Welcome to my new series where I answer reader questions...
Q: How young was your baby when you first traveled with her? We were planning to travel back to Europe to visit my family in August. But, that was before we knew we were pregnant. If we traveled at the end of August, the baby would be approx. 5-6 weeks old. Do you have any advice?
A: We did lots of traveling with our infant(s) starting when HB was 9 weeks old.
The main priority with a tiny infant is the risk of infection. According to my pediatrician at the time, 9 weeks old is when she was comfortable with us flying with HB. I previously wrote about our decision to *not* take HB on a trip to New York City when she was only 6-week old.
The problem is that they can't be vaccinated until 6 weeks and it takes several weeks for full efficacy (or so we were told). So, 9 weeks is really the first time that I would feel comfortable flying with my kids, especially internationally where they may be exposed to more varied illnesses.
Another problem is how quickly you can get a passport. In the States, you have to wait for your birth certificate to be officially filed (~2 weeks) and your social security card (~2 weeks) before you can even apply for a passport, which takes 6 weeks. I remember when we first
traveled with HB at 9 weeks, the passport came only the week before we left! Though there is an option to speed it up if you pay some extra $.
Finally, one question I would ask yourself is how will *you* be feeling at 6 weeks? I remember having a really tough labor with HB and feeling just barely back to normal around 6 weeks. AB was a different story, easy labor, back to normal after 2 weeks. Will you have the energy to pack and prepare the family for a long trip at just a few weeks postpartum? Or will you have helping hands around to help you out?
I guess you have to weigh the desire to visit your family with the risk to the infant (which I would discuss with your pediatrician), and how up to traveling you will feel that soon on.
I wish you best of luck in whatever you choose!
Readers, what do you think? How early is too early to take an infant on a long trip?
If you have questions you would like to ask, please email me: josie (at) organizedmommyblog.com
Related posts:
Traveling With Your Baby/Toddler
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traveling. Show all posts
Monday, February 09, 2009
Ask Josie - Babies Too Young to Travel?
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Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler: Traveling Internationally
Post 6 of 6 on Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
You will need a passport for the baby. Both parents need to be present at the passport office to sign the papers. Make sure to have 6 weeks lead time. If you are in the US, you can get the passport pictures taken at most drugstores. We had HB’s pictures taken at 4 weeks before she could even hold up her head. Just make sure that any props or hands holding the baby are not visible in the picture. If you are in Canada, they are much more strict about passport pictures, and you will need to go to a special photo studio that can handle infants.
If the baby is traveling internationally without both parents, you will need a notarized letter of consent from the non-traveling parent. You can find example letters online. Make sure to get it notarized so that there will be no question of its validity.
You will need a passport for the baby. Both parents need to be present at the passport office to sign the papers. Make sure to have 6 weeks lead time. If you are in the US, you can get the passport pictures taken at most drugstores. We had HB’s pictures taken at 4 weeks before she could even hold up her head. Just make sure that any props or hands holding the baby are not visible in the picture. If you are in Canada, they are much more strict about passport pictures, and you will need to go to a special photo studio that can handle infants.
If the baby is traveling internationally without both parents, you will need a notarized letter of consent from the non-traveling parent. You can find example letters online. Make sure to get it notarized so that there will be no question of its validity.
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Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler: At your destination
Post 5 of 6 on Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
If staying in a hotel, book a suite rather than a single room if possible. If HB wakes up in the middle of the night, she will not put herself back to sleep if she sees us in the room. Also, in a single room with a sleeping baby, you are a prisoner to your dark room. If baby wakes early (likely if you are changing time zones), one parent can entertain the baby in the other room while the other one sleeps. This is critical if you have come in on the red-eye!
See above Toys section on what hotel room items can be re-purposed as toys.
If traveling to a wedding or other big event, it pays to spring for the extra ticket to bring grandma or some other person along to help care for the baby while you are there. It takes much more work to care for a baby when you are traveling. You don’t have your familiar set-up and everything takes more energy.
We’ve also had good success in hiring childcare at our location. Contact your hotel for recommended nanny agencies. You can phone-screen a few potential candidates in the weeks before you leave and make sure to call at least two references for your chosen person. The nanny agency should be able to supply a copy of the background check, CPR certification, etc. Opt for experience over price. To aide the transition, I usually spend half an hour in the room with the nanny showing her around and getting her acquainted with the kids. Then, I spend 1 hour or so onsite at the hotel, but not in the room. (This is a great time to acquaint yourself with the hotel spa, gym, or pool!) If the nanny has problems, they can call you on your cell phone and you can respond quickly. Tell them that you will return in “about an hour or two”, and then check in earlier than that. If you arrive at the room and things look like they are going smoothly, you can feel confident to leave the nanny with the children with you off the premises. Leave detailed written instructions for what to do in an emergency including contact info for you, where you are going, your and the children’s full names, and contact info for someone back home who knows the children well. (A sign of a good nanny agency is that they will ask for this info ahead of time.)
If staying in a hotel, book a suite rather than a single room if possible. If HB wakes up in the middle of the night, she will not put herself back to sleep if she sees us in the room. Also, in a single room with a sleeping baby, you are a prisoner to your dark room. If baby wakes early (likely if you are changing time zones), one parent can entertain the baby in the other room while the other one sleeps. This is critical if you have come in on the red-eye!
See above Toys section on what hotel room items can be re-purposed as toys.
If traveling to a wedding or other big event, it pays to spring for the extra ticket to bring grandma or some other person along to help care for the baby while you are there. It takes much more work to care for a baby when you are traveling. You don’t have your familiar set-up and everything takes more energy.
