Baby/ Behind The Butter

Traveling with an Infant

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Over the past month, we have traveled a ton with Grayson! In fact, I still feel like I am recovering a bit from it all.

I thought I’d share some of my tips and favorite items that made our travel a ton easier {and by travel, I mean 3 flights, 1 train ride and 2 long car trips}. There’s no way to get around the stress that comes with traveling with an infant but it IS doable and not as scary as it seems. I was so nervous for our flights but it turned out the road trips actually gave me more of a headache than the plane.

Solly Wrap: I love this wrap! Unfortunately now that Grayson is about 20 pounds he is getting too big for it, but it has come in super handy over the past few months. I used it every day on our trip and so glad I brought it. When he got fussy on the flights, I would just pop him in the wrap and walk him up and down the aisles until he fell asleep. Worked like a charm. I love the Solly wrap, in particular, because of how light and breathable the bamboo fabric is. I’m sad to be putting this away now until the next kiddo because Grayson loved it so much.

Car Seat Travel Bag: This was a last minute impulse purchase but I’m so glad! We checked the car seat on two of our flights {carried it on on the third flight} and this bag came in so handy. We have the Chicco Keyfit 30 and it fit perfectly in this bag with extra room to spare. This bag is a backpack and is incredibly comfortable to wear! When flying, you really want to make sure your car seat doesn’t get banged up and this super padded bag does an excellent job at keeping it all safe and sound.

Boppy: Packing this was a TOTAL life savor!! I brought it on the plane and used it to nurse on take-off and landing. On our first flight, I nursed G on take-off and he completely passed the heck out {on the boppy} and didn’t wake up until we were wheels down in Austin. Of course, that chained me to my seat for three hours but we were glad that he got a great nap in!

Be sure to pack your diaper bag really well before getting on a plane with your baby! Here’s what was in my diaper bag:

  • copy of Grayson’s birth certificate
  • five diapers
  • package of wipes
  • 1 wet bag for soiled clothes
  • 5 large ziplock bags for trash/dirty diapers/wipes/ect – something I learned is that you can never have too many ziploc bags on you! They come in very, very handy.
  • 2 extra onesies for him, socks, 1 extra nursing tank top for me
  • one little wooden rattle toy
  • nursing cover
  • burp cloth
  • infant gas drops, baby tylenol, extra strength tylenol for me
  • 1 blanket
  • changing pad
  • pacifier
  • snacks for mama {gummi bears, larabars and trail mix}

I think that’s it! I’m so glad I brought so much with me because it was nice to have everything I need at an arm’s length.

I tried my best to stick to our Moms on Call schedule while we were traveling. I found that Grayson adapted very quickly and easily to the time changes going there — it was coming BACK to California that really got him. Sometimes the schedule got tough, but I just nursed every three hours like I normally do, made sure he got three naps a day in, and we were fine. It took us a solid week upon returning to maintain a sense of order in this house, though. It was pure jet lag chaos for daysssss. But that’s another post for another time.

As for sleeping, Grayson slept in a pack n’ play at my mother-in-law’s house and a travel crib at my parent’s house. I actually liked the travel crib so much that I brought it home with us and we plan to use it for future weekend getaways. Here’s the one we got! I loved it because it has a zippered “door” so you can just slide him in and out after nursing in the middle of the night. We requested cribs at the hotels we stayed at and that worked out fine. I brought his own crib sheet from home, which I highly recommend.

I’m trying to think of what else! We brought our Chicco Keyfit Caddy instead of our big nice Uppababy stroller and I’m so glad we did. It was light and easy to travel with. We gate checked it for all our flights and it worked out great.

I think I mentioned that we cloth diapered on the trip and it was way easier than I thought it would be. I’m so glad I did it! I just packed my travel stash of 18 birdseye flat diapers and six econobum covers. I did laundry every two days at either my mother in law’s house or my parent’s house. I ended up leaving all the diapers at my parent’s house so they will be there when we visit for Christmas.

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Oh, and you’ll also need lots of caffeine when traveling with an infant. That, my friends, is pretty much mandatory. My new favorite Starbucks concoction – a plain ol’ coffee frappuccino with whipped cream. πŸ˜‰

 

 

 

 

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  • Shannon D'J
    September 2, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    Thanks for the tips, Jenna. Our little pistachio nut is due this weekend. I know I can’t travel with her immediately, but I’ll be sure to go back to this post as we prepare for holiday travel!

  • Denise @ Creative Kitchen
    September 2, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    What an adventure you guys had! I think it’s awesome!! My first baby was 7 weeks premature, so I never knew the freedom to travel if I’d wanted to bc of so many circumstances her first few months of life. By the time I had baby 2 and 3, I had more than infant to travel with (obviously!)….so never got the chance. This looks like SO much fun, and though I knew it was tiring and trying at times….so happy to read about all your travels. πŸ˜‰

  • Denise @ Creative Kitchen
    September 2, 2014 at 5:59 pm

    What great adventures you guys had traveling with your cutie! I think it’s awesome, and looks like so much fun! I never had the chance as my first was born 7 weeks premature, so with all the circumstances that brought about traveling the first few months wasn’t an option. Not sure we would have, but fun to think of it.

    By the time #2 and #3 came around, it obviously wasn’t the same dynamic…having one baby. LOL! I’m sure it was tiring and trying, but I’ve loved reading about all your fun. πŸ™‚

  • Ruthie Hart (@ruthiehart1)
    September 2, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    These are such great tips! You can never have too many changes of clothes or diapers on the plane :). Now that Ford is a toddler, he is kind of a nightmare to travel with… sigh…

  • Emily @ Fit as a Mother...
    September 2, 2014 at 8:53 pm

    Never heard of that car seat bag before. Genius!!

