RELOCATING WITH AN INFANT

Babies too can sense if there is stress around them, so the key to moving with an infant is to make things as smooth as possible.  It is important that you as a parent formulate a plan and prepare yourself by eating right and getting plenty of rest in the days leading up to the move.  This preparation will help make for more relaxed parents and this will be conveyed to your infant by the tone of your voice.  Also a good idea is to talk to your baby about the move, even though they don’t understand, they can sense changes in your voice that can help ease them when there is a lot of activity around the home.  For instance, “we are almost to our new home”, or “today the moving truck is coming”, etc would be some examples of things to tell your baby.

When it comes to preparation there are several things that can help before moving day.

Hire A Babysitter (if possible): 

 Especially on a local move, it’s a good idea to plan this way in advance, that way your child is out of harms way. Someone  familiar (like a  grandma or grandpa if possible) can be fun for baby and helpful to busy parents on move day.

Plan A Route: 

If you are driving long distance in a car, make sure you have scheduled pit stops that are to be made, make sure you are taking breaks; a long car ride can be stressful, so you want to have a plan of where you will take a break ahead of time.  Also make sure you know where rest stops are, hospitals, pharmacy, in case of emergency and you need to stop right away.

Physicians: 

Make sure you contact your pediatrician ahead of time and have records transferred over, and set up a new doctors office if you are going out of state, or moving long distance, that way if you need to get in right away, you have no delays.

Checkups: 

Make sure to have your baby examined before the move, and  to make sure there are no illnesses, and that their immune systems are ready for the trip, to avoid any delays to your moving process.

Make sure you have enough essentials with you.  This will save you headaches in the long run.

ITEMS TO BRING:

Clothes, diapers, bottles if not breast feeding, car seat, carrier, shampoo, brushes, extra toys to keep the child occupied, changing mat, wipes, laundry soap, plastic bags for dirty clothes, hat, sunscreen, stroller, safety approved car seat, and most important first aid kit.

When traveling by car, the best way to keep your infant calm is to make sure you have toys to occupy them, or sounds that ease your babies, whether it’s a kids tape, or a noise making toy, test it out ahead of time to see what occupies them for a while.  It’s a good idea to make sure you take a lot of breaks, this will help make your trip less stressful.

If you have to travel by airplane, make sure you check with your airline to see what restrictions they have on infants. You may need medical clearance from a physician if you have a new born, remember you will be on a plane confined with about 200 other people, and not everyone is healthy flying.  Airplanes can hurt the infant’s ears, so you may want to consider feeding them so they are doing the swallowing motion during departure and arrival, to help ease the pressure on their ears. 

So remember when you are relocating and using a mover or doing it yourself, don’t forget your little one can sense your stress levels, and the more calm and prepared you are for your child, the easier it will be to relocate with your baby.