We’ve also had good success in hiring childcare at our location. Contact your hotel for recommended nanny agencies. You can phone-screen a few potential candidates in the weeks before you leave and make sure to call at least two references for your chosen person. The nanny agency should be able to supply a copy of the background check, CPR certification, etc. Opt for experience over price. To aide the transition, I usually spend half an hour in the room with the nanny showing her around and getting her acquainted with the kids. Then, I spend 1 hour or so onsite at the hotel, but not in the room. (This is a great time to acquaint yourself with the hotel spa, gym, or pool!) If the nanny has problems, they can call you on your cell phone and you can respond quickly. Tell them that you will return in “about an hour or two”, and then check in earlier than that. If you arrive at the room and things look like they are going smoothly, you can feel confident to leave the nanny with the children with you off the premises. Leave detailed written instructions for what to do in an emergency including contact info for you, where you are going, your and the children’s full names, and contact info for someone back home who knows the children well. (A sign of a good nanny agency is that they will ask for this info ahead of time.)
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Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler: At the airport
Post 4 of 6 on Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
Getting through security:
You have to hold the baby to go through the metal detector, remove all baby’s jackets, shoes, and blankets (these have to go through the conveyer belt along with the stroller). No matter how soundly asleep the baby is, they will not let you leave her in the stroller!
Do the following in order:
With the baby in the stroller,
1) Remove your shoes, jackets and sweaters, take your laptop out of the sleeve, and your liquid items in the little 1-qt bag onto the conveyer belt. Take the diaper bag out of the tote and put the tote through the conveyer belt. Remove baby’s shoes, jackets, and blankets and put them through the conveyer.
2) Put the diaper bag on the conveyer and point it out to the scanner operator so that they will know to expect to see creams and liquids. You do not need to take the baby food, diaper cream, bottles, etc out of the diaper bag. If they are concerned, they will open the diaper bag after it gets scanned.
3) Take baby out of stroller, collapse stroller and put through conveyer.
4) Walk through metal detector with the baby.
On the other side, wait for the stroller to come out, and put everything back together in reverse order (baby into the stroller first).
Do not feel rushed! People behind you can see that you have a baby and should know to go in a different line if they are in a hurry.
If you are not a seasoned traveler, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The TSA workers often know better than you do how your stroller and other gear will best fit through the conveyer belt.
Pre-flight:
Buy your water and extra milk in the terminal. Buy any snacks or meals you will need for the flight. Then, find a kid play area or an empty gate, and let your babies run or crawl around as much as possible before the flight and between flights if you have a layover. If there is no good place for them to run around, then put them in the stroller and keep them moving. They will be entertained by people watching.
Be at your gate 30 min before the flight for pre-boarding. If you miss the pre-boarding, don’t stress. If you’ve followed my advice above, you only have the baby and 1 tote bag, so you will not need any help boarding the plane.
On the Flight:
The first thing I do after getting the baby into her seat is to use a sanitizing wipe to wipe down the arm rest, the tray table, the seatbelt and any other surface the baby may touch. I’m not usually such a germophobe, but planes are very germy, and your baby will be spending considerable time there.
Be sure to change the diaper more often than you normally would. They are sitting on their butts rather than moving around, so diaper rash comes faster than normal. HB has really sensitive skin, so we try to change her every 1.5-2 hours unless she is asleep.
We like to keep her awake until after takeoff. There is a ton of commotion while people are boarding, and more as the plane is taxi-ing with the in-flight crew and pilot’s announcements. So, any bedtime routine is constantly interrupted. We start the bedtime routine right at take-off. The loud engine noise is especially good for this. Try to make the routine as close as possible to the one you use at home. We find that it is easier to soothe HB if she is already in her car seat, rather than holding her to soothe and then and transferring after she is drowsy. The transfer always wakes her up. A few minutes of crying on takeoff will quickly be forgiven by the other passengers if the baby sleeps through the flight.
If the baby is not sleeping, you can let them play on the floor in front of their seat. I find that once you let them have access to the aisle, they want to run up and down and annoy all the other passengers. It is best to keep them contained to your row. See pointers below on toys we like to entertain them for the flight. Airplanes have lots of built-in toys. You can let them play with the in-flight magazine, the airplane safety pamphlet, a few empty plastic cups, the seatbelt, and an (unused) barf bag. These have high novelty-factor so are sometimes more effective than toys you’ve brought from home.
Getting through security:
You have to hold the baby to go through the metal detector, remove all baby’s jackets, shoes, and blankets (these have to go through the conveyer belt along with the stroller). No matter how soundly asleep the baby is, they will not let you leave her in the stroller!
Do the following in order:
With the baby in the stroller,
1) Remove your shoes, jackets and sweaters, take your laptop out of the sleeve, and your liquid items in the little 1-qt bag onto the conveyer belt. Take the diaper bag out of the tote and put the tote through the conveyer belt. Remove baby’s shoes, jackets, and blankets and put them through the conveyer.
2) Put the diaper bag on the conveyer and point it out to the scanner operator so that they will know to expect to see creams and liquids. You do not need to take the baby food, diaper cream, bottles, etc out of the diaper bag. If they are concerned, they will open the diaper bag after it gets scanned.
3) Take baby out of stroller, collapse stroller and put through conveyer.
4) Walk through metal detector with the baby.
On the other side, wait for the stroller to come out, and put everything back together in reverse order (baby into the stroller first).
Do not feel rushed! People behind you can see that you have a baby and should know to go in a different line if they are in a hurry.
If you are not a seasoned traveler, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The TSA workers often know better than you do how your stroller and other gear will best fit through the conveyer belt.
Pre-flight:
Buy your water and extra milk in the terminal. Buy any snacks or meals you will need for the flight. Then, find a kid play area or an empty gate, and let your babies run or crawl around as much as possible before the flight and between flights if you have a layover. If there is no good place for them to run around, then put them in the stroller and keep them moving. They will be entertained by people watching.
Be at your gate 30 min before the flight for pre-boarding. If you miss the pre-boarding, don’t stress. If you’ve followed my advice above, you only have the baby and 1 tote bag, so you will not need any help boarding the plane.
On the Flight:
The first thing I do after getting the baby into her seat is to use a sanitizing wipe to wipe down the arm rest, the tray table, the seatbelt and any other surface the baby may touch. I’m not usually such a germophobe, but planes are very germy, and your baby will be spending considerable time there.
Be sure to change the diaper more often than you normally would. They are sitting on their butts rather than moving around, so diaper rash comes faster than normal. HB has really sensitive skin, so we try to change her every 1.5-2 hours unless she is asleep.
