Traveling with a babe « Back to Group Discussions

[LilyTiger]

Next month when Piper is two months old I will have to take her on a solo trip to a town outside of Chicago.  It's a roughly 10 hour car ride, but for various reasons (mostly that she totally hates car seats) I've decided to take a night train to Chicago and rent a car and infant car seat (so I don't have to carry mine) to make the further 1.5 hour trip out to where we're going.  Any suggestions for how to get from point A to point B without losing my mind?  I'm planning on taking just a short weekender bag that might double as a diaper bag and a sling or Ergo instead of lugging around a stroller.  I think we'll be pretty lean and mean, but I'm wondering if there's anything I'm totally not considering.  It will be stressful I think, but I'm hoping not a total disaster.  We could fly, but for various reasons I think the overnight train might be the most stress free option.  Thoughts?

I know a few other moms have big trips coming up (moves across country, etc), so any BTDT moms with advice to share? 

[monkeyscience]

I'm taking my LO on a 1.5 hr plane ride followed by a 2.5 hr car ride on Sunday, so I can tel you what I think after that. Just from my experience around town, though, I'd say make sure you have plenty of clean outfits for baby...they can go through them fast!

[Ninetales]

I'd really not recommend renting a seat. You have no idea if it's been in a crash, if the harness was washed properly, if it's not expired, or if it will even be there for you. It's common to arrive there and be given a seat that's old, dirty, missing the manual or important pieces, etc.

And for what they charge you might as well buy a cheap seat when you get there and leave it behind. I've never been on a train but I looked into it once and it seemed pretty easy to check the seat or even bring it to your seat if the train isn't full.

I don't mean to be obnoxious if you've really looked into it and are set on your plan.

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

Originally Posted by Ninetales 

I'd really not recommend renting a seat. You have no idea if it's been in a crash, if the harness was washed properly, if it's not expired, or if it will even be there for you. It's common to arrive there and be given a seat that's old, dirty, missing the manual or important pieces, etc.
And for what they charge you might as well buy a cheap seat when you get there and leave it behind. I've never been on a train but I looked into it once and it seemed pretty easy to check the seat or even bring it to your seat if the train isn't full.
I don't mean to be obnoxious if you've really looked into it and are set on your plan.

Totally agree. Pick up a Costco scenera - $60 new, super light, easy to travel with, easy to install, you know where its been and cheap enough to leave behind if you wanted to.

[LilyTiger]

Well, there's no Costco near us and that seat's not available online.  I'm looking into how far the car rental place is from the train station, but if it requires really any walking at all I'll have to rent the seat since I simply won't be able to handle a baby, luggage, and a car seat by myself.  So we'll see what happens.

Fortunately, I can minimize luggage somewhat by doing laundry at my friend's house I'm visiting.  I'll have to do disposables instead of cloth, which sort of sucks, but I just can't picture carrying around wet bags for a whole weekend and I'm not going to do dirty diaper laundry in a friend's laundry machine.  Hopefully we'll survive.

[iixivboots]

I think what they meant was Cosco (baby gear brand) Scenera, not anything from the store Costco! Just FYI if anyone is interested...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Scenera-5-Point-Convertible-Car-Seat-Black-Santee/13004563

[monkeyscience]

So as not to hijack this thread, I'm posting another one about my first morning at the hotel with baby. Airplane ride went really well, and car ride went pretty well. Baby Bird kindly waited until we had finished our car trip to have the massive poo-splosion we were waiting for. So no great revelations from me yet about traveling with a baby. It was a little weird really nursing in public for the first time, instead of just nursing around family or other moms. I was wearing my nursing cover, but it still felt strange knowing other people knew I was undressing myself underneath it! I will let you know if I have any other brilliant revelations. I'm also missing cloth diapers, but this is 3 weeks in a row without them, since I've been staying at my mom's the past two.

[LilyTiger]

Ah, Boots, that makes more sense. 

And monkey, let us know how things go! 

[CCoello]

I decided to forego the 3000 mile car trip from Vermont to Seattle with our 9 week old. We have had too many fussy nights and fussy carseat episodes to want to spend 10 days that way. I'll fly instead, and my husband will make the drive so much quicker without us. Still unsure what baby furniture and clothes and diapers and toys etc that I should:

A) get rid of

B) have moved and stored (will be without these items for up to 6 weeks)

C) will have my husband drive across the country (will be without for 1 week)

D) will need to fly with so I can access all the time.

Need to check with inlaws if it is okay to use their washer for cloth dipes, or the kid will be in sposies for weeks. Also, am I dedicated enough to cloth dipe using a landromat while we are living out of a hotel for a month looking for an apartment? Will he outgrow 0-3 month clothes in the next 6 weeks and need the next size up handy? He is 11# right now.

Ugggh. So ready for this move to be all done with!

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by CCoello 

I decided to forego the 3000 mile car trip from Vermont to Seattle with our 9 week old. We have had too many fussy nights and fussy carseat episodes to want to spend 10 days that way. I'll fly instead, and my husband will make the drive so much quicker without us. Still unsure what baby furniture and clothes and diapers and toys etc that I should:

A) get rid of

B) have moved and stored (will be without these items for up to 6 weeks)

C) will have my husband drive across the country (will be without for 1 week)

D) will need to fly with so I can access all the time.

Need to check with inlaws if it is okay to use their washer for cloth dipes, or the kid will be in sposies for weeks. Also, am I dedicated enough to cloth dipe using a landromat while we are living out of a hotel for a month looking for an apartment? Will he outgrow 0-3 month clothes in the next 6 weeks and need the next size up handy? He is 11# right now.

Ugggh. So ready for this move to be all done with!

He'll probably be out of 0-3 month clothes soon. I know that my daughter is between 11 and 12 pounds right now and she fits in 3 month clothes just fine...for the moment. I wouldn't worry about furniture and toys to bring with you. Your son won't play with toys for a while and my son's favorite toys were cardboard toilet paper tubes and yogurt tubs (no joke). So those are easy to come by. :) I would have a wrap or carrier with you on the plane, but otherwise you really don't *need* much!

[Sol_y_Paz]

Read this and thought of some of you 

http://drjaygordon.com/faq/medicalconcerns/airtravel

[CCoello]

Thanks, Sol! Somehow the thought of using an eyedropper to put milk into his nose in public is more nervewracking than nursing in public. At least with nursing everyone will understand what I'm doing :) I'll have to screw up my courage.