If you have children, you want to keep your life much like it was before you gave birth. There are a lot of things that change, and you are going to love those changes if you have been looking forward to a family, but you want some things to stay the same. If your are use to traveling around for vacations or to visit friends and family, you may not have the time and inclination to do that as much as you did, but that does not mean you can not take a few well planned trips with your new baby. Think about getting a safe travel baby bed to take with you.
Your travel baby bed should be something that can be safe but small and portable at the same time. Toddlers are easier to travel with because they do not have to sleep in specific types of beds in comparison to what infants need, but you may want to have something for them that is just theirs. These travel beds should be easy to fold and store, while remaining safe and secure when unpacked and put up in your hotel or wherever it is that you are going to be staying while away from home.
For an infant, a travel baby bed should be big enough that they can lay on their backs securely, but it should also be secure so that they can not roll out of it or in any way crawl out of it if they are moving around on their own. Think of the safety features that are included with your crib or bassinet at home. Do not get anything that is supposed to help fight SIDS, as many of these are good ideas, but are not tested by the government. Instead, find things that mimic what you feel safe with at home.
For some, a good travel baby bed is nothing more than the Pack N Play or similar play pen that they use at home. This is okay, as they travel well and most models are easy to put up and down. They fold up into a small bag that makes them ideal for most travel, though they may not do well on a plane. If you are traveling by car or van, this is perfect. The best part is that you don't have to buy something new if you already have this, and you are going to use it every day anyway. That's a great investment.
If you choose to buy something new for your travel baby bed needs, get it out and allow it to air before you take it with you, and have your baby spend some time in it. This allows them to feel that they know the bed so it will not be a totally foreign environment when they go away from home. For some babies, this is traumatic. If they have spent some time in their travel baby bed, you may still have problems, but some of the new space will be familiar to them, and that can help them fall asleep peacefully while away from home.