Traveling with a baby (under 1!)

Guy and I are huge travelers, and started to worry what that would look like for us as soon as I got pregnant. We heard from many that traveling with a kid isn’t a “regular vacation” but rather a “family vacation”- with lots of planning and catering things around your kid(s). Perhaps this is the case the older the child gets, and we have plenty In store for ourselves in the future, but traveling with Eva at 11 months was not at all as hard as we expected. There were definitely some things we had to plan and prepare for, and adjustments to make as we went. But the most important thing we did was go with the flow, and not be rigid about plans/doing things differently in the moment. As for the actual traveling part (flying, and packing) we were soo nervous for it. Eva is a crib sleeper and doesn’t exactly “sleep on the go” in her stroller. So we were terrified for what the flight would look like, the airport and especially long drives and long days out of the house. BUT I am happy to report the packing, airport and flight was VERY easy and doable. We documented the entire journey up until we got our Lyft to our rental car, showing you all the real and raw moments- what we packed, how we made it through the airport, and MOST important and daunting - the FLIGHT! The flight…

Yes there is crying, and yes all was fine! She even surprised us and fell asleep on the flight! Most people are very sweet and understanding, and told us they have all been there. So don’t let a sweet babe stop you from your dreams of traveling!! They love the newness of it all. Most important items for the flight were snacks, milk (to help air pressure at take off and landing), carrier, and The shusher helped us a lot. We got a lot of questions from other parents on the flight what it was. Great on the go sound machine! https://babyshusher.com/products/baby-shusher?https://babyshusher.com/products/baby-shusher&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqeiSzsir-QIVxtzICh1eGQVFEAAYAiAAEgJq7fD_BwE As for packing… This is the list of what I packed for Eva and used almost everything we brought. Most important if you are hiking/walking around a lot is to bring a Stroller, hiking carrier, backpack and car seat between drives.

PACKING LIST: Eva:

• Snacks

• Towel

• Pajamas

• Sleep sack

• Diapers

• Wipes /Aquaphor

• Sound machine

• Shusher!!!

• Pacifier

• Changing pad

• Shirts

• Pants

• Sweaters

• Shoes

• Socks

• Bottles and scrubber

• Formula

• Pump and charger and Milk bags

• Toys

• Bib and plate and spoon

• Sippy cup

• Sunscreen

• Nail clipper/brush

• Swimsuit

• Meds (baby Tylenol, Advil, etc)

• Baby Shampoo/body wash

Other big items

• Pack n play dark out cover

• Sheets

• Stroller and stroller fan

• Car seat

• Hiking carrier

• Backpack

• Carrier for plane

I want to stress that having kids does not stop your adventures and in fact makes them so much richer. It assists you in growing to new heights. We were able to do all the things we planned, go out to eat at fancy restaurants (with a few screams and cries from Eva) and have some romantic moments strolling down the beach. By the way!! For nursing/breastfeeding mamas -This entire trip was done while I was still exclusively pumping! (Highly recommend the Buddha pump) https://babybuddhaproducts.com/products/babybuddha®-breast-pump-complete-kit?currency=USD&variant=9703424655404&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9oCg_cSr-QIVwtrICh09AwupEAQYASABEgL5wPD_BwE If you need to pump at the airport just bring extra bottles/milk bags to pour milk into and you can carry a very small lunchbox cooler to store things in. We did this during long days out and road trips, and just brought the small lunchbox in the stroller wherever we went. During the trip.. Most important thing ever ever ever is to bring A LOT OF SNACKS. We were able to pull different teething snacks while sitting and waiting at restaurants, car rides and during longer hikes. This helped Eva self entertain longer or fill up between meals. The hiking carrier.. so thankfully Guy’s family keeps everything and kept this handy dandy hiking carrier for longer hikes. We also found it extremely helpful to walk around cities with bumpy brick and stone sidewalks where strollers were almost impossible to weave around. We got a bigger rental car and just kept both options with us at all times! Being up high kept Eva entertained and engaged. We think she liked it more than the stroller!

The Airbnb/hotel is also important to think about when you book your stay. We stayed at an Airbnb that had a small playground in the backyard, high chair, pack n play and toys the host left for us, so we didn’t have to pack all of those things with us. These were life savers! A friend also recommended a dark out cover for the pack n play if the room she was sleeping in wasn’t dark and this was also a GAME CHANGER: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098Q2J57Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

As for baby “schedules” we tried our best to keep Eva on her nap schedule to help her adjust but it didn’t always work out and sometimes she just slept in the car! There were a few times we stayed out late, way past bedtime but she loved it and slept in the next day. I say, don’t stress, kids adjust and if they are having a tough time they’ll let you know and you can always change course and end your activity a little early. The memories you have will all be worth the small sacrifices!

As the popular saying goes, “all babies and all kids are different” so see what works for you as you go, and don’t hold high and rigid expectations. All will work out the way it needs 🥰 Reach out with any questions and wishing you all the luck on your future adventures ✈️🌎🌍 With love K