A Serene Mama: Flying With an Infant
Well we did it, folks. We traveled with our little one and lived to tell the tale. Stating the obvious here to all those out there with children of your own, traveling with a little one is way more exhausting. The thought alone intimidated me like no other. So I put it off, and put it off, til the urge to see my dear ones far, far away overcame my intimidation. Then, I changed my perspective and the trip became a big adventure.
I posted this picture on social media, a picture that encapsulates the entirety of what we packed. (From left to right you see two smaller carry-ons [my green bag has become my daily 'diaper bag'], a stroller, a backpack and the more traditional diaper bag.) I got some questions about how we managed this.
I’m going to get specific here in a minute, but first let me emphasize The Big Picture.
I love to travel. But sometimes airports stress me out... And lugging heavy bags doesn’t exactly start my travels off with bells and whistles... And it's expensive to check baggage these days. Or, rather, I choose to spend my money elsewhere. What’s more, traveling allows me to break out of my every day routine and tackle this world pared down and unencumbered.
So, The Big Picture serves as my ultimate motivation for keeping it simple here, guys.
But let’s break it down to the nitty gritty. More specifically, I want to write about how we managed to travel on an airplane without checking any luggage yet never once feeling like we needed something we didn't pack. I didn’t think it was possible, but I sooooooooo wanted it to be possible.
[For a few suggestions on trips longer than a mere four nights away, please note the *. ]
Accommodations
We stayed with some dear friends whose child is almost two… and they still have their Pack ‘n Play. We do not even own a Pack ‘n Play, so we wouldn’t have brought one anyway, but -- no need to pack a bed. In the future should I find myself in a hotel or an airbnb, I’ll find lodging that offers this amenity, I expect. They are out there. The added fee is worth it to me, personally.
Transportation
Per a friend’s suggestion, we ordered a car service to take us to & from the airport in New York...a car service with an infant car seat. So we didn't pack our car seat.
We brought our trusty stroller – which we checked (for free) at the gate. (Check with the airline you are traveling with… ours allowed strollers under 20 lbs.)
We also brought our Ergo baby carrier. It can be rolled up and become quite compact. (I packed it in the diaper bag)
We used both of these equally, I’d say. We walked a ton, but when heading into Manhattan from Brooklyn, we used the subway. I have a love affair with public transportation (more on that in an upcoming blog).
Attire
My husband invested in a Minaal backpack a few years ago, and we just love it. I wanted to buy one for myself too (but then I – wait for it – instituted The Power of Pause and the Art of Conscious Consumption, and I’m all for making one work for us as long as… one works for us.) We fit all our clothes (including the baby's), as well as our toiletries into it. We rolled all our clothes, including the baby’s… including her burp clothes. Roll, roll roll away to your heart’s content.
But let’s be real for a minute here: traveling in the summer makes for a lot less threads. (I packed a sweatshirt and socks for the baby on the airplane, but I doubt I would in the future. I was holding her the entire flight! It’s called body heat, and I ended up taking them off her. First flight ever that I wasn’t chilly.) And to be frank, my uniform of late is more minimal than ever before. I’m talking tank tops or linen button downs and my skinny jeans. I re-wear my jeans, and I’m ok with that. I wore my sneakers on the plane, and packed my flip flops. My man just wore his running sneakers. We did not get fancy on this trip, folks.
*For longer trips, pack like you are only going away for five days, and do laundry (or have it done for you), intermittently on your trip. Pack items that can mix and match to create different outfits if wearing the same thing over and over drives you crazy. Remember you can roll dresses too! But don’t pack 21 outfits, guys. Typing that just stressed me out so I can’t imagine packing that.
Toiletries
Over time, my husband and I have accumulated small little containers (I’m talking teeny tiny) that we use for our toiletries. It has made a big difference. To be clear, we didn’t BUY teeny tiny containers, we just held onto ones that we came across over time. But by now, it’s really lightened the load. We are not toiletry junkies. But I love my nighttime and morning beauty routines. I don’t wear of ton of makeup but I love layering moisturizers and it’s never more important than when traveling. Travel sized containers – they make a difference.
Miscellaneous
My husband brought his work computer, and it fit in the backpack. I’ve started traveling without my computer, relying on an iPad for any writing needs that might arise.
(I wanted a MacBook Air after years of lugging my MacBook Pro where ere I went, but then my brother-in-law sold me his used iPad. It turns out there are some awesome apps for writers, so I’m good to go. Again, to drill it into your brains as if you aren’t picking up what I’m throwing down, I instituted The Power of Pause and Art of Conscious Consumption and found a lightweight, affordable solution for this traveling writer.)
The iPad served several purposes on this trip. And writing wasn’t the most important. The free sound machine app I downloaded proved far more important. Our baby has a sound machine at home, and the iPad is our traveling sound machine.
THE BIG TAKE AWAY FOR THIS BULLET POINT: be it gadgets or otherwise, I always strive to pack items than can be used for multiple purposes.Diapers. Yep, we packed enough diapers for the whole trip, and had leftovers to spare. (I packed them in the diaper bag.)
* For longer trips, I’d probably have Amazon ship the diapers to our travel destination. OR, I’d go old school and stop at the store to buy some en route from the airport to our destination.A blanket to throw down on any space for the babe to roll around on. We used this to great affect at the airport and in Prospect Park. We also - wait for it - rolled up a swaddle blanket to have on hand for a lightweight cover, be it for nursing or otherwise.
LASTLY:
Our monitor – it’s just helpful for us and didn’t take up a ton of space. But did we need it? We were staying in an NYC apartment for goodness sake! I’d do without it moving forward.
A new toy (new to the baby; one that I had not shown to her before). I’ve read other mama bloggers do this and I thought it was a good idea. But honestly, the baby was far more interested in the safety pamphlet than the toy. (And so was I. Funny how when I travel with my heart sitting on my lap I'm suddenly ALL EARS when the flight attendants talk emergency situations…) All that to say, if you have a toy stored away that baby has never seen, bring it if you want. But lordy, don’t waste money buying one. I’m sure activities will be important when she gets older, so ya know, stay tuned.
THE BIG TAKE AWAY FOR THE LAST TWO BULLET POINTS: on every trip I’ve been on, upon re-packed to return home, I discover at least one item that I need never pack again. Always edit, friends.
What travel tips do you swear by? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