  • Emily @ Life on Food
    September 3, 2014 at 3:57 am

    You guys are champions for going to far and so long with a little one. I am impressed.

  • CJ
    September 3, 2014 at 6:51 am

    You should check out woven wraps, a good brand I use is girasol wraps. It’s the same idea as the solly, just with less stretch so it’s comfortable when they get bigger!

  • Alexis
    September 3, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    This may be a totally dumb question (and from a non-parent, no less), but why the birth certificate?

    • jenna
      September 4, 2014 at 7:45 am

      It’s required by the TSA to show a birth certificate when you travel with a baby!

  • Helena Mouta
    September 4, 2014 at 2:09 am

    You are officially my hero! I would never have dreamed of taking my baby boy (now nearly 5!) on such long trips, but then again all my family was within a 20-minute car ride. I’m also considering buying a wrap for my new baby boy (due in 3 or 4 weeks), I’m thinking of something more or less like the Solly. Hope my baby loves it as much as Grayson did!

  • Svetlana
    September 4, 2014 at 5:49 am

    Thank you for all the great tips!

    I had a question…do you still use the Workhorse diapers as you specified in another post? Or you have switched completely to birdseye diapers and covers only?? I am looking at cloth diapering and am a bit lost with so many choices out there! Your previous posts helped a lot πŸ™‚

    Svetlana

    • jenna
      September 4, 2014 at 7:44 am

      I need to write a follow-up post, but no, we still use prefolds and workhorse diapers. Those flat birdseye diapers were just for travel since they are so easy and wash so well.

  • lucinda
    September 4, 2014 at 7:43 am

    even though my little one is no longer an infant, you’re tips brought many good reminders to mind about traverling with children in general. we leave for vacation tomorrow and this post couldn’t have come at a better time. thank you.

    p.s. i wholeheartedly agree on the coffee requirement. it doesn’t stop with infancy, either. caffeine becomes SUSTENANCE. haha!

  • Jodi
    September 4, 2014 at 10:58 am

    Good for you!!!! to travel with a baby…
    I have a 4 year old and an *almost* 1 year old. The thought of traveling with them is exhausting! You’re doing such an amazing job!

  • Bethany
    September 5, 2014 at 4:38 am

    This is so helpful! We are thinking about taking ours to Korea when he’s around 4-6 months… 13 hour flight! So, will definitely be bookmarking this page πŸ™‚

    I was wondering… do you have recommendations for nursing tanks? I almost always wear a tank top under my clothes but for breastfeeding it’s just another layer…. thanks! πŸ™‚

    • jenna
      September 5, 2014 at 9:42 am

      I love the basic ones from Target. And I also wear them under a regular top when I know I’m going to be out and about all day. Makes life a bit easier!

      • Bethany
        September 8, 2014 at 4:08 am

        Awesome! I will take a look at Target! Thanks.

  • Logan
    September 5, 2014 at 11:07 am

    Love this! We bought the JourneyBee ($200+) PortaCrib and it’s a nightmare to setup! (Waste of $$$!!!) Is the Lotus PortaCrib really easy? Says 15seconds, but how long does it really take to set it up??
    Thanks! πŸ™‚

  • erin @hooleywithaz
    September 5, 2014 at 2:38 pm

    i have bookmarked this for our trip to florida over thanksgiving with our little who will be 3 months at the time. funny enough, i had JUST ordered the stroller/car seat travel bags, and am so happy i did! and lady, the coffee is FOR SURE a requirement. i don’t think i could live without it these first few weeks, even if it is just a small mug a day for now haha.

  • Jen
    September 5, 2014 at 4:42 pm

    Beautiful you are!

  • Yael
    September 5, 2014 at 8:15 pm

    I’m a grown up and jet lag going back/west for me is a million times harder to deal with than going east. I don’t know what it is but it’ s just impossible!

  • Michelle
    September 6, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    Great tips! You are creating such precious family memories!

  • Candice
    September 7, 2014 at 7:48 pm

    Loving these helpful posts. Can’t wait for another cloth diaper follow up!

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  • Traveling with an Infant |
    September 17, 2014 at 10:19 am

    […] As for sleeping, Grayson slept in a pack n’ play at my mother-in-law’s house and a travel crib at my parent’s house. I actually liked the travel crib so much that I brought it home with us and we plan to use it for future weekend getaways. Here’s the one we got! I loved it because it has a zippered β€œdoor” so you can just slide him in and out after nursing in the middle of the night. We requested cribs at the hotels we stayed at and that worked out fine. I brought his own crib sheet from home, which I highly recommend. Read more […]

  • Lately
    November 11, 2014 at 9:55 am

    […] now that he’s six months old and way more active than he was before. I’ll be revisiting this post, for […]

  • Stephanie
    November 11, 2014 at 11:27 am

    Love this! I’m a mom-to-be and live between the USA and Central America. Ill be traveling with my little one when he or she is 2 months old. As far as shots, overall health, being in an airplane with lots of people etc. goes, did you feel good about bringing your little one on a plane at two months?

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  • Catie
    February 8, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    Hi! I am preparing to fly with my two month old and found this post super helpful. I am wondering though- did they make you take off the solly through security? What about taking the baby out at take off an landing? I am most nervous about getting through security I think because all I am planning on bringing/wearing is the Solly. I would SO appreciate any and all advice πŸ™‚ Thanks so much!
    Catie