Tips for for taking a road trip with a baby

At the end of September, we went on a road trip from Winnipeg to Minneapolis.  On the ride we had to go out of the way and stop in Ortonville, MN, to pick up a friend, making it a longer excursion.  Our baby Daniella was 3 months old, so it was her first vacation and first road trip.  We had a total of 10 hours driving, but stopped and stayed the night in Ortonville.  On the way home, we didn’t spend the night and went straight home from Ortonville.  It was fun but a new experience doing this with a baby.

Here are some tips for a long road trip with a baby:

Bring lots of diapers and keep them in reach

• You don’t want to have to dig through your suitcases to find diapers when your baby poops, so bring extra and keep them in reach. Plus, you don’t know how many times you will need to stop for a diaper change.

Bring plastic bags that you can dispose of diapers and wet wipes

Bring a couple extra outfits in the car in case the baby vomits or has a diaper explosion

Get a good music playlist going

• It doesn’t need to be nursery music, get a playlist going that both you and your baby like. We chose reggaeton and Latin pop; Daniella loves the beat of these songs and so do her parents.

Be prepared with sleep music

• After we stopped and ate at Texas Roadhouse, in Grand Forks, it was getting late and Daniella was tired, she began to cry and get extremely fussy. We turned on the music she sleeps to (baby Mozart) and within 5 minutes she stopped crying and fell asleep shortly after.

Take advantage of the stops

• Depending on how long the road trip is, you will need to stop a number of times to change the diaper and feed your baby. Try and time/plan these stops  while you’re getting gas or stopping for lunch.  If not take advantage: stop at a cool landmark, take some photos, get a coffee, or a snack you can’t get back home.
• And if you stop for a coffee but she doesn’t need a change... take the baby out of the car seat for a break.

Have ready to feed formula

• We didn’t want to mix formula ahead of time, keep it on ice and then warm it with hot water; we also didn’t want to have to stop and mix the powder. Instead, we brought a bunch of ready to feed Nursette bottles which we kept at room temperature (and acquired through an Enfamil promotion).

Bring a small travel stroller

• We brought our full sized Graco Jogger stroller; the stroller is great but it’s heavy and takes up a lot of room in the trunk. For our upcoming trip to the Philippines, we brought a smaller and foldable 3Dpac stroller that is much lighter and compatible with our car seat.  (see the comparison in size in the photos below)

Plan for extra time

• You may end up changing the diaper more than expected, have to feed your baby more frequently, or like us on the ride home, have to stop to get her out of the car seat and give her a movement break. Whatever the situation, the trip will take longer than expected, so plan for extra travel time on your road trip.

Have fun!

• We had a blast and so did the baby. The later half of the ride home was difficult, but aside from that the baby was well behaved, smiling and having fun. Just because you have a kid doesn’t mean you can’t travel and have fun together as a family!