How To Travel With Your Tots
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Wouldn't it be nice to swiftly glide through airports the way Brangelina and brood do??! If life was only that simple...and glamourous. This holiday season we've got you covered so you can focus more on spiked N-O-G and less on T-S-A. Now, let’s get one thing straight, I like flying about as much as having my legs strapped down in those nasty stirrups as the Gyno dives head first for my crown jewels. Pap Smears are about as glamorous as commercial flights, only paps don’t crash, planes do…rarely, I know, but…ya get the pic. Now, take my fear of flying and compound that with a beloved 6-month-old glued to your boob for take off, landing and just about every other minute of a 5hour flight cross-country. Oh it happened ya’llz!
I envy good fliers, like my sister-in-law, Linden. She’s NOT neurotic, and IS logical so it only makes sense that her little one popped out with pilot wings on too. Little beauty, Vivi, just 3-months-old, has had her passport stamped more than most. She’s been to the US twice—from the UK!!! Nashville, LA and the list is growing day by day.
Fortunately, Haute Mamas, Linden’s done the dirty work for us and has gathered a seriously informative list of Do’s and Dont’s for traveling con bebe. I followed her advice and let’s just say, my most recent trip from NYC to LA was very manageable. I did NOT break out in hives, I DID knock back 1 glass of wine, instead of the usual 3+++ and touchdown in LA also came with great compliments from the cabin that our baby was so well-behaved. I must say, I took great pleasure in seeing those initial death stares from old guy in 3B and lady with ginormous sparkler and too much plastic surgery in 5E, transform to smiles all around. Gibs was such a little charmer, they actually brought him up to the cockpit to see where all the magic happens…great photo opp.
Anywhooo…I owe our success to the lovely Linden. Here’s a list to help you get through this crazy season of travel. We’ve yet to write the manual on how to avoid family feuds upon arrival. That’s next. Stay tuned
- Book afternoon flight
- Feed extra throughout the day to make baby extra happy - and feed anytime you have an extra minute during traveling since you don't know when the next opportunity may be
- Feed on take off and landing
- Seat infant - use baby Bjorn not their weird infant seat belt the airline supplies
- If flying economy, sit in bulk head. It gives you a lot of room to move around and easy access to toilets. Also, for the longer flights, the bigger airplanes have bassinets for the baby coming down from the wall in front of bulk head. First come first serve.
- Make sure your expressed milk has the right caps on it, not just the teet. Otherwise it will leak everywhere...I know from experience, oops.
- Wear VERY breast accessible clothing
- Know how to quickly collapse your stroller - sounds obvious but there is a lot of pressure to get it collapsed quickly and correctly. Buy stroller / car seat bags on Amazon to put your items in when gate checking, otherwise could get ruined.
- Bring toys with lights to occupy baby
- Travel light, no matter what you need the place you are going will have it
- Don't over think the trip, just go!
- Pick a hotel in the City Center so you can go back and forth to feed
- Lower your expectation of traveling quickly, the days of arriving to the airport with just enough time to breeze through security and arrive at the gate with 10 minutes to spare are over / give yourself plenty of time to casually get through
- Milton tablets are great for sterilization on-the-go
- Clip your car seat together while empty at gate check to make sure your newborn cushion and arm pads don't fall out
- Be prepared for things to get scratched and sometimes ruined when you check it (car seat and stroller) - to side step this either get a travel bag or buy a cheap stroller (citi mini) to travel with
- Be on the look out for any family restrooms as you walk through the airports, you will need them! And always ask for one, you would be surprised at the great facilities are hiding in airports and shopping centers. When in stores, hiding in a changing room works too!
- Score all the extra points you can with your adorable baby to get upgrades and skip lines.
- Pack everything in ziplock bags - sterile pacies, expressed breast milk, etc
- These are great for packing baby clothes in an organised way - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Packers-Tidy-Luggage-Packing-Cubes/dp/B000W8GMBQ