We like to keep her awake until after takeoff. There is a ton of commotion while people are boarding, and more as the plane is taxi-ing with the in-flight crew and pilot’s announcements. So, any bedtime routine is constantly interrupted. We start the bedtime routine right at take-off. The loud engine noise is especially good for this. Try to make the routine as close as possible to the one you use at home. We find that it is easier to soothe HB if she is already in her car seat, rather than holding her to soothe and then and transferring after she is drowsy. The transfer always wakes her up. A few minutes of crying on takeoff will quickly be forgiven by the other passengers if the baby sleeps through the flight.
If the baby is not sleeping, you can let them play on the floor in front of their seat. I find that once you let them have access to the aisle, they want to run up and down and annoy all the other passengers. It is best to keep them contained to your row. See pointers below on toys we like to entertain them for the flight. Airplanes have lots of built-in toys. You can let them play with the in-flight magazine, the airplane safety pamphlet, a few empty plastic cups, the seatbelt, and an (unused) barf bag. These have high novelty-factor so are sometimes more effective than toys you’ve brought from home.
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Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler: Prepping for the Flight (2)
Post 3 of 6 on Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
Pack list:
Here is our pack list for HB @ 18 mo. for a 14-day trip.
Travel formula (8 packs) – enough for the flight up and back.
Spoons (2)
Bottles (2) (one in diaper bag)
Bowls (2)
Sippy cups (2) (one in diaper bag)
Pajamas + onesies (3)
Sun hat
Sunscreen
Bathing suit
Stuffed animal
Night diapers (14)
Nice dress + tights + shoes
Outfits (socks, shirts, pants, shoes, and sweaters) (7)
Toys, books, DVDs
Wash cloth
Tooth brush
Sit n stroll
Jacket
Hat and Gloves
Shoes
Musical Bunny
Monitors + chargers
Annies mac n cheese single serving packets (2)
Peach or Pear fruit cups (4)
Mixed snacks in small tupperware (2-3)
All of this fits comfortably into a 20” wheelie suitcase (carry-on size). When traveling with me and the baby, everything fits into a 24” wheelie. When traveling with three of us, we fit into one 24” and one 20” wheelie. (Maybe another post is needed about packing light for Mom and Dad?)
Notice, we don’t pack food, formula, wipes, or diapers (besides a 1-day supply). We give a shopping list to someone at the destination, send them ahead, or buy them when we arrive. For certain things that might be tough to find at the destination, we bring them along or ship them ahead. These include night diapers, and our specific brand of formula. Whatever you do, don't carry a large can of formula. Bring one-shot packs, make your own one-shot packs, and/or buy a small can at your destination.
If you are staying somewhere for a long time, it’s worthwhile to bring an extra changing mat. You can have one set up in the hotel and not have to remember to re-load it into the diaper bag every time you go out.
Toys:
Novelty is key for toys and books. Buy ones that compact easily (stacking cups/bowls, nesting boxes, etc). I love to raid the Target $$ bins for new/cheap toys. Then, I don’t mind losing them or intentionally leaving them behind if you need the extra room.
For little babies that still put everything in their mouths, attach toys to their car seat or stroller so that they can not easily drop them. The same goes for soothers. If you can’t attach them, have toys that can easily be wiped off. Like I said before, airplanes are very germy places. So, plastic or wooden toys are preferable to plush ones.
Don’t over-do the number of toys you bring. You can find a lot of things on-site to make into toys: hotel ice bucket, hotel plastic cups, hotel notepad and pen, magazines, etc. You need less than you think. Besides the toys we carry on (see carry on pack list above), we usually bring:
* 1 board puzzle (they pack well because they are flat)
* 1 book
* 1 other multi-purpose toy, like stacking cups, or nesting boxes
* 2 DVD’s - one favorite from home and one new one. Take them out of the packaging and just pack the discs themselves.
While novelty is key for toys, familiarity is key for stuffed animal and blankets. When traveling, we bring the sheet right off her bed at home without washing it. While I don’t have scientific proof, I think she sleeps better with familiar smelling sheets and her regular stuffed animals. In her normal bedtime routine, we used to play music from a mobile above her crib. Then, I realized that I couldn’t pack the mobile when we traveled. So, we switched to using a little plush bunny that winds up and plays Fur Elise. Now, when we travel, we can take the bunny along and she has her familiar music.
Sending supplies ahead:
If you are staying with friends/family, send them a shopping list (formula, diapers, wipes, cream, food, etc). Make sure to be specific about brands and amounts.
If you are staying in a hotel, you can order supplies ahead and have them delivered to the hotel. http://babiestravellite.com/ is a service that does this. They have an amazing selection of food, supplies, and toys. Their prices are fairly competitive. But, the shipping charges can get exorbitant if you don’t order several weeks in advance. I've also used drugstore.com. There is less selection, but cheaper prices, especially on shipping.
Pack list:
Here is our pack list for HB @ 18 mo. for a 14-day trip.
Travel formula (8 packs) – enough for the flight up and back.
Spoons (2)
Bottles (2) (one in diaper bag)
Bowls (2)
Sippy cups (2) (one in diaper bag)
Pajamas + onesies (3)
Sun hat
Sunscreen
Bathing suit
Stuffed animal
Night diapers (14)
Nice dress + tights + shoes
Outfits (socks, shirts, pants, shoes, and sweaters) (7)
Toys, books, DVDs
Wash cloth
Tooth brush
Sit n stroll
Jacket
Hat and Gloves
Shoes
Musical Bunny
Monitors + chargers
Annies mac n cheese single serving packets (2)
Peach or Pear fruit cups (4)
Mixed snacks in small tupperware (2-3)
All of this fits comfortably into a 20” wheelie suitcase (carry-on size). When traveling with me and the baby, everything fits into a 24” wheelie. When traveling with three of us, we fit into one 24” and one 20” wheelie. (Maybe another post is needed about packing light for Mom and Dad?)
