Tips for Traveling with Baby

[khriseeee]

Not sure if there is a thread on this already, we will be traveling in December with our baby, she will be 10 months old by then. I wanted to ask you mommies what are your tips for traveling with baby? 

Some things I can think of:

Divide baby items into 2 separate luggage - in case one luggage gets lost, we will still have some items on hand.

Pack baby's outfits into individual ziplock bags so it will be easy to pull out outfits and not have to look for items separately.

I read binder clips are helpful to attach blankets to strollers so the blanket won't fall to the floor

Pacifier clips can also be used to attach lightweight toys to baby so they won't fall to the floor

I plan on bringing a stroller and sling for versatility

What are the tips for bathing baby in a hotel? It wouldn't be practical to bring along her tub with us 

I would love to hear from mommies who have traveled with babies and how they prepared and coped!

[DV]

1. The way I pack clothes is I roll the pieces together (1 outfit) and secure them with a rubber band. Kung may boat ride saka lang ako gumagamit ng plastic bags. Otherwise OK na yung roll+rubber band sa akin kasi the plastic bags also take up space.

2. Meron akong nabiling clips for the blanket that you attach to the stroller sa Saizen. For me handy sya kasi nakakabit na sa stroller. Yung binder clips kasi may tendency na ma-misplace.

3. Very important ang ID (child's name with your phone number(s) in international format, eg, +639171234567) for your child, especially if you're going to a non-English speaking country and your child can't speak yet. For infants, pwede yung hospital band type but make sure nakatalikod yung information for security purposes. For bigger children, pwede na yung normal ID pero nakatalikod rin yung information (pwede namang i-reverse kung kailangang makita, but not readily available for everyone to see).

4. For bathing, if your baby can sit up na, bring your own non-slip bathroom mat (which you can easily roll and stash in your luggage) that you can place on the shower floor or bath tub so s/he can sit on it while you're bathing her/him. Don't use the hotel's bathroom mat. Dirty yun.

5. I also always bring Pottyspray for sanitizing the bathroom (tub, potty, sink) before using it.

6. I also love my buggyguard hook lock for the stroller (available in Mothercare) so you can hang your bags and secure/lock them with the stroller para iwas-snatching while you're attending to your child.

[clueless]

The less i need to pack the better. With babies kasi, we tend to bring everything kasi what if this or that.

Instead of bringing lots of bottles, i introduced the playtex drop ins to her when she was about 6 months old. Playtex when we're out, dr browns at home. Good that she takes both. When travelling with her, we only just bring 1 playtex nurser, lots of liners, 1 small lock & lock container for clean teats, ziploc bag for used teats, nipple tong. Then for sterilizing, teats lang naman kailangan so a dr browns microwave sterilizer bag is enough, once a day lang. If there is no microwave, chicco sterilizing solution naman.

I bring 1 small can of formula us formula dispenser. Water ang heavy. I bring 1L-1.5L bottles lang para madaling idivide among luggages.

I also bring one of her comforters or at least a blanket or pillowcase so that the smell of the bed becomes familiar to her and hindi manibago. I learned this lesson when we went to my parents' farm. I thought di naman "public" place but the first night was so bad she slept on my chest.

A backpack diaper bag helps to free up your hands unless you can hang it sa stroller. Some strollers tip over kasi when you hang a diaper bag on the handles.

I always bring moonshine baby bottom spray for diaper changes especially pag poop and we dont have access to clean water. Wipes muna to wipe off the poop then spray with moonshine and wipe off with cotton pads. Another thing you can do is to brin 2 spritz bottles - 1 with water and another woth water mixed with a little liquid soap. Spray on the bottom lang.

That's all i can think of for now.

DV, i saw that buggy lock nga sa mothercare. Been thinking of getting one especially after we lost my niece's stroller in a stroller parkin area at HK disneyland.

[khriseeee]

Thank you DV and clueless!

DV I will try the rolling of clothes instead. What type of clips did you buy from saizen? I'd like to get those instead of the binder clips.

Where do you buy/get hospital bands for information?

I have the buggyguard lock and plan on bringing it along as well.

clueless, yes I also plan to bring beddings, my baby is very particular about where she sleeps so this is definitely needed! I plan to bring Avent Tempo (if still available i nthe market), if I can't find tempos anymore I'll give playtex a try, though I she didn't take to Dr. Brown's when I tried switching her so not sure if she will like playtex either.

Where do you buy moonshine baby bottom spray?

[clueless]

I think the avent tempo is being discontinued na, quite difficult na daw to find? I considered these too but when i compared the price with playtex, the latter is much cheaper that's why i chose that. Hehe. But yon nga, difficult kasi to know if your baby will like it or not.

