Travelling with an Infant 101

Cyril's going to be a world traveler before he even turns 1, one of the advantages or disadvantages depending on how you look at it, of having family all over the world. Some of these long distance trips will include the addition of his Daddy, however because someone has to pay the bills the majority of the time Cyril and I will be travelling solo and anxiously awaiting the arrival of Daddy for a smaller portion of the trip. Before our first trip to Massachusetts, and then Washington to visit my brother, I was filled with anxiety. Cyril was a trooper on all 8 flights despite the fact he was travelling with his zombie mother. Now as we prepare for another transatlantic journey to California, I am filled with the same anxiety. Fortunately this time we'll have help as Josh will be flying with us both times. Despite this you can never really be too prepared. Which is why I've begun the packing list 1 week in advance.

As most of you know I'm a pretty organised person, most of the time which is why I'm going to share some of my travel tips with you.

Carry On:

• First, you must have some type of baby carrier with you, a stroller/pram is great but personally I find it bulky and unnecessary. When you're in the airport you could use it but you'll probably want the baby moving around during this time since they're going to be confined on the airplane for a long time. On our first journey I wore Cyril on my front in the Ergo carrier and I only brought 1 carry on which was a suitcase I could wheel. We were allowed 3 carry ons but when you're on your own the less you have to carry the better. One of the only ways to get Cyril to sleep when we're out and about is in the carrier. The Ergo is great because it has a head cover that makes it dark inside. When you're on a plane it usually takes a while for them to turn off the lights and then just as you're falling asleep they're turning them back on again to serve breakfast. With the Ergo it stays dark no matter what so Cyril sleeps longer.

• Second, put all your liquids in one location. Now that Cyril is big enough we'll be taking the Osprey hiking backpack and the ergo with us. The Osprey pack has an amazing compartment at the bottom where I will be putting all of Cyril's food, nappy cream, water, and medicine. Since some of these items will be in liquid form, that is more than 100ml, it needs to get scanned separately so you don't want to be searching through all your bags for the liquid, especially if you're travelling solo. If you're bottle feeding you are allowed to bring as much sterilised water, formula, food, etc. that the baby needs it just takes a little longer to get through security because they have to swab each item so allow extra time for that.

• Which brings me to my next point, pack some medicine. Fortunately I didn't need it on the first journey but after Cyril came down with this horrendous cold this week I can't imagine not having it if he got sick on the plane. I'm sure people would start using the emergency evacuation slide if he was sick on the flight with nothing to make him feel better. I also pack a thermometer and nasal spray because the flight can make him really dry which makes it more difficult for him to eat.

• Pack extra nappies and clothes for the baby and one extra outfit for you in case the baby projectile vomits, pees, or has a leaky nappy all over you, trust me it's worth it! As for the extra nappies, I had a friend who thought she could buy them when she got to the airport only to find out that there was no shop selling them. She had to buy them off a lady for $3 each and that lady was hesitant because she only packed enough for her child. I think I packed 8 nappies for 12 hours of travel time, which sounds excessive, but if you end up getting delayed you don't want to be without!

• If you live in England you can pre-order items to pick up at Boots gate side. This would make going through security easier, especially if you need to order formula and medicine. They charge £2 for this service. Make sure you place your order 1 week before you travel and remember that you'll still need to make room for it in your bag :)

Day Of:

• Get to the airport early, especially if you're travelling solo. On my return journey from Boston I got to the airport super early and thought I was going to have way too much time but there was a massive queue to check in followed by an even longer queue to get through security. Before I knew it they were boarding the plane, thank goodness I brought burritos for dinner or I would have been one hungry chica!

• If you have extra time let the baby loose to burn off some energy. On the way to Massachusetts we had about an hour before boarding so I went to a restaurant, ordered a beer and Cyril chatted and smiled at all the waitresses and kids around him. By the time we boarded the plane it was a matter of giving him some milk and then watching him pass out in the ergo from shear exhaustion.

Yes there is a baby in there!

• I always bring my 40 ounce Klean Kanteen with me and fill it up with water after security because they never give you enough water on the plane and I always end up beyond dehydrated. Now I just give the flight attendant my bottle and they usually fill the entire thing up, plus it's so much better for the environment.

• Lastly, try to stay calm, I often see a lot of stressed out parents at the airport which only seems to make the kids behave worse. They're babies at the end of the day and if they're crying well that's just what they do. If it makes someone angry that they have to listen to a screaming baby, tough shit, they should have brought ear plugs. In fact, you could pack a few pairs of ear plugs to pass out in case the baby is really bad but in my experience Cyril cried for a little bit and then fell asleep.

On the Plane:

• Personally I like to take advantage of the pre-boarding, especially when travelling solo. On the way to America I was the first one on the plane. We had a bulkhead seat so I put Cyril on the ground to move around. Since I couldn't have my carry-on with me during take off I knew I needed to get everything ready that I would need. Since I boarded early it allowed me time to get organised, prep his milk, check that his nappy was clean, and put the necessities in the pocket in front of me. If you're travelling with someone or have older children it might be worth it to skip the pre-boarding to let them burn off a little more energy before the flight.

• Cyril's obsessed with the seat pocket, word of advice, move all of the magazines to your neighbour's pocket and fill yours with toys and baby items instead.

• I did my best to feed Cyril during take off and landing but sometimes the timing wasn't great. Cyril didn't seem bothered during take-off and landing but some babies really scream. If you feed them it's supposed to make it less likely that their ears will bother them. An alternative if they won't take milk is to use the pacifier. If their nose is blocked now is the time to use the nasal spray.

• Lastly, try to keep to the baby's schedule the best that you can. On the flight over they provided a bassinet but because there was so much commotion going on every time I put Cyril in it he thought it was time to play. I knew if he didn't get sleep he would be hysterical so I ended up putting him in the Ergo and rocking him to sleep. He slept on me during the whole journey. The bassinet table was handy for putting items on though and when I needed to go to the bathroom I strapped him in the bassinet.