Notice, we don’t pack food, formula, wipes, or diapers (besides a 1-day supply). We give a shopping list to someone at the destination, send them ahead, or buy them when we arrive. For certain things that might be tough to find at the destination, we bring them along or ship them ahead. These include night diapers, and our specific brand of formula. Whatever you do, don't carry a large can of formula. Bring one-shot packs, make your own one-shot packs, and/or buy a small can at your destination.
If you are staying somewhere for a long time, it’s worthwhile to bring an extra changing mat. You can have one set up in the hotel and not have to remember to re-load it into the diaper bag every time you go out.
Toys:
Novelty is key for toys and books. Buy ones that compact easily (stacking cups/bowls, nesting boxes, etc). I love to raid the Target $$ bins for new/cheap toys. Then, I don’t mind losing them or intentionally leaving them behind if you need the extra room.
For little babies that still put everything in their mouths, attach toys to their car seat or stroller so that they can not easily drop them. The same goes for soothers. If you can’t attach them, have toys that can easily be wiped off. Like I said before, airplanes are very germy places. So, plastic or wooden toys are preferable to plush ones.
Don’t over-do the number of toys you bring. You can find a lot of things on-site to make into toys: hotel ice bucket, hotel plastic cups, hotel notepad and pen, magazines, etc. You need less than you think. Besides the toys we carry on (see carry on pack list above), we usually bring:
* 1 board puzzle (they pack well because they are flat)
* 1 book
* 1 other multi-purpose toy, like stacking cups, or nesting boxes
* 2 DVD’s - one favorite from home and one new one. Take them out of the packaging and just pack the discs themselves.
While novelty is key for toys, familiarity is key for stuffed animal and blankets. When traveling, we bring the sheet right off her bed at home without washing it. While I don’t have scientific proof, I think she sleeps better with familiar smelling sheets and her regular stuffed animals. In her normal bedtime routine, we used to play music from a mobile above her crib. Then, I realized that I couldn’t pack the mobile when we traveled. So, we switched to using a little plush bunny that winds up and plays Fur Elise. Now, when we travel, we can take the bunny along and she has her familiar music.
Sending supplies ahead:
If you are staying with friends/family, send them a shopping list (formula, diapers, wipes, cream, food, etc). Make sure to be specific about brands and amounts.
If you are staying in a hotel, you can order supplies ahead and have them delivered to the hotel. http://babiestravellite.com/ is a service that does this. They have an amazing selection of food, supplies, and toys. Their prices are fairly competitive. But, the shipping charges can get exorbitant if you don’t order several weeks in advance. I've also used drugstore.com. There is less selection, but cheaper prices, especially on shipping.
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Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler: Prepping for the Flight (1)
Post 2 of 6 on Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
Dressing baby for flights:
Layers are key! Some planes are hot, some are cold. The first few flights, we dressed her in a fleece sleeper, but that turned out to be a bad idea when the plane got hot. She woke up totally drenched in sweat and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Now, we dress her in a light-weight track suit with a short-sleeve onesie underneath. We dress her on the light side and use a blankets if it gets cold.
Carry on pack list:
There is an obvious balance to packing light, yet not forgetting any essential items. Packing light can not be underestimated. You are already lugging a baby and stroller through the terminal, you don’t want to be burdened by too much other stuff.
We like to pack enough for the traveling time plus the possibility of a long delay (3-4 hours). If you end up getting stuck overnight, you will have the chance to go to a drugstore to buy extra diapers, food, and milk. So, don’t overdo the amount you bring for contingencies.
For me, the key is to have only one carry-on bag. When trying to keep track of a baby in the terminal, the last thing you want is to leave behind your purse or second bag. Yet, unless you have a very large diaper bag, I find you want more room to expand than your regular diaper bag allows. So, we use a large nylon tote bag that holds the diaper bag plus extra stuff.
Here is our carry-on pack list for HB at 18mo.:
Stocked diaper bag
- change of clothes in ziplock
- snack box – small tupperware filled with a variety of crackers/snacks
- formula packs (4) – pre-measured packs of formula to use instead of milk in a pinch
- one bottle full of milk in insulator in ziplock - they will let you through security with milk as long as it's in a bottle. But they will not let you through with a bottle of water. You have to buy water in the terminal.
- diapers (6)
- wipes (fill wipes holder as full as possible)
- sanitizing wipes
- fruit cup in ziplock
- orange
- cheese stick
- sippy cup (empty) – they will not let you through security with a full one
Carry-on tote (put diaper bag inside)
- Toys for plane – coloring book + crayons, book, magnadoodle, “My quiet book” activity book, stickers, small stuffed animal
- Blanket (2) – one small fleece, one standard cotton baby blanket
I also put my purse and any other carry on items in the tote bag. If I have to bring my computer on the trip, I put it in a laptop sleeve and toss it in the tote bag too.
Airplane milk is the ultra-pasteurized/non-refrigerated version – Yuck!. Go to Starbucks in the terminal to fill the bottles before you leave and bring formula packs in case you can’t find milk in the terminal.
Gear:
The single piece of gear that I wouldn’t travel without is the Sit N’ Stroll – carseat and stroller in one. You can wheel it right up the jetway, collapse the stroller mechanism and carry the seat right on the plane without unstrapping the baby**. When you are at your destination, you never have to worry about the car seat and stroller separately, they are all in one. Also, the sit n’ stroll can be put on a chair and used as a booster seat. It’s great for restaurants that don’t have highchairs.
** note, I’ve read many reviews of the Sit n’ Stroll where women say that they don’t have the strength to collapse the stroller with the baby strapped in nor carry them together onto the plane to their seat. I’m 5’10” and reasonably strong. So, I don’t have a problem doing this. YMMV.
Dressing baby for flights:
Layers are key! Some planes are hot, some are cold. The first few flights, we dressed her in a fleece sleeper, but that turned out to be a bad idea when the plane got hot. She woke up totally drenched in sweat and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Now, we dress her in a light-weight track suit with a short-sleeve onesie underneath. We dress her on the light side and use a blankets if it gets cold.
