Since some of us are flying or driving this thanksgiving with our young children, I thought maybe we could have a thread for sharing ieas and tips?
If your LO is still on bottles are you taking your bottle rack? Or will you just use something else?
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I'm planning a trip in January and would love to hear your best tips! Total newbie myself, have only taken LO for short car rides until now, and we've got a 2.5 hour flight coming up
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Don't overpack! That's been the biggest pain when traveling. If you're visiting family you can always do laundry. Babies don't need a ton of stuff, especially if you'll be receiving gifts once you get there. (I totally didn't even need to pack for our last trip because my parents had so many outfits and toys waiting for LO)
Buy diapers/wipes/food when you get there and only pack enough for the trip.
Don't take all of LOs favorite toys... you'll inevitably lose something.
LO only uses one bottle a day, but even if she used more I wouldn't take a bottle rack. They dry just was well on a towel on the counter or in a dish rack.
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I agree with @c.sassy although I still over pack every trip. If driving, travel during naps/night time if possible. Remember to dress LO for the car/plane (i.e. remove car seat cover in car so LO doesn't overheat; layers for plane travel). IF there is a favorite toy/lovey and you have more than 1, take the extra but keep it packed "just in case."
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Thanks guys these are good tips so far
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Try introducing new "toys" that are just common items - they'll be distracted longer. My LO absolutely LOVED a tic tac container with the rattling tic tacs inside. He totally thought it was a new toy rattle and kept waving it around for an hour.
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When packing for road trips, I like to organize everything into large, reusable shopping bags. I make a bag for daytime (toys, books, snacks, water bottle, movies for DD, etc...), a bag for nighttime (pj's, blankets, DD's teddy bear, my contact case and glasses, etc...), and a bag for extra feeding stuff (bottles, extra can of formula, bottles of water, bottle brush, soap, etc...). That way, I can take out one shopping bag at a time, and keep the rest in the back of the car, so everything stays organized and the car doesn't get crowded with all our stuff.
Also for long car rides (12+ hours), we tend to split up the driving between daytime and nighttime. So, we might leave town around 11:00, drive for an hour and then stop for lunch/playtime. Get back into the car an hour later, and the kids will normally sleep for 3+ hours. Then we stop again for dinner/playtime/bedtime routine, and get back on the road at bedtime. Actually, I driving by myself with the kids about 5 hours tomorrow, and this is my plan. I'll pick the kids up from daycare around 11:30, stop for lunch at 12:00, and get back on the road around 12:30. Hopefully, I won't have to stop for the next 3.5 hours while they sleep. I'm planning on stopping once they wake up for a quick snack/stretching their legs, and then we'll only have an hour left on the road!
ETA: I'm not taking my bottle rack. I'll just dry the bottles on dishtowel near the sink.
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Don't take the rack! I echo what others said, buy a lot of the things you need there because it's one less thing to lug. Also buying a packet of bottle sterilizer bags was key for us. This way we could make sure the bottles and pacis were clean while we were away from home.
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Car travel - stop every 2.5 hours. Take lots of distracting toys (lights, music, squeakers). Take a pack n play or travel bed. Don't worry about a sheet in a pack n play (not sure about a travel bed). Pack extra diapers.
We went to Florida for 2 weeks when she was almost 3 months old and shipped a bottle rack from Amazon that we brought home with us - it took up hardly any room in the suitcase b/c it was so flat. The inlaws bought a bouncy chair and a pack n play for us to use while we were there.
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Thanks everyone. I just decided to take my grass drying rack, its so flat anyway and fits into a 2 gallon ziploc bag.
I h ave found that packing small items in ziploc bags is great I can easily find what I'm looking for.We leave tonight!
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Purée pouches are awesome when we go on road trips!
I don't bring a bottle rack, just use a towel!
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@autumnlove: Yeah I thought about puree pouches, This was why I really wanted the infantino squeeze station, but since we are travelling at night she will sleep through it ( I hope!)
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A good friend gave me the best advice for plane travel with my son: Post-It Notes! They were an endless source of fun. Peel them off the pad, stick them on things (including Mama's face) and pull them off. Stick them inside books and magazines to create temporary lift-the-flap books. Color on them, rip them, and--occasionally-- eat them.
Here are a few more tips: http://glimmersnaps.blogspot.com/2012/06/babies-on-plane.html
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When flying, take absorbant changing pads rather than liquid repellant ones - my first trip with LO, she peed during a diaper change that I was doing at a weird angle, and let's just say it wasn't a good situation.
Do remember to bring along small amounts of the toiletries and laundry detergent your LO is used to - the last thing you want on a trip is to be looking for an urgent care center because you tried something new and the baby had a reaction. It also probably goes without saying, but bring your own baby food on the plane - again, 30,000 ft up is not the time to try something new.
I agree with others that you don't need as much stuff as you think you do. I think on our second trip with the baby, the amount of clothing, diapers, etc. we brought was reduced by about half! Layering is key, and you can plan to re-use the sweaters/pants/dresses if you always put a onesie underneath.
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Love this thread! Subscribing!
@PinkElephant: great tip! Made me think about a big spare pack of doggie pee pads we have. They're exactly like hospital ones, just smaller! Perfect for traveling!
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