Thursday, November 15, 2007
Luggage and travel essentials for a baby
We are going to visit my parents (in Georgia) during December. It will be our first flight(s - there are 4 total) traveling with Gavin and our first long car ride (about 4.5 hours). I realized about a month ago that both of our large suitcases have finally given up the ghost (thanks to airline rough-housing) and we need some new ones. Does anyone have suggestions of brand or a particular bag or set? We need them to have wheels and to be tough enough for airline travel once or twice a year. We need at least one that is large (like 29" or 30" tall). Also, any suggestions for things I'll likely not think about to take with us for traveling with Gavin? Or, advice on how to keep him happy (or at least not constantly crying) and somewhat occupied for a full day of traveling (two 3-hour flights followed by the 4.5-hour car ride)?
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3 comments:
When I traveled with Rachel at that age--I did everything disposable. Diapers, bibs, wipes, etc. I was not brave, like our dear friend Amy, who does cloth diapering on the road. :)
The really nice thing is that you won't have to worry about food for him. Go nursing!! (Food sort of complicates traveling with a toddler, but I digress). I also brought lots of clothes...many more than I thought I would need. And I used them. Rachel's best projectile poops, spit ups, etc, seemed to happen while traveling. Lots and lots of plastic bags.
Ummm...nurse during takeoff and landing, or get him to suck his thumb, or suck a pacifier.
If he sleeps in his carseat, it's helpful to have it on the plane. That's what helped me w/ Rachel. (We didn't buy an extra seat, but we got lucky and had an empty one next to us). However, perhaps Gavin is different as I understand he likes to sleep while being held.
If you have some sort of sling or baby carrier to "wear" him, that's helpful when you go through security and have to fold up all your junk and put it on the belt. (For toddlers I say this is essential, otherwise they may run away...but again I digress)
Hope it goes well!
Unsign-inable Amy again--
I don't bring strollers travelling. I wear the baby in a sling in the airport and get a luggage cart for all my junk. Then I don't need to wait for them to unload anything from the plane. If you have a sling without metal, you don't even have to take the baby off to go through the metal detector.
I didn't get an extra seat (travelling only with a baby, no husband or preschooler) when Leo was 10 weeks and I felt squished. I did get an extra seat when he was 19 months. I ended up with a row to myself (people run away from the row with the baby even if there's only one empty seat on the plane) one way and Leo ended up in my lap the whole time anyway. In the carseat, he screamed and kicked the guy ahead of him. I did like having space on my side for his feet while nursing. On the way home, I checked the carseat on the completely full flight and didn't feel squished with him on my lap with the seat next to me to put stuff.
My kids have both put up with 2.5ish hours in the car then screamed bloody murder the last hour when we've gone to the cabin before they've turned 2. Sitting next to him helps a little. Earplugs for the non-driver, maybe? On the plane, I tend to just nurse a ton as my distracting technique.
Yes, I use cloth diapers while traveling. I just don't buy disposables ever and don't feel like starting. If you're staying with family, you just throw them in the washer and it's no big deal. That said, if your mom could buy all the disposable stuff Katie mentioned so you don't have to cart it across the country, it would be handy. My mom talks about going to Florida when my sister and I were 4 years old and a new baby and she filled half a suitcase with diapers then came home with clothes she'd bought that filled the space.
Oh -- bring spare clothes from all of you carry-on the plane. If he decides to spew at 30,000 feet, it'll be best if everyone can change.
if use any style of pocket diaper, you could use the gdiapers inserts for at least the plane rides. those are flushable and wouldn't require being packed across the country to be washed. they'd be lighter than cloth diapers too. let me know if you end up going this route- i have a stack of $2 off coupons that i'd hand off to you.
also, since G's not on the move yet, don't bother with the pack-n-play or the co-sleeper. make him a nice, comfy nest on the floor or take him to bed with you.
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