Travelling with a baby...help!

[waterisntsomething]

We are moving to Colorado from Cali in a couple weeks with a 6 month old! I have no clue what to expect. I know we will be making tons of stops but I would love any travelling tips you might have. This i a 24 hour trip (if we drove straight through). We are going to stop overnight at a hotel somewhere but are hoping to only have to do it once...it might end up being two nights with a baby though. Also, just to complicate things we will be moving to cats and 6 chickens as well. I have tried to convince SO to leave the chickens but he is very attached to them and will not budge on that one. We are going to be the Beverly Hillbillies!!

[dancingingrace]

We moved when DD was only a month, but that was just a 5 hour trip. Then, when she was 8 months old, we went on vacation (driving) 22 hours away. I don't know how much flexibility you have, but we tried to do as much of our driving at night as we could because DD was a good night sleeper. If you can do the bulk of your driving during your baby's best sleeping time, that would help a ton. Also, try to allow yourself lots of mini stops along the way for dipe changes, stretching/getting baby out, etc...even if just for a few minutes each. Is there anything that really captivates your baby? Keep any favorite toys/books, etc close by. If you have a portable dvd player, that's a good idea, too. I'm not a big fan of using tv to entertain, and your baby may not even pay attention to that at this point, but in a situation like that, I say anything goes! My DD wasn't even interested in that at 8 months when we traveled, but we took it just in case! If you give any baby snacks at this point, keep those available, and keep milk handy, too. Anything that is normally a comfort or entertainment to your baby, just overdo it so that you're prepared. Otherwise, lots of patience, and don't push yourself! Good luck, mama!

[waterisntsomething]

Thanks! The driving at night is a great idea. He won't take a bottle so we'll definitely stop a lot to nurse. I am doing sposies too to make things a little easier. He's really not used to a carseat b/c we haven't had a vehicle for much of his life (finally getting it out of the shop on monday) so hopefully he'll put up with being strapped in for long periods.

[PerfectFifth]

We drove from Oklahoma to Virginia when DS1 was 7 months old. I was actually surprised by how much he slept in the car, a lot more than I was expecting! Definitely make lots of time to stop and nurse and wear something really comfy and non-binding. We nursed a bit less than normal, plus I wearing one of my tighter nursing tops, and by the end of the trip, I had a clogged milk duct. Good luck with the move!

[brookglen]

We drove from St Louis MO to Corpus Christie TX with a 5 month old and she pretty much slept. We would stop to nurse from time to time and take breaks for her to be out of the car seat. It really wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

[MommyToTwoPrinces]

We're on the road right now moving from Washington State to Norfolk, Virgina. Make sure you make lots of stops! I'm traveling with a 4 month old and a 19 month old!

[Blossom of Snow]

Great advice already given, yes definitely stop as often as you can! I wanted to add that some babies can get gassy being in the car for a long time. When DD was an infant we did short trips frequently (2-3hrs) and we always kept mylicon in the diaper bag. Traveling with a baby is much easier than traveling with a toddler. We recently took a 12hr trip and DD (2yrs) only slept for an hour, tops! I honestly lost count how many times we watched Ponyo

Good luck with the move! (BTW, I think it's adorable that your DH is attached to his chickens )

[waterisntsomething]

Originally Posted by MommyToTwoPrinces We're on the road right now moving from Washington State to Norfolk, Virgina. Make sure you make lots of stops! I'm traveling with a 4 month old and a 19 month old!

Wow, you are a brave woman!

Originally Posted by Blossom of Snow Great advice already given, yes definitely stop as often as you can! I wanted to add that some babies can get gassy being in the car for a long time. When DD was an infant we did short trips frequently (2-3hrs) and we always kept mylicon in the diaper bag. Traveling with a baby is much easier than traveling with a toddler. We recently took a 12hr trip and DD (2yrs) only slept for an hour, tops! I honestly lost count how many times we watched Ponyo Good luck with the move! (BTW, I think it's adorable that your DH is attached to his chickens )

Thanks, it is pretty sweet. The more I plan the less I think they'll be the hard part. WHen chickens go broody they sit in the coop for days and days only getting out once to eat and have water.

Thanks for the advice, I'm starting to feel like this might not be a complete disaster!

[eahcapemay]

It's going to be fine. 6 month olds still sleep well in the car. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that your going to be gaining altitude. Some people have a hard time with it. My dad always gets sick for a day or two when ever he is more than a mile above sea level. DS never has. Your ears will be popping from the pressure. When ever we fly or drive over mountins I always bring tylonal just in case. I dont want him to freak out from ear pain.

[waterisntsomething]

Thats true, I know SO and I won't be a problem b/c we drove to Cali from VA but I didn't think about that with DS. I know nursing helps but I can't do that while were moving. I'll have to make sure to have some tylenol at the ready.