Travel is a subject near and dear to my heart, as it has always been my passion and something I am not prepared to sacrifice simply because I happen to have children. With my 8-year-old, we first travelled internationally when he was 3 months old, and have since done many domestic and international trips ranging from camping to Vegas to backpacking in Indonesia. I have just now begun to repeat this tradition with my baby girl and hope to continue this for many years. Is it hard (and expensive)? Yes of course! But would I take back any of those trips, memories or photo opportunities? Absolutely not! Here are some of the things that I have learned, often the hard way, on my journey of travel with tots…

Travelling with babies. Many people will tell you to steer clear at all costs. I however say, do it, and do it soon! Once they become more mobile with crawling and walking (and before you can bribe them with treats, TV and other good parenting survival tactics), it becomes even more challenging. Also bear in mind that up until aged 2, you do not need to pay for a seat on flights, nor up until they go to school do you have to worry about working around school holidays, which is something my family still struggles with. So, my advice? Book that flight to Hawaii in February. Quick!

Getting from Point A to Point B

Plan for extra time to get anywhere, whether it be to catch a plane, train or automobile, or even just leaving the house in the morning for a daytrip. When we flew to Colorado we calculated time needed based on when we were just travelling with an 8-year-old, and forgot to factor in baby time. I guess we were a bit out of practice as we literally had to run, with baby, to make our flight!

Check the Airline’s Policies

Ordinarily, airlines allow you to check strollers, car seats and bases for free, and will allow you to take strollers under 20 pounds as far as the gate. Diaper bags also do not also count as your one piece of allotted carry on and can be taken as extra. If you are bottle feeding and have formula, you will also be allowed to take this as carry on even though it is liquid. If you are breastfeeding, hurrah! The necessary equipment  is highly portable and can definitely be taken onboard!

Take Advantage of VIP Pre-boarding

Always take advantage of pre-boarding since you have a child under 5. You will probably need to be at the gate about 45 minutes before departure to take advantage of this The good thing about doing this is that since you will be one of the first passengers to board you will also have a much better chance of fitting your cases in the overhead bins. So do maximize on what you are allowed to carry on, and do minimize checked bags and their associated charges.

Make Baby a Happy Passenger

Give baby bottle or breast for take-off and landing to try and alleviate ear popping, and hence screaming the plane down.

…And try not to take it personally, if you get side long glances, tuts and sighs from fellow travelers if your baby decides to squawk!

Make sure your diaper bag is super stocked with all your possible baby needs and that these are all easily accessible so you don’t have the misfortune of breast pads flying out in your endeavor to find the pacifier!

If you are going on an extended trip take enough diapers and wipes to last you a few days and then buy the extra you need when you get to your destination. You may want to invest in good quality ones that will stand the test of time for daytrips out, or otherwise face, as we did, many untimely blow outs!

Be Creative with Equipment

If you are not travelling to a friend or family members that has little kids and thus all the associated paraphernalia; cribs, playpens, chairs and whatnot, consider looking into companies (or ask your hotel about them) that will happily rent you whatever you need for baby for a daily charge. Or, if like me, you are a frugal traveler, you can get creative – we made a makeshift crib for Maisie out of a drawer lined with towels! If you are travelling to friends or family, discuss beforehand what they do and don’t have and also any other info they need to know about baby to avoid any miscommunications/surprises.

Keep it Lively

When going out to restaurants on vacation, or at any other time It goes without saying that you will want to look out for more family friendly places, happy to provide a high chair or crayons if older, and so you don’t feel frowned upon. I have also found the noisier the better. While this may mean your baby might not sleep, at least if she decides to cry, it will hopefully be drowned out by the buzz!

Most importantly, remember to have fun on your trip with your little one! Take lots and lots of pictures and video. It might be extra hassle and money to travel with baby, but the memories you will create are truly priceless.

Bon Voyage…!

The other day,  I was perusing Facebook on my iPad while breastfeeding ( as you do),  and one of my baby friends had posted an Oprah Show youtube clip.  I don’t usually click on these kinds of links – who has the time right?!  But since this pertained to babies,  it piqued my interest..

We are all well aware that babies communicate to us through crying,  and let’s face it, what parent hasn’t scratched their head in frustration at 2am saying “If only I knew what you were trying to tell me..”.  Researchers at Brown University have been studying this conundrum for years,  but now,  an Australian Researcher, Priscilla Dunstan,  says that babies do indeed have different types of cry depending on what is wrong.  By listening closely and learning the distinct sounds,  Dunstan claims that we  as parents  (and caregivers)  can learn what our babies are actually trying to tell us when they cry!