Carry on pack list:
There is an obvious balance to packing light, yet not forgetting any essential items. Packing light can not be underestimated. You are already lugging a baby and stroller through the terminal, you don’t want to be burdened by too much other stuff.
We like to pack enough for the traveling time plus the possibility of a long delay (3-4 hours). If you end up getting stuck overnight, you will have the chance to go to a drugstore to buy extra diapers, food, and milk. So, don’t overdo the amount you bring for contingencies.
For me, the key is to have only one carry-on bag. When trying to keep track of a baby in the terminal, the last thing you want is to leave behind your purse or second bag. Yet, unless you have a very large diaper bag, I find you want more room to expand than your regular diaper bag allows. So, we use a large nylon tote bag that holds the diaper bag plus extra stuff.
Here is our carry-on pack list for HB at 18mo.:
Stocked diaper bag
- change of clothes in ziplock
- snack box – small tupperware filled with a variety of crackers/snacks
- formula packs (4) – pre-measured packs of formula to use instead of milk in a pinch
- one bottle full of milk in insulator in ziplock - they will let you through security with milk as long as it's in a bottle. But they will not let you through with a bottle of water. You have to buy water in the terminal.
- diapers (6)
- wipes (fill wipes holder as full as possible)
- sanitizing wipes
- fruit cup in ziplock
- orange
- cheese stick
- sippy cup (empty) – they will not let you through security with a full one
Carry-on tote (put diaper bag inside)
- Toys for plane – coloring book + crayons, book, magnadoodle, “My quiet book” activity book, stickers, small stuffed animal
- Blanket (2) – one small fleece, one standard cotton baby blanket
I also put my purse and any other carry on items in the tote bag. If I have to bring my computer on the trip, I put it in a laptop sleeve and toss it in the tote bag too.
Airplane milk is the ultra-pasteurized/non-refrigerated version – Yuck!. Go to Starbucks in the terminal to fill the bottles before you leave and bring formula packs in case you can’t find milk in the terminal.
Gear:
The single piece of gear that I wouldn’t travel without is the Sit N’ Stroll – carseat and stroller in one. You can wheel it right up the jetway, collapse the stroller mechanism and carry the seat right on the plane without unstrapping the baby**. When you are at your destination, you never have to worry about the car seat and stroller separately, they are all in one. Also, the sit n’ stroll can be put on a chair and used as a booster seat. It’s great for restaurants that don’t have highchairs.
** note, I’ve read many reviews of the Sit n’ Stroll where women say that they don’t have the strength to collapse the stroller with the baby strapped in nor carry them together onto the plane to their seat. I’m 5’10” and reasonably strong. So, I don’t have a problem doing this. YMMV.
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Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler: Flights
Post 1 of 6 on Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
Scheduling flights:
Go direct: Direct flights are so worth any additional money you pay. Not only are transfers tiring, you spend more time in transit, and have a higher chance of a delay or cancellation and higher chance of lost luggage. These events are especially catastrophic when traveling with a baby.
For flights longer than 2 hours, we like flying red-eyes. But, this definitely has pros and cons. HB will sleep on the flights as long as it’s during her normal sleep time. So if we travel at night, she sleeps and it is much less work entertaining her than if she were awake. As she gets bigger and bigger, she sleeps less soundly sitting on our laps. For this reason, I highly recommend getting an extra seat for the baby and bring the car seat on board. This is especially easy if you have the sit n’ stroll (see gear section below). Another plus to the red-eye is that they are rarely ever full. So, you are more likely to score an extra seat. The cons to this approach, is that you arrive at your destination with a rested baby and completely exhausted parents. If you are visiting family, you can dump the baby with the family for a couple hours upon arrival while mom and dad grab a nap. It’s more difficult if you don’t have help at your destination. In these cases, we designate one of us to baby duty on the flight while the other one sleeps, and switch duties upon arrival.
If you aren’t flying red-eyes, then fly in the morning. Morning flights are more likely to be on-time. Also, most children are better behaved in the mornings. As the day wears on, they get crankier and less adaptable. Some people try to time their flights to the child’s nap times. I’ve found this to have limited success. Most kids will not nap at their usual time due to the stimulation and strange environment. Also, you can’t be guaranteed that your flight will be on time. Regardless of the flight time, for little babies, you can sometimes get them to go to sleep at takeoff if you give them a bottle and run through as much of their bedtime routine as possible.
If your flight is delayed, be aggressive about getting re-booked. You can scan the monitors to see if another flight is scheduled for your destination. It is even OK to ask for them to transfer you to another airline. The gate agent has the authority to do this, but they will only do it in extreme circumstances, or if pressed. Use the baby sympathy card.
Choosing seats:
Book seats over the wing or towards the back. The engine noise is loudest here and it drowns out other noises in the plane and makes it easier for the baby to sleep. You are also more likely to score an empty middle seat in the back of the plane since these seats are usually filled at the front first.
If you bring a car seat on board, it has to be a window seat. So, if you book a ticket for the baby, you need to book a window. There are different ways to book the seats depending on how many adults are traveling and whether you are booking the baby a seat or going with her on your lap. Here are the different scenarios:
1) One parent, pay for baby’s seat
Book the window for the baby and the aisle for the adult. If someone ends up in the middle seat, you can trade their middle for your aisle. If no one ends up in the middle seat, you’ve scored a whole row!
2) One parent, baby is lap child
Book a window towards the back of the plane and hope that no one gets assigned to the middle seat. When you check in, ask if the flight is full. If it is not full, ask the agent to hold the middle seat for you. Then you can bring the car seat on board.
3) Two parents, pay for baby’s seat
Book the whole row. Put the baby’s car seat at the window.
4) Two parents, baby is lap child
Book a window and an aisle towards the back of the plane. When you check in, ask if the flight is full. If it is not full, ask the agent to hold the middle seat for you. Then you can bring the car seat on board. If your middle seat is occupied, but there are other middle seats open on the plane, the person assigned to your middle seat will gladly take a different middle seat to not have to sit next to the baby. If the gate agent is super cooperative, they will page the person and re-assign them. If the gate agent is not cooperative, you can negotiate the trade as you board the plane. But, you may not be allowed to bring the car seat onboard. If the plane is completely full, you can switch your aisle seat with the person in the middle.
