Tips & tricks for travelling long distances with a teething baby

Tips & tricks for travelling long distances with a teething baby

My worst nightmare was realised the other day, when not only did we have to drive 6 hours to Perth for a 30 minute hospital appointment with her specialist, but we also had an angry, teething baby who was in no mood to travel.

Our normally placid and playful 5 month old was transformed into a screaming, grumpy drooling terror (for lack of a better word)

But in the end, we made the appointment (barely) and had learnt a few things along the way.

So here is my tips and tricks for travelling long distances with a teething baby :)

1. Pack a treat: in our case it was banana's (Lilly-Mary's favourite food, after breastmilk) and it worked wonders! It was one of the few things that soothed her gums and relaxed her enough to finally fall asleep

2. Comforting toys: We generally try travel light when it comes to taking stuffed toys etc, but it's well worth taking the few that really keep her entertained and happy

3. Pack extra pacifiers! For those whose little one's use them, NEVER forget to pack extras! The amount of time's we have forgotten/lost one while being out is astronomical. If possible, keep a pack in the car, to save you having to buy them while on the road, or worse still, going without completely

4. Stop regularly (time permitting): Although Lilly-Mary isn't quite at the crawling stage yet, she does enjoy a good stretch of her legs, a little look around and some fresh air. A 5 minute stop can honestly be the difference between a happy, content baby and an overtired, under stimulated one. We also find the fresh air sends her to sleep which is the ultimate goal with a teething baby (well, for me anyways)

5. Bring things to chew on: When Lilly-Mary was smaller , we used to just let her chew on my finger. But as she grows (and more teeth keep popping up) we found she needs more teethers or atleast a squishee toy to destroy

6. Read: Or talk, sing etc. Often Lilly-Mary just want's to be cuddled when she's teething, which is difficult to do when she's strapped safely into a car seat, so I find reading to her can also be a great source of comfort. As well as letting her hold my finger :)

Hopefully next time you find yourself on a long car trip (or even a short one!), you can face it head on with a few of these tips by your side :)