Travel Baby

Getting ready for a trip with your baby can be made a lot easier with some pre-planning. Here are some ideas…

1. Don’t wait for the last minute. Start preparing to pack a few weeks before you travel. Keep an ongoing list of items to bring, or put items out on a table or chest of drawers as you think of them. Get a free ebook Packing Lists for Baby Travel Here are some item to consider.
   • Diapers- One for each hour you’ll be in transit, plus extras in case of emergencies or delays.
   • Baby blanket- Bring at least one for comfort, shade and warmth.
   • Plastic bags that can be resealed- Pack some medium-sized ones for stashing dirty diapers, clothes and bibs.
   • Diaper rash cream.
   • Baby wipes.
   • Baby bath and lotion.
   • Tissues.
   • Extra soothers.
   • Clothes- One to two outfits per day. Pack cotton layers for traveling.
   • Washable bibs.
   • Bottles.
   • Sun hat and sun screen.
   • Food, formula, water and/or juice- Bring more than you think you’ll need for the trip, as you can’t predict travel delays.
   • Breast pump- For expressing breast milk.
   • Baby carriers- Easy to pack and a great way to reduce the amount that your baby cries during the trip. Studies have shown that babies who were carried in a sling or in their parents’ arms cried less than other babies. It also frees your hands up for other items.
   • Travel bed to keep baby safe and comfy.
   • Baby car seat for safe travel by car, plane, train, or bus.
   • Portable baby stroller.
   • Portable high chair.
2. Use a baby diaper bag with a waterproof lining and a shoulder strap. Make sure that your diaper bag has lots of compartments for organizing your items.
3. Pack an extra shirt or top for yourself in your hand luggage in case of accidents.
4. Prevent leaks by packing medicines and toiletries in re-sealable plastic bags
5. Bring a changing mat to put under your baby during diaper changes. Better yet use a diaper bag that has a built in changing mat.
6. Pack an energy-boosting snack handy for yourself.
7. Bring your camera and plenty of film or digital memory cards.
8. Pack a clip-on reading light so you can read without disturbing your baby.

Baby car seats are essential equipment for today’s mobile family. However, not all car seats are created equally which is why it is absolutely necessary to have the right seat for your car and your baby in order to have maximum protection in case of an accident.

All parents are lost when it comes to choosing the perfect car seat for their baby. Every baby car seat manufacturer have their own sets of safety features that choosing the right one becomes a headache and equally frustrating.

The following are basic baby car seat choosing guide that you can use as a checklist when shopping around for the perfect unit for your baby:
Does it fit the car securely? With the baby car seat fitted and mounted, is there enough room for a person to go across the seat without difficulty? Does it install/uninstall easily? What is the safety rating of the baby car seat? What is the maximum weight of the child that the seat can hold? Does it have above-the-head protection? Is the baby car seat reversible, front facing and backward facing? Is the instruction manual easy to understand and well illustrated? Lastly, does it fir your budget?

Generally, the simplest and easiest baby car seat to use is the kind with a base that you can buckle securely into the car; this kind of baby car seat can be lifted off and carried around by the handle. This kind is very convenient because you can carry the baby anywhere even while strapped securely into the seat.

Never underestimate the importance of a baby car seat as it can prevent serious injury to your child as all children below 12 years of age are required by law to be seated in the back of the car, especially if your vehicle is equipped with driver and passenger air bags.

Whenever you bring your child along for a ride, be sure that the baby car seat is securely strapped and the baby is secure. Keep in mind to appropriately restrain your child at all times until your child is ready to use regular seatbelts. To make sure that regular seatbelts are okay, make sure the shoulder trap fits across the shoulder not the neck and that the lap belt fits across the hips and not the stomach.

Make sure that the baby car seat you buy has a label with the manufacturer’s address, contact number and seat model – you need this should a replacement be required.

Regardless of the make, model, color of the baby car seat you buy make sure it fits your vehicle and your baby is well protected for that priceless ease of mind and the safety of your loved one!

By: Vincent Yim

Any person who has ever been out shopping for baby shower gifts or baby travel accessories will have discovered that there are a multitude of products on the market that carry the Graco Baby brand name. Graco Inc. has a long history in the baby product market and they have developed a very good reputation for making products that are not only of high quality, but also affordable.

The Graco line of baby car seats, as well as the Graco strollers, are probably the best known and most popular of all their products. Because safety is of such great concern when it comes to anything related to babies, and especially when it comes to car seats and baby strollers, it is comforting for parents to know that Graco products are highly rated, with regard to safety standards and overall quality and durability.

There is a great selection of Graco baby vehicle seat models that a new parent can select from. Some models are very lightweight and easy to move from one vehicle to another and are great for use with toddlers. These can often even be used later as a booster seat when the toddler has outgrown the baby seat, yet isn’t big enough to ride without some type of car seat.

There are also several baby car seat models made by Graco that are designed especially for newborns and infants. They provide the maximum amount of support and comfort to the baby while also offering all the safety and security for the child that a parent could ever hope for. Some models have adjustments that allow the car seat to be used as the child grows into the toddler stage. Of course, the more adjustable and adaptable the model is the more you can expect to pay for it.

While some people think that they might as well buy a baby car seat that can be used from the time a child is newborn all the way though the toddler stage and even beyond, for many new parents the cost is just prohibitive to do that. Fortunately, Graco provides lots of options to parents so that they can find just the right thing that fits into their budget.

Sometimes, it just makes sense to purchase the lower priced item even when you know in six months to a year you will have to buy something else to accommodate the child as they continue to grow. While this often is the least expensive approach, sometimes it is the only way to fit the necessary baby travel gear into the budget at that stage. With all of the models of Graco strollers, baby car seats, and other baby products, the parents always have a choice no matter what stage of development their child is in and what type of baby travel accessories they need at the time.

One very popular Graco baby product is the Graco Duo Glider baby stroller. It is able to handle either twins, or a newborn and a sibling who is still in diapers.

This Graco stroller has a large storage bin for carrying the necessities that are needed, and it has a tray for each seat as well as cup holder. In addition, the rear seat is slightly higher, giving the child in the back a view of where the family is headed.

By: Mike Selvon