For all those new parents out there I send out my congratulations and sympathy. Sympathy because their world will never be the same; simple trips to the grocery store will now require advanced panning and fool proof game plan. Having children is wonderful and a true blessing but what the parenting magazines and friendly advise neglect to tell you is exactly what is necessary to survive any sort of trip with a newborn.

Why are car trips so hard?

I'll tell you why car trips are your new worst nightmare. For starters it is required that all infants be securely fastened into a car seat. What they don't tell you is that you will not be able to readily check your new baby's beautiful face in the rear view mirror. Oh no, the car seat is facing away from you because it is a major safety risk. So for all you parents out there that has them facing you that’s a big no no. To add more stress to your situation going anywhere from there and back is made even more difficult because murphy’s law often dictates that your infant will start streaking at the most in-opportune time thus leaving you frazzled and scrambling to make it all "better."

How can you get ahead of the curve ball when it comes to hellish car rides?

Great question! The first thing to remember is that once a baby comes out it immediately wants to be attached like a cling on to mom. While this is both adorable and frustrating it can pose a big problem if mom is the one driving and there is no one else in the car. The easiest solution to this problem would be to have dad be the temporary shofar. Unfortunately, dad may have to work and does not have a whole lot of time off to spend with the newest addition to the family. If this is the case then pacifiers and pre-feeding before and during a car ride is a must. A full tummy will immediately place your adorable bundle of joy into a blissful food coma and allow you to carry out all those pesky errands that you have been pushing off until absolutely necessary. Another god sent creation is the invention of a pacifier. I have personally found with my own newborn is that if she has a full tummy popping that pacifier in after I buckle her in allows her to continue sucking away in her sleep thus making her blissfully quiet while I do what I need to do.

Why do all parents with babies carry a dipper bag?

Believe me when I say that as annoying and as heavy as that bulging sack of baby essentials is it is a god sent. You never know what can happen while you are out so this bag allows you to be prepared for anything. My own recommendation for a child that is three months and younger is to have;

• dipper changing kit • extra dippers • 2 changes of clothes for baby • one or more changes of shirt for mommy • at least 12 fluid oz. bottle with formula • blanket • pacifier plus spare • burp cloth plus two spares • baby Tylenol • baby hat/beanie (depending on weather) • sunscreen (in summer or sunny days) • and anything else you can think of that is useful for baby.

These helpful tips can truly turn a nightmare trip into a breeze.