• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Marissa Vicario

  • Home
  • About Marissa
  • Blog
  • services
  • Book
  • TRIM Macro Coaching for Women
  • Contact

Search

How to Take a Car Trip with an Infant

09/05/20

If you really want to know how to take a car trip with an infant, my best advice is don’t do it! In all seriousness, after four long months at home in our NYC apartment during the pandemic, we needed to get away. We found an amazing house in Palm Beach County with a private pool and that solidified our decision to undertake a car trip with an infant – our baby was 8.5 months old when we left and 10.5 months old when we returned.

But this wasn’t our first car trip with an infant. Earlier this year, we took a shorter road trip to Washington DC. So with two round-trip road-trips completed- an 18-hour and a 4-hour – I’ve compiled my best tips for how to take a car trip with an infant.

Note: All tips apply to infants under one year old.

One // Divide the trip into chunks. For the shorter trip to DC, we could easily do it in one day, but for the 18-hour trip, we divided it into four days of 4-6 hour drives. This made it a lot less intimidating for us and better for our daughter. Some people recommend doing it straight-through and overnight while your baby sleeps – we’re not night owls and this approach wasn’t for us, but you may want to consider it if it suits your family.

Two // Plan to stop. A LOT. If you have a very young infant, you will need to stop every two to three hours for safety reasons. For infants over four months old, check with your pediatrician. We found that we still needed to stop about as frequently for breaks, diaper changes and fresh air to preserve our sanity and our baby’s. Frequent stops mean that a four hour trip can easily become six so plan accordingly.

Three // Bring entertainment. On our trip to DC, I got by with only a few rattles and hanging toys because our daughter slept most of the way. However, on our longer trip, she was older and only slept for scheduled naps so I brought a bag full of toys and books. Most of our toys are from the Lovevery Playkit (DM me for $20 off), but I also got a few others – you can see my Amazon storefront here. I’m not a huge fan of screen time but it saved the day for us many times on our trip. Daniel Tiger for the win!

Four // Stick to Your Schedule. Since we were traveling during daytime hours, we tried to recreate our usual schedule on the road which meant nap and meal times were consistent. Babies thrive on a schedule and we wanted to make sure Valentina knew what to expect even though we weren’t in her usual environment. For nap times, I used some of the same sleep cues we use at home – a book, a lullaby and white noise – to induce sleep.

Five // Pack pouches. For the shorter trip, Valentina hadn’t yet started solids, but I did make sure to pre-make all bottles for the car ride and keep them in this cooler bag. For the longer trip, Valentina was eating three meals a day – mostly homemade purees. To make it easy, I bought a large supply of organic pouches and spoons for the trip. They don’t need to be refrigerated and are easy to open and close.

Six // Make a diaper caddy. The best thing I did was make a diaper caddy (using a spare basin I took home from the hospital) for the car that contained a hefty supply of diapers, wipes, diaper cream, hand sanitizer and a change of clothes. I kept all of this easily accessible for stops along the way. In light of COVID, we opted to change Valentina’s diaper in the backseat of the car so we just pulled out the diaper caddy and did a quick change.

Seven // Plan ahead. I found it helpful to make a packing list of Valentina’s needs that I use for every trip. But also, for each individual trip, I mentally go through the day in my head so I can anticipate what extras she may need. We called ahead and requested a crib at each hotel, but also brought this travel crib in case we weren’t comfortable with what the hotel provided. We also asked for a mini fridge (to store pumped breastmilk) and a microwave (to warm tap water which we use to warm bottles). Most hotels were very accommodating.

A Note About Traveling with Frozen Breastmilk: On our way back from Florida, we had to travel with frozen breastmilk for three days which I hadn’t anticipated. I bought this cooler and these ice packs, packed the breastmilk storage bags in bricks (3-4 bags stacked) and wrapped them with foil and packing tape. This was enough to get the milk from one location to the next. When we arrived at our destination for the night, I asked the hotel to store the cooler in the freezer which they were happy to do. It did take a little extra planning but all the milk made it back home with us!

Have you ever taken a car trip with an infant? What advice do you have? What did I miss?

