You can go on holiday with your baby for the first time in your life with a 3-month-old baby. Doctors usually advise against traveling with an infant who is less than 3 months old. This lower age limit is extended for a further several months when the baby is either born prematurely or becomes seriously ill shortly after birth. In such cases, permission to travel must be issued by the pediatrician who looks after the child on a permanent basis.

Before you set off on ajourney with your baby , see a doctor - also when the baby is he althy, if only to make sure that an infection is not just beginning. What else should you know when going on a trip with a toddler? The question that new parents often ask on Internet forums is: how far can you go on vacation with an infant, so as not to tire the child or yourself too much. The answer depends on … the toddler and his temperament. If your child is calm and sleeps a lot during the day, he or she will probably sleep most of the trip and will not be troublesome even during a few hours of driving. For a holiday with little children, the best are the quiet surroundings: Masuria, Kashubia, etc., where the air is clean and there are no excess of vacationers looking for holiday entertainment. Spoil noisy resorts where music pounds at night and it's hard to cram to the beach during the day. It is also better not to go abroad with your baby. First of all, such a journey is usually long and tiring, second - if neither of you is fluent in the language of the country you would like to travel to, it will be difficult to get medical help in the event of a child's illness, because it is not possible to communicate in English everywhere.

What time of the day should you travel with a small child?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. It is definitely worth taking a trip outside the rush hour - so as not to get stuck in a traffic jam for a few hours. In hot weather, it is better to choose cooler times of the day - early morning or early evening. Some parents prefer to ride at night when their baby is soundly asleep and it's not hot outside. However, this is a bad way - the police statistics show that this is where the most accidents happen, because drivers tired from all-day activities are less concentrated and even fall asleep at the wheel.

How to choose the right car seat?

Important

A car seat is the basis

According to the road traffic law, a toddler must travel in an appropriate seat, adjusted to his height and weight. There are two models for the smallest children: from 0 to 9 kg and from 0 to 13 kg. An infant in a car seat should travel rear-facing. The seat must be fastened with straps so steadily that it does not move sideways, forward or backward. When your child is traveling in the front seat, turn off the airbag before installing the seat - if you cannot disconnect it, the child must ride in the rear. Remember, your child must be fastened in the seat belt!

Traveling with a small child in a car

If you are driving a car, take everything you need to travel with you:

  • sun protection for windows
  • Carrying accessories. You will need a change of nappies, wet wipes to clean the buttocks, anti-chafing cream, bags for used nappies, a travel changing bag or a nappy cloth
  • supply of tissues
  • feeding accessories if you are not breastfeeding. Take: a few sterilized bottles and teats, a bottle of boiled water and powder to prepare the mixture, a car heater, clean water to rinse bottles after feeding, cloths to wipe the bottles
  • drinking for a baby (if not breastfeeding)
  • change clothes
  • toys. If you're lucky, your little one will sleep all the way. But it is worth stocking up on a supply of rattles that will make his journey pleasant. For the youngest children, special arches with toys that can be attached to the seat are useful (make sure that they can be attached to your seat before buying), or small playing mats that can be attached to the backrest of the front seat in the car - when the toddler hits them feet, the mat shines and makes various sounds.

Note! Therefore, never leave a sleeping child in the car in the parking lot - even if you go out "just for a moment" to a roadside bar for a hamburger.

On hot days, the temperature in a closed car reaches over 50 degrees after one hour of parking.

If it is very hot while driving in the car, undress the child - it can only be in a diaper and a jacket or a bodysuit. You can cool your toddler with a battery powered fan (they are in toy stores). Do not open the windows too far (this is a sure way to catch your child's ear infection), and if you have air conditioning in your car, set it to cool it slightly - too much temperature difference will cause your child to develop a runny nose.

Travel with a smallchild by coach

Passengers under the age of 4 in most cases do not need their own ticket on the coach, unless they use a separate seat. But the coach is the least comfortable means of transport for parents with children. When traveling by coach, it is difficult to feed or change a toddler. In addition, on hot days in ordinary coaches it is hot and stuffy, and in coaches with air conditioning - too cold for an infant.

By law, there is no obligation to transport a child in a child seat and belts on the bus. However, these laws do not guarantee your child's safety. Even during sudden braking, it can slip out of our hands, not to mention a collision. There are more and more new buses equipped with seat belts on our roads. Unfortunately, these are two-point belts (not three-point ones) and do not guarantee the correct installation of the seat.

If you have to travel by coach, make sure what time the fewest people travel on it, or buy an extra seat to set up a child seat. The luggage with the trolley must be stored in the luggage compartment. Take hand luggage with the things necessary for feeding and transporting your baby on the coach. Remember to bring your baby something to cover (a nappy or a thin blanket) and a drinking bottle if you are not breastfeeding. A small, battery-operated fan is also very useful, so you can cool your child when you feel that they are too warm (take spare batteries for a longer journey).

Traveling with a toddler by train

Riding a train with a small child can be cumbersome only when getting in and out, when you need to quickly deal with the stroller and luggage. The journey itself is comfortable, because in the compartment, if you travel outside rush hours, you can set up the stroller or easily change the child. Before you buy a ticket, make sure that there is a compartment for mum with a child on the train (and which part of the train it is in). If there is no such range, remember that children under 4 travel for free, but only in second class. However, second-class carriages are crowded, so sometimes it's better to pay for an additional ticket and take two seats. Also, don't save money by choosing the type of train. An express is better than a cheaper one in a hurry: you will get there faster, so both you and your child will get tired less. For the next journey (e.g. from Warsaw to Rzeszów or Świnoujście) it is good to travel at night, by train with a couchette.

Traveling with a toddler by plane

As a rule, children under the age of 2, if they do not occupy a separate seat, do not pay more than 10% for a ticket. its values. However, before you buy a ticket, make sure thatwhat conditions is offered by a given carrier, ask about promotions and find out if you can bring a stroller on board (most airlines allow you to bring a folded stroller or car seat on board only if there is a free seat - if there is no place, they are transported free of charge in luggage hold). Also ask if the child is en titled to their own luggage (and how much the maximum it can weigh). Take transport and feeding accessories on the plane. If you are not breastfeeding, make sure you can bring water and powdered milk for baby formula on board and that they must be in factory-sealed packaging.

How to travel with a child?

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