How to Travel with your Bebe

I almost had shirts made. Our trip was THAT epic.

As many of you know, we took our first family trip to the south.  Pace had some work-related stuff he needed to do and I thought it would be a fun adventure to travel with him. Traveling with a baby is not relaxing... AT ALL. My first tip is to ask yourself, "do I really need to take this trip-- and if so, does my baby really need to go?". If the answer is still yes, proceed.

Elizabeth was actually a really sweet baby--but she loves her routine (as most babies do!) and traveling completely rocked her little world. I think our travel adventures would have gone a lot smoother if we had just stayed in one location (like a beach house or Grandparents). With that being said, I know that we have lots of future trips ahead of us. I think/hope that next time will only get better.

I asked my FB friends for their best travel advice and I got a lot of great suggestions (thank you!).  Here's what I learned:

What to pack:

• Just enough diapers and wipes to make it to your destination.  You don't want to haul unnecessary items and it's just as easy to stop by PUBLIX (yes, I've missed you old friend!) and pick up a pack.
• A nursing cover, hand breast pump (way easier to transport than electric), a few bottles, a couple of extra pacies,
• Your child's birth certificate! They will not let you fly without it.
• An ergo or k'tan or another baby carrier.  It's so much easier going through airport security wearing your baby
• A car seat and snap-n-go stroller.  I thought it was easiest to bring this with me through the airport.  I checked the stroller at the gate (super easy!) and brought the carseat with me on all of the flights except one.  (see side note at bottom)
• I checked a large suitcase and had room for a carseat base.  This made getting in and out of the car SO much easier.  It would have been more ideal if we could have borrowed a base at our destination but definitely worth the hassle for us.
• Airport entertainment: E likes her teething rattle, her picture cards that I bought at the Dollar Store and I loaded the iPad with her "jams".
• A sound machine and swaddle/sleep sack for the hotel
• A swaddle for the plane! (see note below)
• A sheet for the pack-n-play

What to wear when traveling:
Moms: Wear something comfortable and practical.  I am a big fan of wrap dresses-- they give the impression you made a little more effort than good ole' stretchy pants but wrap dresses make discrete feeding really easy ( In case any of you La Leche Leaguers are curious, I use a cover).
Baby: Most people would suggest putting baby in something practical and easy.  I however, would suggest dressing baby in one of your favorite outfits. Call me vain, but I think people will show you more sympathy when your baby is screaming if they at least think your baby is cute.

What you don't need to pack:
Don't deal with having to haul a pack-n-play.  Marriott hotel chains have pack-n-plays and sheets that they will set up in your hotel room free of charge.  If you are staying with a friend it's likely that they will have one you can borrow. 

Do not pack a roll-on carry on. Like I said, pack light.  The less you have to bring with you through security, the better. Instead of packing a roll-on, consider packing a bookbag in addition to your diaper bag/purse. In my bookbag I packed Emergency stuff. A change of clothes for me, (in case I got puked, peed, etc. on) A third change of clothes for her and medicine.

If you have time:
E surprised me and was a really great flyer (at least on this trip!). I was extremely nervous before the flight and made goody bags with candy and a cutesy note for the other passengers.  The very last flight of our trip was delayed 3 hours and E was tired and cranky.  I gave out goody bags to the people sitting around us.  They LOVED them and seemed more kind and patient after seeing the effort we were making.  Fortunately, E went to sleep soon after the plane took off and didn't make a peep. (I would be happy to share the template I made)

Getting through security:
This is tricky, but don’t worry, it will be over in a couple of minutes. First unload everything from the stroller. The stroller and the car seat have to go through the scanner (upside down). The last thing you want to happen is for "the magic paci" to fall from the carseat onto the moving belt. Yuck! Remove your electronics from your diaper bag and your shoes. I found that wearing E in the Ergo was the easiest way to get through security. You are allowed to bring breast milk and frozen cooler blocks.  Just be sure to notify security before sending it on the belt. Have your ID, birth certificate and boarding pass in an easily accessible location (like the front pocket of the Ergo) so you don't hold up the line.

The  2nd best piece of advice:
Bring a swaddle on the airplane.  I sat next to the window and the noise from the plane sounded a lot like the white noise machine in her bedroom.  Once I put her in her swaddle she fell right to sleep and slept on all four flights.

To check or not to check?
There was quite a bit of debate on my FB page about whether or not to check the carseat.  Some of my friends expressed concern that the carseat might take a beating. Ironically, one of my FB friends  oversees the logistics of airport baggage in St Louis and other airports across the country.  He read my post and wrote me this very helpful response, " I would suggest you make sure the ticket agents put your car seat in a tub if you check it. The tubs do a pretty good job of protecting the seats. The airlines also have plastic bags to put the seats in to keep the dirt off of them. Make sure they use it because of the rain and dirt. The manufacturer of the seats have specific requirements that you should abide by".

One other thing to consider, if the flight has open seats, they will actually let you bring the car seat on the plane.  I loved not having to hold E during the flight and she slept really well next to me in her carseat.

Where to stay?
Staying with friends with babies is really nice because they understand (our friends were so kind!! Thank you!!). If you aren't able to stay with friends or family, hotels with handicap bathrooms are nice because they are larger and you can put the pack-n-play in the bathroom.  Another good option is a Homewood Suites--they usually give you two separate rooms.


And the best advice? 
Pray! Babies are babies... you can be the most prepared mom in the world, but that doesn't always matter.  Thank you to my sweet friends who prayed for our trip. You are the best:)