You can buy moonshine from indigo manila.

Very important din pala to bring her baby book and a first aid kit (paracetamol, etc).

I found these before but i forgot about them until now. I've been meaning to order. You may want to check it out - child's safety and medical ID bracelet

[DV]

khriseeeee, here are the clips that I got from Saizen: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Infant-Stroller-Blanket-Plastic-Clip-1-set-2pcs-/221134154237

My daughter's ID bracelet when she was an infant was made of silver, similar to one of the pictures on clueless' link. I had her name engraved in script (para mas mahirap basahin) on top and my phone number on the underside. Yung actual hospital band, maybe you can ask one from your pedia. Or you can make a simple one with EVA foam (or any waterproof material) and use a Sharpie to write your information at the back. Or buy from Tiki Room.

Sa formula naman, I bought the boxed ones lang para lighter. I took the sachets out of the boxes tapos sinulat ko na lang sa foil sachet yung mfg & exp dates and lot numbers para madaling isiksik sa luggage. Placed them in resealable bags para di kakalat kung saka-sakali lang na mabutas. If you're buying boxed formula, make sure to bring a scoop kasi yung iba walang kasamang scoop sa loob.

Another tip: always map out the nearest hospital to your hotel in case of emergencies.

Try Landmark for Avent Tempos.

clueless, yea, I used the buggyguard din sa Disneyland. Ikinabit ko sa railing/bakod ng ride. Or onto another stroller ng kasama kung meron. 

[Grayce]

^i saw a bunch of avent tempo also at baby & co ba yun at Rockwell. And Rustan's.

[khriseeee]

Thanks clueless and DV! My baby will be 10 months old when she travels, I'm worried that she might play with the medical ID I'll ask my pedia about it too.

Sis Gracye, ok! I will check, I actually have one na, want to get a backup and a bunch of liners as well.

Any suggestions on how to keep mittens from getting loose or falling? I was thinking of safety pins but the might get loose and poke my baby. Would those plastic diaper clips work?

[Grayce]

^mittens? for your 10 month old baby? parang hindi ok na ipamittens mo baby mo specially na nagtratravel. it'll just attract dirt/dust and probably your baby's saliva as well making it a good breeding ground of bacteria.. is this a long trip?


also try to check the other thread for tips for traveling with baby

[khriseeee]

We are travelling to provincial china in december, my mil said it gets cold, colder than hong kong, so i was thinking i might need mittens or some sort of cover for her hands. We will be there for a week

[Cocoyow]

I always bring 1 stroller bag and 1 backpack for my baby's need while travelling.. I dont risk na magkulang ng kailangan anak ko. I use ziploc to separate kinds of stuffs ni baby para di maging magulo ang gamit nya. sa water, i buy nalang pagdating sa pupuntahan namin since yun talaga ang mabigat, so ang dala ko lang water is yung na coconsume nya sa tagal ng oras ng byahe. Pwede mo irequest din yun like if sa hotel ka mag stay na bilhan ka na ng water for baby..

[caprice]

Saw Avent Tempo at Baby Co SM Megamall last Friday. Pero small bottle lang. 4oz ata. Kung sa tingin lang, I prefer Playtex over Avent. Planning to buy one next week, sa 3day sale.

[Cocoyow]

^saan yung 3 day sale sis?

[caprice]

SM Megamall, Sis Cocoyow. October 19-21.

[Cocoyow]

^thanks sis

[CebuGem]

My hubby and I recently traveled with our 5 month old daughter to Cebu. Since we arrived at an unholy hour of 2am, we decided to check-in at the nearest hotel (the one just in front of the airport).

Based on my experience, here are the things I brought and did.

1.) Bathing in a hotel. There's a bath tub but it would be too big for her and we can't just put her in the sink (though it was huge). So I let my hubby hold her while i took charge of the rinsing and shampooing.

2.) The flight took around 4-5 hrs so I brought 4 feeding bottles, 2 bottles were already filled with water. I even asked from the FA to give me hot water since the water I brought turned cold.

3.) Before boarding, I made sure to feed my baby and change her diaper even if she was not hungry or her diaper was not soaked.

4.) We brought her stroller and baby-carrier. Knowing Cebu weather, the baby carrier was of no use and personally, I find the stroller more convenient.

5.) I brought 3 pacifiers. She loves them.

6.) Bring a lot of bibs, a baby blanket, extra clothes and even a toy. With a long flight, you never know what's ahead. Good thing my baby slept most of the time.

7.) We were assigned to seats convenient for passengers travelling with babies thus we made use of that table (i dunno what's it called) by changing her diaper there. As long as baby was not pooping, changing diapers in a plane is swift, lol.

