Traveling with a Baby
If someone tells you that you will be going on an all expense paid trip to some place random, but the travel will include 3 stops and you will be by yourself with your 10 month old, what would you say?
At first I thought okay, this won’t be as bad as I am imagining. Just get it over with. But honestly I am seriously considering not coming back to the States until the end of the season just because of the travel. Let me tell you a little bit about my travel and then tips that worked and tips I would consider doing next time.
My 10 month old baby and I checked in at Charlotte,NC airport for our flight at 1pm, we then got to Atlanta, flew to Paris, and then Paris to Moscow, Moscow to Kazan.
In Charlotte I checked in 3 bags, had 2 carry on bags as well as a stroller which I gate checked. I really wish I had only 1 carry on but traveling with a baby for more than 24 hrs, you never know what you will need. The flight went great. I had a nurse sitting next to me who felt so bad for my travel that she offered to hold Gabriella so that I could get some rest. I am not someone who would ask for help so I knew that God placed that woman in my path. So grateful because it gave me a chance to prepare my mind for what was to come.
Once we got to Atlanta, boarding our flight to Paris, the attendant told me that I would have my stroller checked all the way through Moscow instead of being able to use it in Paris. Whew. Okay, no worries, I am prepared because I packed my Baby BJorn carrier in my carry on just in case something like this would happen. We boarded the plane and I got everything gathered that I would need for the flight and got settled in.
The flight was 8 hours. I used the first hour and a half to entertain Gabriella, change her and then prepare her for a nap. I put her down for her nap, I then eat dinner and force myself to take a nap. She ended up sleeping the whole way through which was great because it gave me a chance to just relax and meditate. I took advantage of the food that was offered, just because I knew I didn’t really eat that day and I won’t have time to eat the rest of the trip. We get to Paris and prepare to carry my baby and my luggage through the TSA. TSA goes great, we get to our Gate, I change Gabriella, and we board our next flight.
The flight to Moscow from Paris was only about 4 hours and the front of the plane was basically empty. I feed Gabriella and we both knock out until it is time to load off.
This is where things get very complicated. Jarrell had arranged for an escort to take us to baggage claim, gate check, etc. When I get off the plane I see a woman on one of those airport carts and I’m like hey I think you are here for me, language barrier situation smh. She is all like no no this is not for you. Okayyyyyyyy. I get through the place where you have to register your COVID test, and then I completely walk out of baggage claim not realizing I did, because I am so concerned about finding this escort. Long story short, it ends up being the lady I questioned from the get go and from there on out it was smooth sailing. We get our bags, they escort us to the next terminal, check my bags in for me, and Gabriella and I get to chill in the lounge before our final flight. Once it is time to board, as soon as we get on to the plane, with like 5 minutes left of boarding, my daughter, Gabriella has an explosion, 5th outfit by the way. And this was a very short flight so I had basically put everything up because I knew she was sleepy. So here I am with poop all on my arm and poop all through her clothes. I change her the best I can in the tiny plane bathroom and just ignore that I smell like shit.
We finally got to Kazan, got through the airport, saw Jarrell and poof everything I went through just left my mind.
WHEW. Can’t believe I did all that hahahah.
Okay, so here are a few of my tips for long travel and short travel with a baby!
Long Travel Tips
Bring a new toy, if your baby is into them.
I bought 2 new toys for Gabriella to play with on the plane. She is not into toys really, but having a new toy did help distract her for a good bit.
Bring extra everything!!!
I am usually a very light diaper bag packer but for this long trip, I had to go overboard. I packed 5-6 outfits for Gabriella and I put them in individual ziploc bags just so it would be easier to handle and contain any stinky clothes that are to be made during the trip. I packed extra pacifiers, snacks, food, and formula. Just in case a flight was delayed I did not want to get stuck with a hungry baby. I also packed myself 2 outfits, and I actually ended up needing to change once.
Pack an outfit for the climate you are going to.
When we left Charlotte, it was 78 degrees and when we landed in Kazan, it was 20 degrees and snowing. I put her snow outfit in my carry-on bag just in case my checked bag would get lost on the way to Kazan, which actually at least 8 people from my flight from Paris to Moscow had their bags lost.
Download a few episodes of their favorite show.
I know that screen time is not the best distraction, but it helps when you really just need them to stay focused on something else for 5-20 minutes. Gabriella isn’t one to just stay stuck on a show but it did help when I just needed a few minutes to get everything together.
Have 2 carry-ons and a diaper bag that is well organized.
Having 2 carry-on bags helped me a lot. I used one for basically things that I knew I needed at any point and the other bag was basically all of my extras. My bag that had all of the extras was really just used during layovers and my other bag was able to be with me on the plane. This really helped me to stay organized and not have too much clutter.
Short Travel Tips
Get to the airport earlier.
This should be done for long travel too. Getting to the airport earlier allows your baby to get some tummy time, crawl around, whatever it is that they are doing. It gives you some time to grab food if you need to, prepare a baby bottle, use the bathroom, change the diaper, really anything, without you feeling rushed.
Board early!
Take advantage of the early boarding process. This helps you and baby get settled without people all over the place.
Gate check your stroller.
I love checking my stroller at the gate. I have not had any problems, but I have also only flown Delta-Affiliate airlines. I also don’t use GateCheck bags for my stroller, but would recommend it if you are scared it may get messed up or broken.
Pack medicine for the baby.
I always travel with a medicine pack. It contains baby tylenol, cool gel for teething, gas relief, and a few other things. I do this because I have no idea what my baby will be going through and I want to make sure I have some type of relief for her for whatever we encounter. This medicine pack is taken whenever we travel.
Make sure you stay hydrated!
It is so important to make sure you stay hydrated when you travel. Yes, I know it is really annoying to have to go to the bathroom, BUT you will feel much better when you stay hydrated. Happy mom, happy baby.
There are a lot of tips and tricks when traveling with a baby, and each time can go very different. If you have any questions about traveling with a baby, DM me and we can talk about it! I also like to follow instagram pages that I will have listed below that offer traveling tips!
