Our First Real Trip With a Baby
Travel has always been a big part of our life together. Before having our daughter, my husband and I traveled often, filling our weekends with little getaways and always seeming to have another trip somewhere on the calendar. Some of our favorite memories together have been made away from home.
I wondered often what that part of our life would look like once we had a baby. I knew it would change, as nearly everything does, but I hoped it could simply become something new rather than something we left behind.
When our daughter was four months old, we spent ten days in California together. It was our first real trip as a family of three, and by the end of it, traveling with her already felt far less daunting than I had imagined.
Our days looked a little different than they used to. There were more stops, earlier nights, and plenty of feeding and naps worked into whatever we happened to be doing. We kept our usual bath and bedtime routine, but otherwise tried not to worry too much about schedules. She adjusted, and so did we.
I had prepared for the trip expecting it to feel complicated. Instead, I came home realizing how little we actually needed. A few things made traveling easier, a few familiar routines helped, and the rest we figured out along the way.
It was a lovely reminder that so much of the life we loved before becoming parents is still here. We simply get to bring her along now.
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Getting There
I expected the airport and flight to be the most overwhelming part of the trip, but it ended up being surprisingly easy.
We kept everything as simple as possible. We brought the Doona and BabyBjörn carrier, wore her through the airport, and used the Doona when we wanted the stroller. At the gate, we packed it into its travel bag and checked it before boarding. Having only a few pieces to manage made such a difference.
For the flight, I dressed her in a footed sleeper, mostly because I liked knowing her little hands and feet were covered while we were traveling. I nursed her during takeoff and landing, and otherwise we held her, played with her in our seats, and walked the aisle when she needed a change of scenery.
I had packed plenty of little things to keep her occupied, but at four months old, she really did not need much. Being held, looking around, and watching everything happening around her was entertainment enough.
It was much less complicated than I had built it up to be in my head, and probably the first moment of the trip when I realized we could still travel without preparing for absolutely everything.
Read more: Our First Flight With a Baby
Finding Our Rhythm Away From Home
One of the things that surprised me most was how naturally she adapted to being somewhere new. I had wondered how she would respond to different rooms, unfamiliar places, and days that looked nothing like they did at home, but she was incredibly content through most of it.
We never tried to recreate our days at home exactly. We followed her cues as we normally do and let her settle into each new environment in her own time. Some days she nursed more often, especially when we first arrived somewhere new, and I was happy to let her. It seemed to give her a familiar place to return to while everything around her was different.
Naps happened when she was tired, whether we were at the house, out for a walk, or spending the day somewhere new. We continued our usual bath and bedtime routine in the evenings, which gave the end of each day a little familiarity without needing the rest of the day to look a certain way.
Within a few days, everything seemed to fall into place on its own. She was happy to come along with us, sleep when she needed to, and take in everything around her. Watching how easily she adjusted made me realize that we did not need to create the perfect routine for traveling with her. We could simply give her time, stay responsive to what she needed, and let our days unfold from there.
Bringing Her Along
One of my favorite parts of the trip was simply having her with us for all of it. We did not feel like we needed to plan separate days around having a baby. Instead, she became part of the things we already love to do.
She came along for long walks outside, afternoons spent exploring, and meals tucked into cozy restaurants. We brought her to places that already held so many memories for us and visited old favorites with family, this time with our daughter in our arms.
There was something especially sweet about returning to familiar places with her. Spots I had known for years suddenly felt a little different, and ordinary things like walking through town or sitting down for lunch became memories from her first trip.
At four months old, she was happy just being with us and taking everything in. We held her, wore her, let her nap when she needed to, and continued on with our days. It made the trip feel less like learning how to vacation with a baby and more like introducing her to a part of our life we have always loved.
What We Actually Needed
I was determined not to bring our entire house with us, although packing for a baby makes that surprisingly tempting. I tried to stick to the things we already used every day and knew would make traveling easier.
The Doona and BabyBjörn carrier were easily our most used pieces. Between the two, we could move through the airport, go for walks, head out to restaurants, and bring her along without much thought. For sleep, we used a pack and play wherever we stayed and brought the familiar pieces of her bedtime routine from home.
Because I am breastfeeding, feeding was probably the simplest part of traveling at this age. I could nurse her wherever we happened to be and did not need to plan our days around bottles or feeding times. We brought a few toys and other little comforts, but she was mostly interested in looking around, being held, and taking in everything happening around her.
By the end of the trip, I was glad we had kept things relatively simple. The things we useds most were not necessarily the things I had packed for every possible scenario. They were the few familiar, practical pieces that made it easy to have her with us.
Read More: What to Pack When Traveling With a Baby
For the Next Trip
Coming home, I felt much more confident about traveling with her than I had before we left. There are certainly things that will change as she gets older, but for now, I would approach our next trip much the same way.
I would pack simply, bring the few things we know we use every day, and leave room for the trip to unfold as it does. I would keep our familiar bedtime routine, follow her cues throughout the day, and give her a little extra closeness whenever she needs it.
Most of all, I would worry less. Babies can surprise you with how adaptable they are, and she certainly surprised us. I spent far more time thinking about traveling with a baby before the trip than I ever did once we were actually there.
There will be different seasons of traveling with her, and I know each one will bring something new to figure out. But our first trip left me excited for all the places we still get to show her.