[wengerts]

the avent tempos sold here are the last few batches in existence. wala ka nang mabibili nyan elsewhere. i mean if you need more liners in the future, baka wala ka nang mabilhan, unless you hoard now hehe! i bought mine in the US, super mura if you compare the prices here.

[bluegintonic]

It all depends on what age your baby is eh. we first travelled SG-Aus when she was 5 months old.Since then we've travelled back and forth AUS-SG-PHIL mga 4x na. On an international (lalo long haul, connecting ones):

1-Layer your baby's clothes. Hindi ganun palagi kalamig sa plane lalo pag punuan (my experience in Qantas).

2- I still BF my baby so I try to feed solid foods before boarding para hindi aligaga sa boarding gate
while waiting.Bring along his/her beloved bottle/sippy cup, with finger snacks.bring along his/her utensils (more hygienic this way). Give a lolipop during take-off to ease popping in the ears, or give a bottle OR breastfeed.

3- I used a sling to carry her while also lugging a very full diaper bag. Divide and conquer kami ni hubby  ng tasks.Try filling out your immigration forms sa boarding gate as when your confined in the plane kahit pa 2 tao kayo pasahan pa rin kayo when it comes to baby.

4- DON'T CHECK IN your stroller sa boarding gate-You stand a chance na maghihintay kayo matagal bago i-release ito after disembarkation palagi. We bought a bag for our stroller and kasama sa check in luggage namin yun. PLus point hindi na kami harassed sa dami ng bitbit! Just make sure your stroller has proper tags and all. Highly useful!

5-Wear comfortable slip on shoes-lalo may karga kang baby hassle kung may laces!

6- use a ziploc bag for all of baby's creams like diaper creams,liquid soaps etc. for easier presentation. Try keeping only 1 bottle of water with you (ipapatapon kapag excess of 100 ML of anything anyway).If you formula feed, try not to make a bottle na hindi pa iinumin agad ni baby kasi baka ipatapon lang din, sayang.On the plane nakakahingi naman warm water sa attendants.

7-Try to time the longest leg of your flight to coincide with your baby's normal sleep time when you can.If you're travelling with a toddler who can eat a normal portion of plane meal na naka-order na kayo prior.they serve this ahead. Most people who travel with infants less than 2 years old are given porta-cots that the attendants attach to the wall and mostly sa front row palagi naka-upo so may extra leg room.Make use of the porta-cot.

8-keep a separate bag for toys,books, etc..so you don't have to keep taking in and out your diaper bag kung hindi naman need lahat yun.

9- depending on the length of your flight and your baby's needs, I keep only 1 set of spare clothes plus 1 tshirt/short sleeved romper.Hindi naman siguro ganun kakalat lalo nag-coincide ang flight sa sleep time ng baby.

9-keep a diaper clutch-a changing mat,ointment,wipes case in your diaper bag.Sa liit ng changing table hindi talaga carry na dalhin buong bag inside!

10-include a few pieces of Tylenol/Advil with you.With a whiny baby, head ache inducing eh . Bring a small ziploc bag din of your baby's paracetamol.

11.Take turns doing the "baby walk" along the hallways. Babies love exploring, plus it gets them tired! Kung may play area sa airport (like the ones in HK/ Changi) at may time, indulge them.

12- Toddlers 2 and above are required to have a car seat(when they have a seat to themselves na). Check with your airlines; most do not provide but will not charge you extra baggage if you do bring yours. I recommend the not so bulky ones ( Amazon sells this around 40-80 USD) you would normally use for your car. magagamit din ito pag dating sa destination niyo lalo walang mahiraman o wala kakilala na may spare car seat.

13-Allow ample time for delays.not everything goes according to plan all of the time lalo't may baby.

HTH

[Grayce]

We are travelling to provincial china in december, my mil said it gets cold, colder than hong kong, so i was thinking i might need mittens or some sort of cover for her hands. We will be there for a week

ah yes malamig nga sa china. bring some but i wont recommend this for your baby sa plane. baunin mo nalang sa bag para pagdating nyo dun and once it's cold, she can wear it na agad just incase.

one thing about traveling with baby/toddler on tow, dapat tanchahin nyo yung travel time nyo with their nap/sleeping period. arriving in the airport and checking in early helps a lot also specially if you intend to let your child play around before boarding para pagdating ng plane, plakda sila

[blairbunny]

I'm very interested in this topic. I'm travelling to HK with my baby this November.  She'll be 6 months old by then. I'm a bit overwhelmed though, because she'll start eating solid food a week before the travel, and if I wait til then for the complete instructions, I may not have the necessary feeding equipment ready by the time we leave.  Is there anything I need to buy in advance (sippy cups? special spoon? sorry, beginner )? Thanks!