Ricky is a routine guy so we did our best to keep him on his naptime and bedtime schedule while driving and enjoying time with family. I think this really helped keep him happy and upbeat while he was awake!

Pack and Plays are AMAZING

If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend it! They are super easy to set up, take down and store. A few weeks before we left for the trip, I had Ricky nap in his pack and play instead of his crib so he was familiar with it before we left. If your little one hardly sleeps in the pack and play, this is definitely a good idea. In addition, bring some extra pack and play sheets with you in case things get a little messy. We bought these from Amazon.  

Don’t forget a backseat baby mirror to monitor and entertain your little one

 I’m sure this is already in your car but if you decide to rent a car like we did, don’t forget to put it in there. During the times Ricky was getting fussy, we could make faces at him and chat with him to avoid a complete meltdown. I tried to sit in the back with him but I quickly learned I got VERY nauseous in the back seat so I had to sit up front and do my best to entertain him.

Buy portable wipes/toy cleaner

Again, you can find inexpensive ones on Amazon like these! They were very helpful when we needed a quick wipe down of the toys he threw either on the car floor or the restaurant floor. They are also great for wiping down his bumbo seat and high chair after feedings! We can’t avoid all the germs I know, but I like to at least try to keep things as clean as possible.

If breastfeeding, bring a nursing cover  

I breastfeed him at rest stops in the car so a little privacy is always nice. 🙂

Bring a high chair cover for restaurants

Since our road trip took two days, we needed a break from the car to eat a few meals so having his high chair cover with us was very helpful. I don’t know about you, but I get a little grossed out at all the germs on restaurant high chairs. I mean how often do they REALLY clean them?

Keep the diaper bag CLOSE and fully stocked

Do not throw your diaper bag underneath all your luggage, this will be a pain in the rear when you stop and realize your little one took a big poop. Keep it fully stocked with diapers and wipes and make sure you can easily access it. 🙂 

Bring lots of car snacks & water (we don’t need us adults getting hangry)

When I’m hungry, all hell breaks loose and it’s just a bad situation. When the baby was sleeping and we just wanted to go full speed ahead, we didn’t want to stop for food or anything else…NO WAY were we stopping while he was sleeping!! So whatever you need to keep yourself content during the drive (food, water, books, music, etc.), BRING IT! You never know when you will get those magical moments of time to put some miles behind you as the baby sleeps. 🙂

All of these tips helped us survive our first big family road trip and I hope they will help you as well! All in all, the long drive wasn’t terrible and I have to say little Ricky did SO well! Would I do it again while he is this little? I’m not so sure lol. I will say it was really nice to enjoy just being with my husband and little boy, we get so busy during the week with work and life that the drive forced us to slow it down and enjoy time together.

*As per FTC Regulations,I would like to let you know that I do have affiliate links in this blog. The links provide me with a small percentage of commission but do not cost you anything extra. 🙂