1 Comment
Travel// Uncategorized

« Artipoppe Baby Carrier Review
What to Pack for Labor and Delivery »

Trackbacks

  1. Tips for Traveling with a Toddler - Marissa Vicario says:
    August 30, 2021 at 6:00 am

    […] year around this time, I wrote about how to take a car trip with an infant. Now that airline travel is back and we’ve flown with our now toddler, I’ve gotten some […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me


Welcome! My name is Marissa and I’m a lover of all things health and wellness.As a NYC-based board-Certified Wellness Coach and Healthy Living Expert, I share my own health secrets, get-fit tips and the cooking expertise that has inspired countless women to change their relationship with food and turbocharge their health to become holistically hot in a way that’s fun and fearless.
Shop Sakara Life Today!
Sakara Review + Discount Code
Sakara 10-Day Reset Discount Code + Review
Sakara Recipes + A Discount Code {Zucchini Linguini}
Sakara Clean Boutique Favorites + A Discount Code
Sample Class Website Banner
How to Become a Health Coach + IIN Discount

Order Today! Your Holistically Hot Transformation

 Holistically Hot Transformation

How I Turned My Passion Into a Business: Next Generation.TV

Here’s an unpopular opinion … Your workout i Here’s an unpopular opinion … 

Your workout is not the Holy Grail … your nutrition is!

So many women I know tend to panic when they miss a workout or can’t fit it in, but the saying that “weight loss is made in the kitchen and muscles are made in the gym” is TRUE!

Can’t workout? Nail nutrition. I promise you’ll make more progress toward your goal doing that instead of throwing the day away. 

Let’s shift our mindset: We don’t eat to earn our food (nutrition) and you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. 

So yes, workouts are important for converting fat to muscle, for cardiovascular health and for their mental benefits. But if you miss a day or a week, your focus should be on how you’re fueling your body and not on feeling guilty for a few missed workouts. 

When you put the focus on nutrition you’re still more than halfway there!

➡️ Here’s a sneak peak at a TRIM meal plan. When you join you not only get done-for-you meal plans, but also workouts. Or you can eat your own food or do the workouts you already love. We have options to help you reach your goals! 

Registration closes soon! We start March 27. Go to the link in my bio or trim-bootcamp.com/marissa to sign up! #trimwithmarissa #trimbootcamp
Friday afternoon in Soho. Loving my extra @rentt Friday afternoon in Soho. 

Loving my extra @renttherunway spot to rent more from favorite designers like @veronicabeard (this dress) and fun coats that are getting me through this chilly Spring. 

Use my code RTRMARISSA for 40% off your first two months of membership. 💚💋🧥 @rtrambassadors #rtrambassador #rtrambassadorchallenge
LAST CALL for TRIM! I have 3 spots left! Registr LAST CALL for TRIM! I have 3 spots left! 

Registration closes soon.

We start Monday, March 27. Go to the link in my bio or trim-bootcamp.com/marissa to sign up! #trimbootcamp #trimwithmarissa
Let the client wins speak for themselves. ➡️ t Let the client wins speak for themselves. ➡️ to see progress photos from a client who is 7 inches down after 1 ROUND! That’s an inch/week! 

This client is now in our VIP program and STILL going!

Trust me, the hardest part is signing up. 

Registration is officially open and closes soon! We start March 27. Go to the link in my bio or trim-bootcamp.com/marissa to sign up!
#trimwithmarissa #trimbootcamp
TRUTH: CONSISTENCY IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON LADIES TRUTH: CONSISTENCY IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON LADIES SEE RESULTS IN TRIM 

Maybe in the past you’ve either had to follow a program perfectly to see results or believed you did, but that’s not the case for TRIM. 

TRIM is a multi-faceted program that combines fitness and nutrition to deliver results. 

And those results? That’s the MOTIVATION to keep going and make it a lifestyle!

What you need to know about TRIM:

-	TRIM is a lifestyle not a diet, so you can modify it and do it on vacation, over the Summer – whenever, wherever. We will help you make it work to fit your lifestyle. 

-	At its core, TRIM is a compilation of science-backed weight loss tactics that are proven to work. So, if you do the work, you will see results – and the best news is it doesn’t have to be perfect. 

-	As your Coach, I want to see you succeed. Even though it’s a group program, you get individual feedback and personalized attention according to your goals, preferences, and unique circumstances. 

Registration closes soon! We start March 27. Go to the link in my bio or trim-bootcamp.com/marissa to sign up! #trimwithmarissa #trimbootcamp
Don’t let your only regret be the shot you didn’t take. 

For $199 you get:

•	7 weeks of workouts, 
•	Done-for-you meal plans, 
•	Support and accountability from a dedicated coach (me) who is invested in your success, 
•	access to a proprietary app which includes a food tracker and community of women also working toward their own goals
•	Additional education on wellness and nutrition-related topics, a sustainable lifestyle that will last a LIFETIME! 

You can pay in full or opt for a payment plan. 

We start March 27. Go to the link in my bio or trim-bootcamp.com/marissa to sign up!

#trimwithmarissa #trimbootcamp
  • Home
  • About Marissa
  • Blog
  • services
  • Book
  • TRIM Macro Coaching for Women
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright Marissa Vicario © 2023
Web Design by Grace + Vine Studios