Quinn and I took our first trip on the plane to see my family up north. I had a hard time with deciding how I was going to manage taking a 3 month old by myself through security and on the plane. After combining what works well for Quinn with other experienced moms' advice, this is what I came up with...
(*Disclaimer-I realize that every baby is different. This is just what worked well for us. I must add that although the trip went well overall, Quinn DID cry and people DID stare at us. I mean, I was travelling with a little baby, so what can one expect, right?! So, my hope is that this post might be helpful for the first time mom, like me, with getting ideas on how to make travelling go as smoothly as possible. There are no guarantees here ;)
(*Disclaimer-I realize that every baby is different. This is just what worked well for us. I must add that although the trip went well overall, Quinn DID cry and people DID stare at us. I mean, I was travelling with a little baby, so what can one expect, right?! So, my hope is that this post might be helpful for the first time mom, like me, with getting ideas on how to make travelling go as smoothly as possible. There are no guarantees here ;)
1. Nuk Soft Pack of 8 Soft OrthoStar Pacifier, Pink/Purple,...-I realize different babies prefer different pacis and some don't prefer them at all. BUT, Quinn really seems to like the Nuk brand and they stay in pretty well. These were a must for keeping her happy, especially for take off and landing to help her ears adjust. She was asleep for both (thanks to the white noise from the plane), but I still made sure she was sucking on the paci.
2. Wet Ones and Hand Sanitizer-Always good to have on hand when going pretty much anywhere.
3. Ergo Baby Carrier Black with Camel Lining-I like this carrier because it prevents my back from getting too sore and it has a nice covering that you can put over top of your baby if they fall asleep or are outside in the sun (perfect for a Florida baby!). There are some cons though. It is a little bulky (the Bjorn seems more compact) and the baby can't face out. I used the Ergo for getting on and off the plane. It was nice to have two hands for checking the stroller and car seat at the gate.
4. BabyJJ Cole Collections Stroller - These clips have really come in handy. They hold the diaper bag so that you can access it easily, which allows for extra space under the stroller.
5. Gap petite straight leg jeans-I am in love with these jeans. They are light and stretchy, and you can dress them up or down.
2. Wet Ones and Hand Sanitizer-Always good to have on hand when going pretty much anywhere.
3. Ergo Baby Carrier Black with Camel Lining-I like this carrier because it prevents my back from getting too sore and it has a nice covering that you can put over top of your baby if they fall asleep or are outside in the sun (perfect for a Florida baby!). There are some cons though. It is a little bulky (the Bjorn seems more compact) and the baby can't face out. I used the Ergo for getting on and off the plane. It was nice to have two hands for checking the stroller and car seat at the gate.
4. BabyJJ Cole Collections Stroller - These clips have really come in handy. They hold the diaper bag so that you can access it easily, which allows for extra space under the stroller.
5. Gap petite straight leg jeans-I am in love with these jeans. They are light and stretchy, and you can dress them up or down.
6. Gap dolman sleeve top-This shirt is loose and airy. I wore it with a nursing tank underneath. The combo made it easy to nurse in public.
7. L'ovedbaby 4-in-1 Nursing Shawl-This shawl is a little fancier than the DIY one I made, but either would work well for covering up your back. Even with the shawl, Quinn still took her sweet time and played around a lot while nursing. But, at least I didn't have to worry about staying covered up!
8. Luvs Ultra Leakguards-So far, I have a good experience with these preventing major leaks. They worked well for travelling, but I do prefer to use Pampers most of the time. They seem a lot softer on Q's skin (and, they smell sooo good!).
9. Granola Bars-Don't forget to eat something! I packed some granola bars and ate them before I had to hold Quinn in my lap on the plane.
10. Graco SnugRider Elite-This stroller has been a lifesaver! The car seat snaps in and you can literally fold it up with just one hand. I tucked the Ergo underneath so if Quinn would start to fuss, I could just slip it on. I did not take the car seat base with me since I was only staying for a long weekend. I found a youtube video that was helpful in showing me how to install the car seat without the base and it wasn't too difficult.
One more thing...don't forget your baby's birth certificate! :)
What have you done or used that works well for travelling? I know this will all change as Quinn gets older, so I would appreciate any ideas!
7. L'ovedbaby 4-in-1 Nursing Shawl-This shawl is a little fancier than the DIY one I made, but either would work well for covering up your back. Even with the shawl, Quinn still took her sweet time and played around a lot while nursing. But, at least I didn't have to worry about staying covered up!
8. Luvs Ultra Leakguards-So far, I have a good experience with these preventing major leaks. They worked well for travelling, but I do prefer to use Pampers most of the time. They seem a lot softer on Q's skin (and, they smell sooo good!).
9. Granola Bars-Don't forget to eat something! I packed some granola bars and ate them before I had to hold Quinn in my lap on the plane.
10. Graco SnugRider Elite-This stroller has been a lifesaver! The car seat snaps in and you can literally fold it up with just one hand. I tucked the Ergo underneath so if Quinn would start to fuss, I could just slip it on. I did not take the car seat base with me since I was only staying for a long weekend. I found a youtube video that was helpful in showing me how to install the car seat without the base and it wasn't too difficult.
One more thing...don't forget your baby's birth certificate! :)
What have you done or used that works well for travelling? I know this will all change as Quinn gets older, so I would appreciate any ideas!
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