Car Travel With an Infant

If you are taking a young child on a road trip, make sure to plan ahead. With an infant, car travel can be a bit hectic. This is why it is important to be prepared and flexible (you may have to improvise). The best tip for pulling off this type of travel is to work the trip around your baby's nap schedule.

Caring for Your Infant

What You Should Know About Infant Car Travel

It's time for that road trip with your baby. Are you ready for it? Well, with a little planning and a bit of luck, you can get to your destination calmly and with your sanity intact.

There are two general rules to tackling a road trip with an infant:

Be flexible -- Chances are, you are going to have to improvise at least a few times before you get to your destination. Give yourself plenty of time to get there; you're probably going to stop three times as many as you would if it was just you.
Be prepared -- expect the unexpected. Murphy's Law exists for a reason. While your baby may have never been a big spitter-upper before, the new prolonged motion and break from the usual routine can be just what it takes to give anyone an unsettled tummy.

With the two main rules down, there are a few other things to keep in mind as you start planning your next big trip.

Timing Is Everything

The best advice for a road trip with a baby is to work the trip around your baby's nap schedule. If your baby normally eats then sleeps, feed your baby before getting on the road. With a full tummy, your baby will be primed for a nice long snooze to start the trip. Sometimes the rhythm and motion of the car will be all it takes for your baby to start a peaceful road trip -- by sleeping.

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