Some may think we are crazy, but we just finished our third road trip with our sweet little 3 month old. We may have been blessed with a calm little one but I would still love to share a few of the things we have found work and don’t work for making the trips just a little easier.
#1: The DockATot:
First things first, sleep! Good sleep is hard to come by these days, so I take it very seriously when making sure we have all the things to make our night successful. At home Kane sleeps in a bassinet and of course we can’t bring that with us, so we bring the next best thing… the DockATot! If you don’t don’t already have one of these you NEED one. They are like magic! Most importantly they are perfect for travel. Kane sleeps safely in bed with us, in his cozy little bed. We don’t co-sleep normally, so this has created a learning curve for us. But this is the perfect solution to keeping him safe while we sleep since the hotel only has one bed.
*Pro tip: I saved the plastic case it came in and use it as a carrying case to take it on the go. It’s perfect to make sure that the DockATot doesn’t get dirty during our travels.
#2: Pump On The Go:
This next one may sound like a lot of extra work, but it’s so worth it to make sure you don’t add crazy amounts of time onto your travel. Bring your pump and a power inverter! While our little man is asleep in the backseat, I pump and have a bottle ready for him for when he wakes up. This means we have to stop less and I won’t become uncomfortable from not feeding him for long periods of time. Plus we don’t have to take him out of his seat. We can feed him with a bottle while he is safely seated in his car seat when the car is in motion. He feels super big and gets practice with holding the bottle all on his own.
Our favorite bottles are the Comotomo. They are the perfect size for his little hands to practice holding it on his own. Plus, the nipple is wider and flatter than most generic bottles and was easier for him to latch onto than the Avent or Medela bottles.
#3: Keep Your Bottles Fresh:
The Medela Bottle Cooler is an absolute game changer! It is compact and fits inside the diaper bag while still holding 4 bottles and the perfect little ice pack. I make sure my ice pack is frozen before we leave and add bottles to the cooler as I pump. Then the bottles are ready to go when little man is ready to eat.
#4: Packing Cubes:
The next one on my list is going to make all of you OCD super organized Mom’s squeal with joy! I discovered packing cubes when I was traveling on my own and teaching in different countries and they are absolutely amazing! You can organize your clothes by day, or type, and have a spot for your dirty clothes too. Feel free to organize things in whatever way makes your heart happy. I promise that once you try organizing everyone’s things in packing cubes, you will never want to go back to throwing things in a bag. They even make different sizes to give you options on what you put into each cube.
#5: Capture the Moment:
Get a tripod and use a self timer! We are big fans of documenting our memories and haven’t quite mastered the art of the selfie, so we use a tripod and a self timer instead. This has changed our pictures tremendously! Nick used to set our phone up on a tree and we would wait patiently for the timer to go off only to watch the phone fall over and miss the shot. With a tripod we are able to set things up and have them ready to take the picture for when that perfect moment comes. We all know how quick our babes can move and how quickly their moods can change, so make sure you are ready to get those great shots before they become a grouchy Gus.
We want to get pictures of Our whole family with each state sign and since there are no random strangers standing on the side of the road the tripod is a must!
#6: Feeding on the Go:
We have two Boppy’s at home, one for upstairs and one for downstairs so of course it is an absolute must for us to bring one with us when we travel. If we have extra time to pull over for a feeding and we aren’t giving little man a bottle then I whip out the Boppy.
Now that Kane is starting to get bigger the Boppy has even more uses! We use it to support his chest when he is doing his tummy time during play time and we can use it for him to relax in and support his neck. It’s always great to have that extra piece of mind that he has extra support.
*BONUS: The Boppy can double as a pillow for Mom for those long road trip naps!
Product Links:
- DockATot: https://amzn.to/3c0ulZU
- Medela Breast Pump: https://amzn.to/32A5kBL
- Car Adapter (Power Inverter): https://amzn.to/3c1aee9
- Comotomo Bottles: https://amzn.to/3izjxV9
- Packing Cubes: https://amzn.to/35LdXLX
- Tripod: https://amzn.to/33wIFWf
- Boppy Nursing Pillow: https://amzn.to/3hzYdh5
- Bottle Cooler: https://amzn.to/3kdXiEG
Our Great Adventure 