If you are traveling with the baby as a lap child, you should let the airline know as soon as you book the ticket. If you book online, there is usually no place to indicate a lap child. You should book the ticket and then call the airline afterwards to add the lap child. This does not cost any extra money. When you register the lap child, many airlines will place a temporary hold on the seat next to you. That is, the seat next to you will be the last one sold. So, unless the flight is full, you will get a seat for the baby.
Whatever you do, make sure that when you check in, the lap child is listed on your boarding pass. You will not be able to take the baby through security unless they are specifically listed.
Scheduling flights:
Go direct: Direct flights are so worth any additional money you pay. Not only are transfers tiring, you spend more time in transit, and have a higher chance of a delay or cancellation and higher chance of lost luggage. These events are especially catastrophic when traveling with a baby.
For flights longer than 2 hours, we like flying red-eyes. But, this definitely has pros and cons. HB will sleep on the flights as long as it’s during her normal sleep time. So if we travel at night, she sleeps and it is much less work entertaining her than if she were awake. As she gets bigger and bigger, she sleeps less soundly sitting on our laps. For this reason, I highly recommend getting an extra seat for the baby and bring the car seat on board. This is especially easy if you have the sit n’ stroll (see gear section below). Another plus to the red-eye is that they are rarely ever full. So, you are more likely to score an extra seat. The cons to this approach, is that you arrive at your destination with a rested baby and completely exhausted parents. If you are visiting family, you can dump the baby with the family for a couple hours upon arrival while mom and dad grab a nap. It’s more difficult if you don’t have help at your destination. In these cases, we designate one of us to baby duty on the flight while the other one sleeps, and switch duties upon arrival.
If you aren’t flying red-eyes, then fly in the morning. Morning flights are more likely to be on-time. Also, most children are better behaved in the mornings. As the day wears on, they get crankier and less adaptable. Some people try to time their flights to the child’s nap times. I’ve found this to have limited success. Most kids will not nap at their usual time due to the stimulation and strange environment. Also, you can’t be guaranteed that your flight will be on time. Regardless of the flight time, for little babies, you can sometimes get them to go to sleep at takeoff if you give them a bottle and run through as much of their bedtime routine as possible.
If your flight is delayed, be aggressive about getting re-booked. You can scan the monitors to see if another flight is scheduled for your destination. It is even OK to ask for them to transfer you to another airline. The gate agent has the authority to do this, but they will only do it in extreme circumstances, or if pressed. Use the baby sympathy card.
Choosing seats:
Book seats over the wing or towards the back. The engine noise is loudest here and it drowns out other noises in the plane and makes it easier for the baby to sleep. You are also more likely to score an empty middle seat in the back of the plane since these seats are usually filled at the front first.
If you bring a car seat on board, it has to be a window seat. So, if you book a ticket for the baby, you need to book a window. There are different ways to book the seats depending on how many adults are traveling and whether you are booking the baby a seat or going with her on your lap. Here are the different scenarios:
1) One parent, pay for baby’s seat
Book the window for the baby and the aisle for the adult. If someone ends up in the middle seat, you can trade their middle for your aisle. If no one ends up in the middle seat, you’ve scored a whole row!
2) One parent, baby is lap child
Book a window towards the back of the plane and hope that no one gets assigned to the middle seat. When you check in, ask if the flight is full. If it is not full, ask the agent to hold the middle seat for you. Then you can bring the car seat on board.
3) Two parents, pay for baby’s seat
Book the whole row. Put the baby’s car seat at the window.
4) Two parents, baby is lap child
Book a window and an aisle towards the back of the plane. When you check in, ask if the flight is full. If it is not full, ask the agent to hold the middle seat for you. Then you can bring the car seat on board. If your middle seat is occupied, but there are other middle seats open on the plane, the person assigned to your middle seat will gladly take a different middle seat to not have to sit next to the baby. If the gate agent is super cooperative, they will page the person and re-assign them. If the gate agent is not cooperative, you can negotiate the trade as you board the plane. But, you may not be allowed to bring the car seat onboard. If the plane is completely full, you can switch your aisle seat with the person in the middle.
If you are traveling with the baby as a lap child, you should let the airline know as soon as you book the ticket. If you book online, there is usually no place to indicate a lap child. You should book the ticket and then call the airline afterwards to add the lap child. This does not cost any extra money. When you register the lap child, many airlines will place a temporary hold on the seat next to you. That is, the seat next to you will be the last one sold. So, unless the flight is full, you will get a seat for the baby.
Whatever you do, make sure that when you check in, the lap child is listed on your boarding pass. You will not be able to take the baby through security unless they are specifically listed.
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Traveling with Your Baby/Toddler
HB is quite the seasoned traveler. She’s averaged about 1 flight per month since birth. After more than a dozen flights, we’ve honed in on a few tips and tricks for traveling with a baby.
I have a lot to share on this topic, so I will divide it into several posts:
* Flights: Scheduling Flights and Choosing Seats
* Prepping for the flight (1): Carry on pack list, gear, and dressing baby for flights
* Prepping for the flight (2): Pack list and toys
* At the airport: Getting through security, pre-flight, and on the flight
* At your destination
* Traveling internationally
Happy Travels!
Related Posts:
Essential Organized Mommy - Posts for New Moms
I have a lot to share on this topic, so I will divide it into several posts:
* Flights: Scheduling Flights and Choosing Seats
* Prepping for the flight (1): Carry on pack list, gear, and dressing baby for flights
* Prepping for the flight (2): Pack list and toys
* At the airport: Getting through security, pre-flight, and on the flight
* At your destination
* Traveling internationally
Happy Travels!
