First trip away from home with a 10 week old...what to take?

[lissy]

We are off to mackay which is 6 hours travel from where we live. We are going for Nephews 1st birthday but are staying in a motel room for the night.
This is our first trip away with bub, actually will be the first night he's ever slept away from home. So Im wondering what obscure things I might forget to pack?? He's also never been in the car for more than an hour or so, any tips on this would be appreciated too

Ive got my nappy bag with all the usual items, change mat, more bunnies, nappies, dummies etc.
So far:

5 x all in one suits
2 x good sets - warmer weather
1 x good set - cooler weather
3 x singlets

1 x towel
4 x burp clothes (he's a bit refluxy)
1 x cloth for showering
4 x bunny rugs

Basinette
2 x blankets
1 x bunny wrap
2 x sheets
1 x protector

Stroller

Im hoping to go shopping SAT morning after we get there, of to SIL's for the afternoon, shopping again SUN morning, then 6hrs drive home. As we aren't in the motel room much Im wondering if its even worth taking his playmat/gym or anything?

The 6hrs home in the car is worrying me a bit as he generally tends to cluster feed in the afternoons, then sleeps through the night, so not sure how this will go travelling during this time.

[Miss E]

We did our first trip with DS at a similar age and I took pretty much everything! It was a bit OTT, but I'm very much a JIC kinda girl, so I brought things like the thermometer and panadol in case he came down with something. If you're not going to take his playmat, then I'd take a sheepskin or something so that you can pop him down on the floor and let him have a stretch for a bit.

I wouldn't worry too much about the car trip. Ours was only about 3.5 hours and DS slept the whole time, which I didn't expect. But we'd just planned to pull over or stop somewhere if he needed a feed along the way.

[lissy]

Thanks Miss E. I hadn't thought of panadol, will have to remember to put it in.

[Teeki]

Our first trip away wasn't as long as yours, we went 3 hours away for one night when DD was 6 weeks old. We took very similar stuff to you, except we took a portacot for her to sleep in at night, and her pram with basinette to sleep in at the party we went to.

We didn't bother with a play gym/mat, if DH or I weren't holding DD there were plenty of rellies looking for cuddles!

In two weeks we're going two hours away for the night, and this time we won't bother with the portacot as she slept with us last time due to the freezing cold. This time she'll sleep with us or in the pram basinette.

As for the drive, on the way there we left when she fell asleep the first time that day - about 8:30am, and the car ride kept her asleep the whole way, she was great. On the way home, we left after lunch and she'd already slept a fair bit that day. So she didn't sleep much and just didn't want to be in the car. We stopped a couple of times and she was fine.

You might also want to consider where the sun will be coming in through the windows, we found it hit DD in the face from one of the back windows opposite her, not the one right next to her.

[sahbear]

We did 4 days away (4hour drive) when E was about 3 weeks old, and I took loads of clothes in case of any dramas with nappies!

Do you wrap your bub to go to sleep? We have those zip up ones and I took extras of those just in case too.

We left straight after a feed, and he didn't wake til w got there.

If he cluster feeds in the afternoons, can you leave early in the morning?

I wouldn't worry about the gym, just somethin to lay him on which looks like you have covered.

[lissy]

Well we survived our trip lol. DS is a great traveller in the car, sleeps like a log. First night away he had terrible sleep waking every 2hrs..... :S. He was incredibly upset Saturday while we tried a bit of shopping & just wouldn't settle at SIL's for my nephews party so we couldn't stay late & visit....bugger! We had some quiet time back at the motel & he had good feeds & only woke once during the night, so I think he is ok as long as he gets his afternoon feeds on time before he goes down for the night, problem is he will sleep through feeds if he's in the car lol.

Away I ended up taking more than I needed & did't need a play mat as we put some bunny rugs on the bed & let him stretch & play. He spent ages watching & talking to the split system ac on the wall :P.