This was our first trip travelling with our little man, and boy was it a learning experience logistically! I had alot of help and advice from a fellow mommy who has a lovely 10 month baby girl whom we all love to pieces. Thanks Anna for all of your packing advice!
Interestingly the more parents I talked to, I found that the younger the baby the easier it is to travel because of the likelihood that they will be sleeping and far less squirmy. Our 7.5 month is on the verge of being mobile so in some ways we are thankful because he cannot crawl/walk yet (though he is a squirmy, wiggly little one)! And it is also easier to travel once baby is out of the diapers. Thus, that crucial period in between is brutal - it requires alot of smart planning and logistics to minimize the amount of luggage! In any case, some of my tips for traveling with baby based on trial and error from our first trip - yes, it will be frustrating at first, but trust me in that you will become better over time the more times you do it. And, I am more than sure that I will continue to make more mistakes with each time we travel, but I will be all the wiser each subsequent time!
1. TO BUY OR NOT BUY A SEAT: With most airlines, your adult ticket allows you to bring an infant younger than 2 years of age with you on the plane as a "lap infant." You can most certainly buy a seat and bring your car seat on the plane if you'd like, or take a chance and see if there is an extra seat next to you on the plane. With the limited schedules and full planes these days I think that's rare, but one never knows! We opted not to purchase a seat. Kasen would have been too squirmy and would have wanted to come out! We were perfectly fine with him on our lap since he slept most of the way, and I also had my husband with me which made it much easier to travel as we took turns with baby and with lugging baby gear (I don't recommend traveling solo with a baby).
2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GATE CHECK: Most airlines will allow you to gate check a stroller and a car seat, so you can cruise right up to the door of the airplane and drop them off....and when you get off, they are waiting at the door for you! Each baby is also allowed one diaper bag (yes, this is in addition to your carry on). Score!
3. THE CAR SEAT/INFANT CARRIER: If your destination requires you to bring a car seat, chances are if your baby no longer fits the infant carrier (we have a Chicco Keyfit 30 that Kasen has just outgrown, which we used on the trip) you will need to lug around something a bit bigger (convertible seats are so much bulkier). For infants who are still using the infant carrier, if your baby is sleeping in the infant carrier prior to going through TSA security just be aware that security will make you take baby out so that they can put the car seat through security. You and I both know how nice it is when baby is snoozing, so to even think about waking them up from their slumber makes you angry. You should have seen my indignant face when security told me I had to take Kasen out. If your baby has already outgrown the infant carrier, chances are you are already lamenting about lugging around the convertible. While we are not yet there, I would possibly look at purchasing a cheaper yet safe convertible seat that is lighter and easy to lug around. My friend Anna who lives in NYC swears by her Cosco Scenera for use in taxis when they are out and about. It's only $40, which won't break the bank, and it's light and easy to transport.
4. TO BRING OR NOT BRING THE STROLLER?: You are going to get exhausted lugging baby through the airport, and I found that honestly a stroller is an extra pair of hands. Bring a cheap stroller and car seat or if you will not need the stroller, just bring the umbrella stroller. Leave your bulky and cushy stroller at home (this means sans your Baby Jogger City Select or Uppa Baby Vista!). We brought our big stroller and given my paranoia about airline baggage crews ruining the stroller, we lugged around a big Stokke stroller bag and packed/unpacked each time. We also got a bag for our car seat to protect it. My poor husband was miserable, but was a trooper and never said anything as he did it. But honestly, it was a hassle and cumbersome and in hindsight I would have rather brought along a cheapo stroller with some form of storage that I didn't mind it being tossed around. You will thank me.
We should have brought our City Mini (thanks Auntie Ling and Uncle Tam for the stroller!)
Instead of the City Select, grr!
5. ENTERTAINMENT: In your diaper bag make sure to have a bag of favorite toys and a bag of toys baby has never seen before. And of course favorite and new snacks. Take them out one at a time and introduce each new item accordingly. This will keep them occupied for much longer! And make use of what everyday items you find on the plane. My 7.5 month old was preoccupied with taking the magazines and in flight safety cards in and out of the seat pockets. He also loved playing with plastic cups, plastic bottles, and snack bags! I think the sound and shapes intrigued him.
6. FEEDING ON THE PLANE: Feed at take off and at landing. Once you notice them tugging their ears, hurry and give them a bottle or else you will get an earful. Make sure to have a few feedings on hand, along with some snacks (we love the happy yogis organic freeze dried fruit and yogurt bites and happy puffs) and baby food pouches for emergencies.
7. FEEDING AND STERILIZING AT DESTINATION: Bring feeding bowls, extra bottles, nipples and bibs in a tupperware you can bring along to use and wash. A travel brush and straw/breast pumping equipment brush is a must. I also bring babyganics travel-sized dish soap - one travel sized lasted a week for three babies' worth of feeding equipment (and my breast pumping equipment!). And if the water quality is spotty - bring a box of Medela microwaveable sterilizing bags to sterilize all of baby's items after. Peace of mind is great!
8. NAP TIME: Try to find flights that coincides with your babies' nap time/sleep schedule. This will help during the flight as baby will be sleeping for the majority of the flight (if your flight is less than 3-4 hours that is). Bring the baby monitor if you plan to be out of the room when baby naps. A pack and play is great if you can lug it around. If you are going somewhere where there is significant changes in time zones, I highly recommend that you fly during times that jive with baby's nap times. Also, be wary of changing sleeping patterns that might impact you later. In Culebra, which was one hour forward, baby slept at 9pm and woke at 6:30-6:45am. That means that at home, he is sleeping at 8pm and waking at 5:30-5:45am! It's been a week like this and there doesn't seem to be a change. So I highly recommend that you take a day or two off from work after the trip to settle, reacclimate with home, and get baby use to his patterns again. Otherwise - CHAOS!
8. BABY CARRIER: while we rarely use ours, a baby carrier like the one from Ergo Baby or Baby Bjorn can most certainly be useful. This can be considered in lieu of bringing a stroller, or in addition to. We brought ours, but did not even use it. It sat in our giant duffle bag sadly wondering when we were going to take it out.
9. TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF WHEN YOU RETURN FROM VACATION: Let me reiterate this again. Take a day off, or two. You will need a vacation from your vacation. Trust me!
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