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Corinne: Your Online Guide for Travel with Babies, Toddlers and Young Children

Writer, producer, marketer, and mama of two, Corinne McDermott is the founder of Have Baby Will Travel, your online guide for travel with babies, toddlers and young children, and the upcoming Caribbean4Kids. For family travel tips, information, and ideas, connect with Corinne on twitter and on Facebook.

Have Milk, Will Travel

Today's post comes to us from our friend Corinne McDermott, the founder of Have Baby Will Travel, your online guide for travel with babies, toddlers and young children. Having nursed two children, Corinne shares her tips on how to maximize your vacation with a nursling.

One of the most beautiful memories I have of our trip to Florida a few years back is nursing my son on the beach. Both of us damp and salty from our dip in the Gulf, he nestled in for his pre-afternoon-nap feed, while the breeze blew my hair and the sand tickled my toes. A wave of bliss washed over me as I watched my daughter and husband make a sand castle and the baby started to slow down and drift off. I knew a snapshot of that moment would be permanently embedded in my brain.

One of the few travel regrets that I have is waiting until my daughter finished nursing before we traveled with her. Mostly that was due to my hang-ups about me nursing in public, but by baby #2 I was really more concerned about showing my muffin top than my breast! When my son was ten weeks old, we were off on our first adventure as a family of four. And while we may all have been a tad sleep-deprived, at least we could enjoy a beautiful change of scenery, and I didn’t have to worry about sterilizing bottles in a hotel room.

As a new mom I never would have believed it, but the younger the (breastfeeding) baby, the easier the travel companion!

There are just a few things to keep in mind before you take off this summer with your breastfeeding babe in tow:

1. Hydrate: The heat of the summer sun, and visiting southern climes, means that both you and baby will need extra liquids to stay hydrated. If baby is exclusively nursing, offer extra feeds, and make sure you drink extra water as well.

2. Rest: It may be tempting to climb that pyramid or hike that extra-long trail while babe is still content to tag along in a sling. You can still do it but be sure to schedule in time to rest too because being away from home and the chores and distractions that exist there means you can actually nap when baby does, so do it!

3. Relax: While a breastfeeding baby is very portable, if you overschedule your days you’ll all be stressed out and cranky. Plan for easy sightseeing and lots of wiggle room for just hanging out in a park and soaking up the surroundings.

Whether by plane, train, or automobile, don’t be afraid to venture out and see the world with your baby in tow! It’s still totally doable once they’re older and on to solids and sippies, but the extra baggage just means less room in the suitcase for your stuff!

Do you have any tips for traveling with a nursing baby?

9:05am on Friday June 3

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