Dunstan has studied over one thousand babies worldwide,  and states that all babies regardless of country and race, speak the same basic language,  a combination of reflexes and  sound.  She states that  there are  5 basic but distinct sounds that newborn babies use to communicate their different needs:

1)      “Neh”:  Means “I’m hungry” (the tongue brushing the roof of the mouth in sucking reflex)

2)      “Owh” means “I’m tired” (the O shape our mouths make when we yawn)

3)      “Heh” Discomfort (similar to Neh, but look out for the ‘h’ sound)

4)      “Eair” Lower gas (a lower sound as if contracting the lower abdomen and breathing out)

5)      “Eh” Burp (a higher airy sound).

Dunstan claims that understanding your baby’s language  can protect your sanity as a new parent and also potentially protect babies from such as ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ - something that has had much press in recent years,  and oft reported as stemming from parental or caregiver frustration with infant crying.

For more information about this new baby research,  along with the DVD,  Dunstan Baby Language go to oprah.com

Packing the Diaper Bag

When my son was born 8 years ago, I was the most disorganized mom on the planet! I did own a diaper bag, but it never seemed to have much in it, and also routinely got left at home.  This time, 8 years on,  I was determined to be uber organized and so thought I would give you a peek into the contents of my diaper bag,  and to help with packing yours.

As many diapers as your bag will practically allow

Wipes in travel size case

Change of clothes

Trash bags to put dirty diapers, wipes and clothes in!

Portable changing pad

Baby blanket

Diaper cream

Hand sanitizer

Spare breast pads

Stain removing wipes like Shout

Bottles if needed

And as your baby gets older…

Toys and books

Bib

Feeding pot, spoon

Snacks such as cheerios, crackers

Plus of course your wallet, cell, sunglasses, pens, lip gloss, whatever else you like to carry in your purse.

Don’t forget to replenish diapers, wipes, clothes, bags, food etc as they get used,  and to also swap out diaper and clothes as your baby grows and as the seasons change.

..and lastly, don’t forget to take the diaper bag with you when you go out!

If you’ve recently had a baby, then you and I are in the same boat! It takes one to know one, as they say. I had my baby (Maisie Kate) on July 24th, and while I thought I was ruthlessly organized in my pre-baby prep, nothing quite prepares you for the birth of a baby and its Post-Partum aftermath!  So, if you are reading this while pregnant or just after the birth of your baby, firstly, congratulations!  And secondly, I sincerely hope you are able to benefit from some of the following pointers that I was missing.

·         As per an earlier blog of mine, do make sure (before baby comes) that you have tried and tested all your baby gear multiple times (e.g. strollers, car seats,  carriers, etc.) You can always test them out on a stuffed animal, but believe me there is nothing worse than being stuck in a grocery store car park wrestling with your car seat!

·         Have plenty of diapers, wipes, blankies, hand sanitizer, etc. in various places, upstairs and down,  in diaper bags and each car.

·         Have frozen dinners at the ready as cooking really is the last thing you feel like doing.

·         Buy, write and wrap any birthday cards and presents for upcoming months as this is also one of the last things you’ll want to do post baby.

·         Have swaddle blankets and white noise (yes there is even an app for this nowadays!) at the ready, to help calm and put baby to sleep. Believe me, they work!

·         Once home with your new bundle, take all offers of help. Don’t worry about not being polite – just ask for help! My Book Club pooled together and gave me a week’s worth of dinner deliveries. This, without a doubt, was my best baby gift!

·         Try to use a daily diary, (like the one AuPairCare provides), to log times you feed, and how often you change wet and dirty diapers.

·         Join a breastfeeding support group and have lactation numbers on hand.

·         When you have questions or concerns about your baby, and these will come up, be wary of looking stuff up on the internet, especially if it is regarding health issues. This can lead to all sorts of added and, most likely, unnecessary panic.

·         If you had C-Section, have a driver lined up to take you to doctor’s appointments.

As Vickie Lovine wisely counsels in The Girlfriend’s Guide to Surviving the First year of Motherhood,  “The most critical advice we can give you today is simple:  don’t stand when you can sit, don’t sit when you can lie down and don’t stay awake when you can sleep.”

I would love to hear anyone else’s suggestions for surviving those first 6 weeks as a new mom!