Traveling with a newborn presents some special challenges but can be done with proper planning and preparation. There are some extra safety precautions you have to keep in mind, but on the whole, traveling with a small infant is much easier than traveling with older children.

If you are traveling by car, you need to have the rear facing baby travel car seat. This needs to be properly installed and baby needs to be harnessed in the seat. Never put a small infant in a front facing car seat or hold him in your lap when you are sitting in the front seat. If you are in an accident your baby can be severely injured from the forward impact.

If you are traveling by car, you need to have the rear facing baby travel car seat. This needs to be properly installed and baby needs to be harnessed in the seat. Never put a small infant in a front facing car seat or hold him in your lap when you are sitting in the front seat. If you are in an accident your baby can be severely injured from the forward impact.

This also means that you should never take your baby out of the car seat when the car is moving. It may be just for a few seconds while you change his diaper, but during those few seconds you could be in an accident. The bottom line for a safe baby travel is to always stop the car for feeding, changing diapers or comforting.

If you are taking your newborn in an airplane, that the airline know in advance that you will have a small baby with you. You may be able to get one of the bulkhead seats which have more room for all of the baby travel accessories that are needed. Some airlines also provide a baby travel bassinet that can be attached to the wall of the bulkhead.

When the plane is taking off and landing your baby should be nursed or bottle fed so that the sucking motion relieves pressure on his eardrums. Pacifiers also do the trick.

Be sure to bring along plenty of baby travel products such as wipes, baby lotion, bags for dirty diapers, and lots of extra clothing and diapers for the trip ahead. Make up a baby travel checklist so that you never forget to bring the essentials.

Prepare a first-aid kit so you'll have the supplies you need for dealing with minor medical problems while traveling with your baby. Be sure to take along any prescription medications that your baby requires, even if only on occasion.

Fill out an emergency sheet containing contact names and numbers and your child's health information, including the names of any medications he takes, so it's handy if needed.

If you're crossing time zones and are worried about upsetting your baby's schedule, take steps to fight jet lag like shifting your baby's sleep hours for the few days leading up to your departure and exposing him to sunlight once you reach your destination. Try to avoid over scheduling the first few days of your trip, since you can't predict how disrupted your baby's rhythms might be.

Even though it takes some preparation, traveling with your newborn can be easier than traveling with a toddler. At least he won't be running around and getting into mischief and potential danger.