Travel Advice

[kimkim]

I hear it's easiest to travel with kids when they are infants but I've also heard it can be difficult. I know there's no way to predict your baby's demeanor but what do people think? I'm due any day now but there's really cheap flights from portland to hawaii and we'd have to fly by november, so she'd be about 8 weeks. We plan to cd-is that even feasible? i know we can rent a car with a carseat and it will be warm so she won't need much for clothes and i can carry her in a moby. i guess my big concerns and diapers, colic and vax. we plan to do a lot of delayed vax, not sure if we should do some before we go--or what. dh and i are travelers and have always talked about traveling with the kids-but now i'm all worried about the unknown. advice?
i think it's funny how i'm sort of un-nesting right before she comes.

[russsk]

We found it very easy to travel with DS when he was young. Actually, it's still pretty easy. We took him to Wisconsin when he was about 8 weeks, then Turkey at 11-12 weeks. Both trips were easy and fun. I would suggest taking your own carseat, as I wouldn't want to trust what the car rental agency has. If you don't want to buy the baby a seat, you can check it at the gate. That way, if there is an extra seat on the flight you can have it and install the car seat. A Moby is a great idea. We used cloth diapers, but not while traveling. I know others have done it, but it just wasn't worth it to me, at all. Personally, no vaccines traveling to Hawaii wouldn't be an issue for me. At that point, most babies have gotten very few anyway.

I'm due in a couple of weeks and we have a December trip to Israel all planned. I totally get what you're feeling.

[MegBoz]

I've never really done more than day trips or overnights at my Mom's & MILs, but I have had DS "out & about" a lot since he was born. (He always seemed happier that way & it was fine with me.)
It really is easy! I've never cloth-diapered, so I don't know about that. But DS was always exclusively breastfed & worn often, so that just made it so easy to be on the go!

I think baby's can get overstimulated & that can stress them, but when you're wearing a baby in a 'front wrap cross carry' they're hugged into your chest & can easily tune out the stimuli. (There's actual research showing that babies in front-facing strollers experience more distress.) Plus, babies like motion so much & you're likely to do a lot of walking.

As I said though, my DS was always happiest out & about, so I don't know how often it might go the other way. At least with a newborn, they sleep ANYWHERE - so it's not like now that DS is 2 years old, he's uncomfortable falling asleep someplace new. All in all, I'm thinking it would probably be a nice trip!

Just be warned - Moby's are HOT! Wearing a newborn is like having a hot water bottle strapped around you - they generate so much heat! But wearing in a warmer, less-breathable wrap, you'll really be roasting. I recommend a gauze wrap - Wrapsody Bali Breeze is what I got for DS, who was born in July. AWESOME! Really breathable & not any hotter than just carrying him. Moby is super comfy though & fantastic, I switched to it in October.

[*MamaJen*]

DS and his dad and I took a trip from Texas to California when he was about two months old. Honestly, it's a whole heck of a lot easier traveling with a newborn than with a toddler. DS just nursed and slept the entire plane ride through. I wore him in the sling a lot, we were able to go out to eat at some nice places, lots of stuff I can't really do with a two year old in tow. We didn't have to worry about getting home by bedtime, because he just slept in the sling when we were out.
We were cloth diapering at the time, but staying at the house of a friend that had a washer/dryer, so we just did the load of dirties before we left. It's probably worth considering using disposables just for that week if it's a concern.
I say go and have a great time.

[kimkim]

thanks for the advice! we booked our flight so this will be our first action of maintaining our desire to travel with children. dh seems totally confident about it all so that helps me let go a little. I don't know how i feel about cd yet, maybe we should have the baby first and play that by ear! I'm looking forward to a vacation now, with baby!

[Magali]

We've done lots of travelling with our mostly cd'd ds...and while cloth diapering is so fantastic, I would never do it while travelling. Waaaaay too much work, and extra luggage to cart around. I've gone to visit my mom a few times and took my cloth diapers with me there because I knew it would be no problem to wash at her house. But while in transit I always used disposables. Have a fantastic trip!

[kimkim]

does anyone recommend cd'ing while travelling? carrying an extra suitcase and doing laundry on the road doesn't sound relaxing...or if you use 'sposies while travelling, what kind? i have no idea what's good/bad etc. i'd hate to deal with diaper rash or other drama.

[BlackSheepPDX]

Depends where you're going to do the laundry. We've CD'd if we're going to someone's house, where laundry access will be frequent and easy, and wouldn't be under the scrutiny of the uninitiated/uninformed. I wouldn't want to be stockpiling many days of dirty diapers, plus, I think you might have a hard time even getting away with doing diaper laundry at a laundromat. Most people are pretty freaked out by the "poop in the washer" concept, and you might be kicked out. I generally don't like to go more than every other day with washing diapers, at most. We do loads most days if possible. They get pretty stinky sitting around.

When the trip is not CD appropriate, we use g-dipes as our "sposies." Note though, g-dipes are theoretically flushable (when ripped open, stirred and flushed with decent water pressure) however, we have had issues with stoppages in older homes or places with weak flush. We've taken to holding on to the g-dipes and flushing them (one at a time, with all the flourishes) at someplace like Costco, with power flushing toilets, to avoid embarassing situations.

As for travel with an infant, yeah, it's really easy. It's when they get mobile that it gets hairier. We took our DD camping at 7 weeks, and on a plane to SF by 3 months, and to NY at 4 months. Vaxes don't start until 2-3 months on even a standard schedule, so that's not a real concern for me regarding simple domestic travel.

[MegBoz]

Originally Posted by kimkim

or if you use 'sposies while travelling, what kind? i have no idea what's good/bad etc. i'd hate to deal with diaper rash or other drama.

I've only ever done disposables & my personal preference is actually the Target brand! They have no fragrance & I really hate all fragrances & perfumes. Nearly every other brand has some sort of perfume. They also happen to be among the cheapest.
I've found NO difference in terms of reliability (stopping leaks) with any brand. None! So that's why I stick with Target.

FYI, since BFed babies have very runny poop, I found it often ran out the side of the leg hole. VERY often. Since DS was born in July, I usually just had him in a "onesie." Well, if such a "poop explosion" occurred, it would get all over the car set, or my wrap, or my lap. If I'd had him in some little shorts or something, it would have been a much easier clean up if it were contained within his clothes! So just something to bear in mind.