Planning your First Trip with Baby - Preparation & Helpful Tips

Welcoming a new baby is at once an exciting and tiring time – new parents struggle to catch some restful sleep while having to juggle everything else in life. Taking a holiday is definitely a welcoming idea for many parents, but bringing baby along with all the extra baggage? The mere thought of it is enough to send some running away.

But travelling with a baby can be a rewarding experience; the fact is that young babies spend most of their time sleeping, so parents can still have a lot of quiet time on their own. The key is to plan and prepare, and going away with your child can only become a better experience as they grow up.
 

First-timer tips

As your first trip travelling with your young child, you might want to tone down your expectations for a holiday. You’ll probably want to pick a location that’s more child-friendly and focus more on having a relaxing holiday than an activity-packed one.

Locations such as beach resorts, all-inclusive clubs, city tours or a road trip make good choices. Nearer to Singapore, Thailand, Bali and Malaysia all provide many budget and baby-friendly choices. What you want to avoid are places that are too crowded or those that make moving with bubs too difficult.

You’ll also need to spend some time on research and information-gathering with regards to what you can/cannot bring with you on a flight, and what’s provided/or not at your accommodation. That said, we’ve come up with a list of preparation and planning tips to help you along and get you started on your holidays!
 

Basic Preparations

While you could get away with packing your luggage the night before previously, now you really should start as early as possible to reduce stress levels. Other than your personal belongings, packing for baby will include:

Baby carrier
Lightweight stroller
Car-seat
Baby food, breast milk and formula
Equipment for food-prep (portable sterilisers)
Baby cot covers
Some diapers (assuming you can buy some at the destination)
Baby toys for necessary distractions
Nursing cover

You might also want to consider innovative products that make travelling more comfortable for your child. Products such as Plane Pal and BedBox are lightweight and convenient to use, allowing you to convert car/train/flight seats into an inflatable bed for your child.

Do find out from your airline early on whether you can check in all your baby gear eg. stroller, car seat, baby cot for free. Also, you may want to check with your hotel/accommodation if they can offer some freezer space for breast milk, a microwave for steriliser kit and a baby cot.
 

Handy Tips

Airline restrictions can make travelling with baby a pain; here are some tips for a smoother travel experience.

Liquid limitations – many airlines allow baby food and formula in your carry-ons if you declare before hand. For filling of empty bottles, you can fill them up after you’ve crossed the customs and security.
Baggage restrictions – the amount of items you’d need to bring with you is definitely a longer list than before, so check with the airline about their requirements. Some parents are afraid of mishandling of their stroller if they check it in, so you may want to bring them onboard if that’s allowed.

Diapers can take up a lot of space even if they aren’t necessarily heavy – buy them overseas if possible but do note that experimenting with different brands can trigger an allergic reaction in your baby, so ensure that a similar brand is available.

Feeding – do you know that feeding your baby when the plane is taking off and when the plane is landing is a good way to relieve the pressure in the ears?

Baby Bassinet – inform your airline about requiring one and enjoy the baby bassinet!. It’s really handy and you’d have extra legroom as well!.

And for the worst of all parents’ nightmare – “What do I do when the baby screams?” Well, stay calm, take a deep breath and accept that you’re doing your best.

Travel delays – travel delays are a pain for most people, so make sure you have extra supplies for your baby, including clothes, diapers, wipes and baby food.

Travel Insurance – since it is likely to be a family trip, consider a family plan where your child will receive up to the same coverage limits as you. Our plan also includes coverage for a helper if you include her as a family member.

To find out how much your family insurance will cost, get a free quote online now or call 6665 5555 to find out more.