Traveling with an infant is a journey in itself. Baby Bear caught his first cold just days prior to us leaving for Puerto Rico and I was so nervous to bring him away from home while he was sick. I had to have faith that we had everything he needed to get better. (Breastfeeding and the warm weather helped). Traveling with an infant…it can be done, but you just have to be prepared AND it’s always best to travel with a partner!
It may not be a ‘vacation’ but you can definitely take trips worthwhile with your baby. It was way different than all my other adventures. On each trip I take, I learn something new: a language, a culture or more about myself. This time around, we didn’t test out the water sports or go rappelling in the rain forest, but we tested a lot of local cuisine and did a lot of site-seeing. Eisah was rocked to sleep in the carrier whenever we were out and about walking which made it much more enjoyable for me. We enjoyed the beaches, Old San Juan, El Yunque Rainforest and the Puerto Rican Cuisine. After walking and exploring each day with 13+ pounds strapped to me, my legs were so sore! (What a great workout).
I learned a couple of things about traveling with an infant that I need to keep in mind for next time:
On the flight…We had an evening flight, so he slept the entire way, only waking up briefly to nurse 2-3 times. That was so convenient as we I didn’t have to stress about being the mother with the crying baby, although coming home it was a little earlier and Baby Bear wasn’t yet ready to sleep so he cried a bit =/. Some articles say its best to choose your flight earlier in the day because the baby is more agile to change, but I say its up to you and your baby’s temperament. Test it out and see. We were usually one of the first ones on the plane and the last ones off the plane so that we didn’t feel rushed.
I made sure I wore easy access clothes to help make nursing much easier on the plane and I sat near the window in order to allow for more privacy.
We found it convenient to have both the stroller and the baby carrier so that we can put down the baby when need be or carry him (hands-free) when he became fussy. Though, if I was traveling alone, I would only use the baby carrier and check the stroller and car seat. He enjoyed being carried much more than being in the stroller where he can’t see as much. It allowed me to move around more freely knowing he was satisfied. At times I just had to keep in mind how I ate because I would get crumbs in his hair if I forgot.
We shared one checked luggage (as it’s $25 each now!) instead of using carry-on bags so that we could make sure we had our focus and attention on taking care of Eisah’s frequent changings, unpredictable explosions, and his baggage.
Because Baby Bear had a cold, the best investment was buying an Electronic Nasal Aspirator!
-Medinah