A bunch of you asked for tips on how we traveled with Hudson while he’s only 4.5 months old! To be honest, it is much easier than I expected. I was super nervous about how he would be on the plane, and also a bit anxious about having so much extra stuff, but it all worked out. Here’s a few tips, and a list of the things we brought along to make our trip easier.
1. GATE CHECK THE STROLLER AND CAR SEAT – All airlines allow you to check your stroller and car seat FOR FREE at the gate. This means you can push the baby in the stroller all the way until you board! Then, when you deplane, your stroller is right there waiting for you. It makes it so much easier to walk through the airport.
2. ASK FOR A BASSINET ON INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS – Our plane didn’t have one, but a lot of them do! Make sure to ask!
3. FEED YOUR BABY AT TAKEOFF AND LANDING – This helps with their popped ears, and also helps to distract them so they don’t get nervous or upset from the pressure. I made sure to have some formula ready in case Hudson got upset at both takeoff and landing.
4. TRY TO SCHEDULE A FLIGHT AROUND A TIME THEY SLEEP, OR PLAN THEIR NAPS AROUND THE FLIGHT – On our flight to California, it was super early in the morning so Hudson took his 1st and 2nd nap during the flight. The flight on our way home was trickier, because it was in the evening. He ended up sleeping the entire time, and then it was hard to put him down when we got home.
5. PURCHASE DIAPERS/ WIPES / FORMULA IN THE CITY YOU’RE TRAVELING TO – Depending on where you’re going of course. We knew California had a baby store, so in order to save room in our suitcases, we just bought the necessities for the week when we arrived.
6. PLANE BATHROOMS ACTUALLY HAVE GOOD CHANGING TABLES – Yup, I was so nervous about this one, but it’s true.
WHAT DID WE BRING FOR THE WEEK?
1. Burp Cloths: We always need these after feedings, so we brought a few for the week!
2. Maxi-Cosi carseat + base: Some travelers opt to not bring their carseat base, but we found it to be much easier than having to worry about properly seat belting the seat in by itself. We gate checked it, so it was super easy!
3. A sun hat: Love this one from Boden! A must in the desert sun!
4. Sunscreen: We were pretty OCD about making sure Hudson had sunscreen on, because it was so so hot!
5. Two bottles: Yup, we only brought two Medela bottles. We kept washing and reusing the same ones to save space.
7. Bugaboo stroller (we only brought the base, and used the carseat as the seat for the week)
8. Portable sound machine: There wasn’t a plug in the van, so this was a life saver in getting Hudson to bed!
9. Changing station: Used this every day to change our little guy!
In California we bought diapers, wipes and formula to last us for the week. I hope this helps ease the stress for any of you moms out there with upcoming trips!
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