Related Posts:
Essential Organized Mommy - Posts for New Moms
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Friday, July 28, 2006
Juggling a Business Trip with a Small Baby
Faced with a can't-get-out-of-it business trip when my baby was only 6 weeks old, I shifted into extreme planning mode. I'll pause here to let you all finish gasping, "You left your baby at 6 weeks!?!" Believe me, I wasn't happy about it. (A whole 'nother post is needed about the abysmally short maternity leave we have here in the US). So, I wanted to make sure it would happen with minimal impact on the baby. Here's how I did it.
Do I take the baby with me, or leave her at home? I first talked to my pediatrician about the safety of a cross-country flight with the baby. She said that technically, the baby was safe to fly, and that the major risk was from infection from all the germs on the plane. Most childhood vaccinations can not be given before 6 weeks (because of reduced efficacy if given prior). Full immunity takes a few weeks to develop once the vaccination is given. Although the fact that I breastfeed gives some protection, we decided it was not worth the risk of taking the baby on the trip.
I needed to be in New York for business on Wed, Thur, and Fri. I wanted to be away from the baby as little as possible, so I booked a red-eye in to New York on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and the last flight out on Friday. That meant that I was going to be gone a little over 72 hours. My husband offered to take time off work to care for the baby while I was gone. My husband is very capable with all the diapering, burping, bathing, and soothing to sleep. So, my main concern was milk: pumping and storing enough surplus, getting HB to drink from a bottle, and getting HB used to formula as a back-up plan.
Babies like consistency, so I didn't want to introduce too many new things at once. The idea was for this to be a smooth transition. We started with the bottle feeding. For one feed per day, I would pump and then my husband would feed her the bottle. Good plan so far...
The very first feed was total disaster! HB slurped down the whole bottle and within minutes was screaming in pain with gas. While I held the baby crying (me *and* the baby), and feeling like a total failure as a mother, my husband consulted the Baby Whisperer for her tips on how to relieve gas. An hour later, after much patting of the back and rubbing of the tummy, the baby was finally calm. My husband did what he always does when faced with a problem -- consult the internet -- where he found the Dr. Brown's no-gas bottles. We ordered them shipped overnight. Dr. Brown saved us, and subsequent bottle feeds were seamless.
Now that we had her drinking from a bottle, we could move on to banking milk. At that point, HB was eating an average of 7 times per day and a volume of 4 oz. per feed. Pumping and freezing one extra feed per day means that it takes me one week to store up one day's worth of milk. 3-day trip = 3 weeks of pumping. So, I started banking milk when she was 3 weeks old. She was eating every 3 hours, so I would breast feed, wait 1.5 hours, pump, and then breast feed again 1.5 hours later. I thought this would give maximal output to both the pump and the baby. Good plan, but I found that I was pumping about 1 oz shy of a full feed. So, I added a supplemental pump immediately following another feed to get the extra 1 oz. This was a serious commitment! One mid-feed pump, one after feed supplemental pump, and one pre-feed pump for the daily bottle. I made sure to stay hydrated and well-fed so that my milk production would be as plentiful as possible. Still, there were some days that just got too busy for me to fit in a mid-feed pump, and other days where I just wasn't producing enough milk to pump a full feed. So, I got a little behind.
I wanted to make sure that we could use formula as a back-up for the missing milk. So, one week before I left, we started to give her one formula feed per day. She took it without a hitch (from the Dr. Brown's bottles of course!). I took the opportunity of the formula feed to pump and store the milk that would have been fed. That allowed me to catch up on the milk-bank. Before I left, I was able to store around 100 oz. of milk.
Waving goodbye to my baby and husband, I headed off to the airport with my electric breast pump (Medela Pump-in-style) and battery pack (10 AA's for 2 hours of operation!). I wasn't planning on bringing back any milk from the trip, so it was going to be pump-and-dump all the way. It was a really difficult mental transition to go from hoarding every precious ounce of milk to dumping it down the sink. I have to admit that my first "dump" made me queasy.
I pumped once in the airport bathroom before boarding the plane, and once in the airplane bathroom mid-flight. Can I tell you how embarrassed I was at the prospect of tying up an airplane bathroom for 15 whole minutes!? I imagined the people waiting for the bathroom eyeing me as I come out: "What !?%**^@ took you so long?!". I decided that I would go to the back of the plane where there were two bathrooms, so that people in line could just use the other one. Of course, on a red-eye flight with a bit of turbulence, they left the "fasten seatbelt" sign on for most of the flight as my breasts grew increasingly full and uncomfortable. I finally had to get up and ignore the seatbelt mandate. Thankfully the flight attendants didn't stop me.
Once landed at JFK airport, I took a taxi to my hotel in Manhattan. Of course, it was now 6:30am and smack in the middle of rush hour traffic. It took an hour and a half to get to my hotel, another 30 minutes to check in. By this point, my breasts were so engorged that I had completely leaked through my breast pads. My shirt was totally soaked. Luckily I had a sweater in my carry-on bag to throw on to hide it, but I was still mortified. I decided to ditch the environmentally-friendly washable cotton breast pads for the more absorbent disposable ones (by AVENT) for the rest of the trip.
The business meetings went off without a hitch. I went back to my hotel at lunch time to pump. I ended up being able to pump around every 4-5 hours. It's less than the recommended 3 hours, but it was what I was able to manage with the work schedule. I hoped that my milk production upon returning home would not suffer too much.
The idea that I could use this trip to catch up on much needed sleep was humorously optimistic. My sore, full breasts woke me up after around 5 hours of sleep. They were uncomfortable enough that I actually dragged myself out of bed to pump before returning to sleep both nights. I had to laugh that from 3000 miles away, my baby was still "waking me up" in the middle of the night. It's a good thing that she's just too darn cute to be mad at! I missed her immensely.
The return flight was uneventful (except for being 2 hours late), and I was happy to be home and see my baby (and my husband too!). But, by being 2 hours late, I just missed her last feed of the day and she had already gone down for the night. Sadly, I had to wait until the morning to hold her. I sneaked into her room and gave her a kiss on the sweet little forehead before falling into bed myself.
The next morning, she woke up right on cue and happily fed from the breast as if nothing had happened. My fear of her being forever scarred by my absence were allayed. Daddy did a fine job, and all was well with the world. It took 2 weeks for my milk production to come back up to full output. In the mean time, I had to supplement 2-4 oz. of formula with her last feed of the day. But, now we are back on track and doing well.
