Traveling with a baby
- By Eesha Patwardhan
“Buy a ticket to nowhere, live your life and experience wanderlust.”
Clearly these words were not spoken by a parent !!! As a parent and especially as a new parent , the idea of traveling is nerve racking . It can give jitters to even the strong hearted . So as a recently promoted parent who has successfully travelled with an infant , I thought I would be doing a great favor to all those parents out there who are breaking out into a sweat at the thought of taking a trip with their little one.
Here’s my list of must-do’s when traveling with an infant
- Travel hands free
Make sure you travel with minimum baggage on hand, check in whatever you can and always make sure at least one parent is dedicated 100 % to carrying the toddler . You can choose to carry the infant in your arms , in a pram or a baby carrier bag . Personally , I find prams to be cumbersome and carrying the baby in your arms can be quite tedious , so be smart , use a baby bag carrier, it is convenient and frees up your hands to fill up departure cards , access check -in kiosks and simultaneously sip on some coffee .
- Be smart about your baby bag
Yes , there are a million situations that you can imagine and a million and one things you could pack in your baby bag but its best to be smart and keep what you realistically need. In my experience here are a few must have items : burp cloths , a nursing wrap or a shawl , rattles , wet wipes , couple of diapers, easy zip up onesies, a trash bag and hand sanitiser. When traveling by air ensure that you keep the bag at your feet to have easy access to all the baby’s essentials so that you need have to get luggage out of the over head compartment every time .
- Breastfeed
The idea of whipping out your boob in front of the entire world can be quite stressful , however , breastfeeding is the most natural thing that you can do and there is nothing embarrassing or shameful in doing so . Let go of any inhibitions and feed your child on the go , use a nursing cape or a shawl and you can basically go anywhere in the world with your infant while ensuring that he or she is well fed and healthy .
- Wear child friendly clothes
Being a parent does not mean you need to be dressed dowdily , but you definitely need to alter your fashion and wear more child friendly couture . Make sure what you are wearing is easy to nurse in , is soft and does not have any thing that could be hazardous to the baby such as buttons and tassles . The best piece of clothing I bought for my travels was a front down nursing bra. It is the single most used maternity purchase of mine apart from a pair of comfy black pants that I bought which transition from day to night well depending on how you accesorise and are easy to maintain given the amount of baby puke and poop it has been subjected to thus far.
- Keep all paperwork handy
Especially if you are traveling alone with an infant , make sure to keep your flight tickets , identification ( baby needs his own identification as well ) and cash easily accessible so that you do not fumble and search for it when you need it . Make sure you pre-book you seat according to your comfort .
- Maintain a calm demeanor
Yes it is easier said than done but its vital for your own sanity to try to maintain a calm and relaxed state of mind and not worry too much about your child’s comfort and your discomfort thereafter. Just go with the flow and be prepared to tackle any situation.
As they say prepare for the worst and expect the best ! Safe travels with your little one.
Bon Voyage!