Do I take the baby with me, or leave her at home? I first talked to my pediatrician about the safety of a cross-country flight with the baby. She said that technically, the baby was safe to fly, and that the major risk was from infection from all the germs on the plane. Most childhood vaccinations can not be given before 6 weeks (because of reduced efficacy if given prior). Full immunity takes a few weeks to develop once the vaccination is given. Although the fact that I breastfeed gives some protection, we decided it was not worth the risk of taking the baby on the trip.
I needed to be in New York for business on Wed, Thur, and Fri. I wanted to be away from the baby as little as possible, so I booked a red-eye in to New York on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and the last flight out on Friday. That meant that I was going to be gone a little over 72 hours. My husband offered to take time off work to care for the baby while I was gone. My husband is very capable with all the diapering, burping, bathing, and soothing to sleep. So, my main concern was milk: pumping and storing enough surplus, getting HB to drink from a bottle, and getting HB used to formula as a back-up plan.
Babies like consistency, so I didn't want to introduce too many new things at once. The idea was for this to be a smooth transition. We started with the bottle feeding. For one feed per day, I would pump and then my husband would feed her the bottle. Good plan so far...
The very first feed was total disaster! HB slurped down the whole bottle and within minutes was screaming in pain with gas. While I held the baby crying (me *and* the baby), and feeling like a total failure as a mother, my husband consulted the Baby Whisperer for her tips on how to relieve gas. An hour later, after much patting of the back and rubbing of the tummy, the baby was finally calm. My husband did what he always does when faced with a problem -- consult the internet -- where he found the Dr. Brown's no-gas bottles. We ordered them shipped overnight. Dr. Brown saved us, and subsequent bottle feeds were seamless.
Now that we had her drinking from a bottle, we could move on to banking milk. At that point, HB was eating an average of 7 times per day and a volume of 4 oz. per feed. Pumping and freezing one extra feed per day means that it takes me one week to store up one day's worth of milk. 3-day trip = 3 weeks of pumping. So, I started banking milk when she was 3 weeks old. She was eating every 3 hours, so I would breast feed, wait 1.5 hours, pump, and then breast feed again 1.5 hours later. I thought this would give maximal output to both the pump and the baby. Good plan, but I found that I was pumping about 1 oz shy of a full feed. So, I added a supplemental pump immediately following another feed to get the extra 1 oz. This was a serious commitment! One mid-feed pump, one after feed supplemental pump, and one pre-feed pump for the daily bottle. I made sure to stay hydrated and well-fed so that my milk production would be as plentiful as possible. Still, there were some days that just got too busy for me to fit in a mid-feed pump, and other days where I just wasn't producing enough milk to pump a full feed. So, I got a little behind.
I wanted to make sure that we could use formula as a back-up for the missing milk. So, one week before I left, we started to give her one formula feed per day. She took it without a hitch (from the Dr. Brown's bottles of course!). I took the opportunity of the formula feed to pump and store the milk that would have been fed. That allowed me to catch up on the milk-bank. Before I left, I was able to store around 100 oz. of milk.
Waving goodbye to my baby and husband, I headed off to the airport with my electric breast pump (Medela Pump-in-style) and battery pack (10 AA's for 2 hours of operation!). I wasn't planning on bringing back any milk from the trip, so it was going to be pump-and-dump all the way. It was a really difficult mental transition to go from hoarding every precious ounce of milk to dumping it down the sink. I have to admit that my first "dump" made me queasy.
I pumped once in the airport bathroom before boarding the plane, and once in the airplane bathroom mid-flight. Can I tell you how embarrassed I was at the prospect of tying up an airplane bathroom for 15 whole minutes!? I imagined the people waiting for the bathroom eyeing me as I come out: "What !?%**^@ took you so long?!". I decided that I would go to the back of the plane where there were two bathrooms, so that people in line could just use the other one. Of course, on a red-eye flight with a bit of turbulence, they left the "fasten seatbelt" sign on for most of the flight as my breasts grew increasingly full and uncomfortable. I finally had to get up and ignore the seatbelt mandate. Thankfully the flight attendants didn't stop me.
Once landed at JFK airport, I took a taxi to my hotel in Manhattan. Of course, it was now 6:30am and smack in the middle of rush hour traffic. It took an hour and a half to get to my hotel, another 30 minutes to check in. By this point, my breasts were so engorged that I had completely leaked through my breast pads. My shirt was totally soaked. Luckily I had a sweater in my carry-on bag to throw on to hide it, but I was still mortified. I decided to ditch the environmentally-friendly washable cotton breast pads for the more absorbent disposable ones (by AVENT) for the rest of the trip.
The business meetings went off without a hitch. I went back to my hotel at lunch time to pump. I ended up being able to pump around every 4-5 hours. It's less than the recommended 3 hours, but it was what I was able to manage with the work schedule. I hoped that my milk production upon returning home would not suffer too much.
The idea that I could use this trip to catch up on much needed sleep was humorously optimistic. My sore, full breasts woke me up after around 5 hours of sleep. They were uncomfortable enough that I actually dragged myself out of bed to pump before returning to sleep both nights. I had to laugh that from 3000 miles away, my baby was still "waking me up" in the middle of the night. It's a good thing that she's just too darn cute to be mad at! I missed her immensely.
The return flight was uneventful (except for being 2 hours late), and I was happy to be home and see my baby (and my husband too!). But, by being 2 hours late, I just missed her last feed of the day and she had already gone down for the night. Sadly, I had to wait until the morning to hold her. I sneaked into her room and gave her a kiss on the sweet little forehead before falling into bed myself.
The next morning, she woke up right on cue and happily fed from the breast as if nothing had happened. My fear of her being forever scarred by my absence were allayed. Daddy did a fine job, and all was well with the world. It took 2 weeks for my milk production to come back up to full output. In the mean time, I had to supplement 2-4 oz. of formula with her last feed of the day. But, now we are back on track and doing well.
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