It's very rare that your first time traveling will be your only time. Once exposed to the exciting and unpredictable newness that often comes with leaving home, the chances of you making more travel plans are very high. What I enjoy most about traveling is the reminder it gives me that life comes in different colours, flavours, tastes and smells. Traveling also does a wonderful job in teaching lessons of humility and tolerance of different ways to live life. I'm no rookie to the traveling game, my travel bug has become more of a monster; I've lived in over 5 countries and visited over 25 in my lifetime so far. In fact, this blog originated as a travel blog for an international internship I was fortunate enough to experience with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). I wouldn't be the person I am today without having traveled as much as I have, and I hope my now 14 month old (already!?) can say the same one day.
Needless to say however, like most things, traveling is a while new ballgame when you do it with a baby! (Most) Adults have the ability to hide any discomforts or displeasure they may feel at any given time *Cough cough interminable flight delays* Babies however, do not hide their feelings at all. This is only one of the many reasons why traveling with babies could be challenging. I'd like to drop a few Mom Truth bombs in hopes to help others gain some perspective. Initially I thought I'd be polite and not include the names of the places and companies that made traveling more difficult for my family and I ... but why protect them, who will that help? I share because I care :D. Presently, I am still glowing from my post-vacation bliss after spending a week in Cuba on a resort in Cayo Santa Maria for my brother's wedding. I'll be sharing experiences from Cuba, and from road-trips/camping trips in Ontario with baby.
1. Free : Babies are free on planes! So try it at least, it won't cost you a cent. Checking baby items such as car seats and strollers are often free to do as well, contact the airline and ask. Be careful who you get on the phone though. I called and was told there wasn't a fee, and when I got there, the woman said the person on the phone was mistaken (Not impressed with you SunWing Airlines). *They were disorganized, gave me the wrong information and the flight delays were a constant... what a nightmare.*
2. Speaking of flight delays, consider the Waiting.@.. every baby is different, mine needs to run and physically tire himself out before asking me to put him to bed (his new skill, we are very proud of our baby genius). This was interesting around hundreds of strangers at an airport but my options were either let him run around while I followed him and watched his every move, or hear him rawr on the plane, while dozens of annoyed strangers shoot daggers at me with their eyes. The first option is much cuter and frankly it gave me an excuse not to sit around... I need to move too. Apples and trees :) #getsItFromHisMama
Oh the judging eyes though! Good thing looks can't actually kill because some people will look at you like you've released rabid hounds if you do this (let your child run around and play). Smile at them, they'll hate it :D. In their defence however, toddlers are little wild beasts, but their cuteness makes up for it. What saved me was having entertainment for him, we brought books and toys to keep him occupied both on the plane and at the airport and he was golden.
3. Breast is Best : Please note that I have nothing against mothers who choose not to breastfeed, or those that simply couldn't. However, a perk to breastfeeding that I never considered until traveling with my baby is the ease at which my crying baby turned into a calm and soothed one?thanks to breastfeeding. His first traveling experience happened at 6-weeks old, we went camping on an island nearby, and honestly, I wouldn't hesitate to do that again. packing was simple, diapers check, wipes, check, clothing check, boobs? Double check. For take-off and landing, to avoid what could be very painful ear popping for babies, breastfeeding, or drinking something is ideal for babies. Felix slept the entire plane ride both to and from Cuba, and we couldn't be happier about it.
4. Plan! This was a hard lesson for my husband and I. We are spontaneous people that love road trips and figuring out our next move on the fly... with babies however, this could be tricky. Four 3 main reasons 1: Babies are a lot less patient between meals. Our solution for this was hitting up grocery stores because they're excellent for on the go snacks between meals like avocado, tomatoes, grapes & strawberries 2. Babies are often forbidden at bed and breakfasts, small hotels and hostels. This shocked me! Around our anniversary we drove to port Dover with love in our eyes and a happy cooing baby in the back seat. Everything was perfect except we couldn't find anywhere to stay that "accepted babies". Who knew little humans were in the same specialty request category as dogs? I didn't. We had dinner there and drove home despite our plans to stay. Your loss Port Dover, we are big eaters too ;) 3. Change tables aren't always an option. Be prepared for worst case scenarios. I'm talking poop up the back in the middle of the woods kind of scenarios. This happened to us and due to not being prepared with even a blanket to lay him down on the rocky floor we both took the shirts off our backs... which ended up getting poop on of course, a memory to cherish really! We found it hilarious :D ... I even had to put the shirt back on to go into a restaurant afterwards... P.U.
5- Whatever you do you will be judged... there's no blueprint for parenting and no matter what you do someone will judge you. Expect this! Being surprised by judgmental comments is never fun. Smile and nod and proceed with your life... I always pity those that don't know how off putting it is to judge others.
When you're a new mom, especially in the beginning, hibernating is TEMPTING, don't do it! You baby will adjust to your lifestyle, keep it moving if that's what you usually do, and they will be adaptable happy little cuties, just like you and your partner. Have fun! My first resort experience was amazing, despite a few hiccups (stolen stuff from suitcase, frantic search for antibiotics for ear-infection in a foreign country) our man-cub had the time of his life. He blew so many kisses and got spoiled with a ton of attention, he was having a blast, which helped us relax and do the same (all-inclusive bar helped too) The baby even made a ton of friends, which helped us be more social and meet new people as well. Cuba is gorgeous, the pictures do it no justice, there was a ton of activities for kids and adults alike, and that warm ocean is what dreams are made of. I wish you all the best with your travels! Remember sunscreen.
Thanks for reading, and pass it on!
1. Free : Babies are free on planes! So try it at least, it won't cost you a cent. Checking baby items such as car seats and strollers are often free to do as well, contact the airline and ask. Be careful who you get on the phone though. I called and was told there wasn't a fee, and when I got there, the woman said the person on the phone was mistaken (Not impressed with you SunWing Airlines). *They were disorganized, gave me the wrong information and the flight delays were a constant... what a nightmare.*
2. Speaking of flight delays, consider the Waiting.@.. every baby is different, mine needs to run and physically tire himself out before asking me to put him to bed (his new skill, we are very proud of our baby genius). This was interesting around hundreds of strangers at an airport but my options were either let him run around while I followed him and watched his every move, or hear him rawr on the plane, while dozens of annoyed strangers shoot daggers at me with their eyes. The first option is much cuter and frankly it gave me an excuse not to sit around... I need to move too. Apples and trees :) #getsItFromHisMama
Oh the judging eyes though! Good thing looks can't actually kill because some people will look at you like you've released rabid hounds if you do this (let your child run around and play). Smile at them, they'll hate it :D. In their defence however, toddlers are little wild beasts, but their cuteness makes up for it. What saved me was having entertainment for him, we brought books and toys to keep him occupied both on the plane and at the airport and he was golden.
 |
| Inevitable Meltdown ... le sigh |
3. Breast is Best : Please note that I have nothing against mothers who choose not to breastfeed, or those that simply couldn't. However, a perk to breastfeeding that I never considered until traveling with my baby is the ease at which my crying baby turned into a calm and soothed one?thanks to breastfeeding. His first traveling experience happened at 6-weeks old, we went camping on an island nearby, and honestly, I wouldn't hesitate to do that again. packing was simple, diapers check, wipes, check, clothing check, boobs? Double check. For take-off and landing, to avoid what could be very painful ear popping for babies, breastfeeding, or drinking something is ideal for babies. Felix slept the entire plane ride both to and from Cuba, and we couldn't be happier about it.
 |
| 6 week-old Man-cub & his Papa-Bear |
4. Plan! This was a hard lesson for my husband and I. We are spontaneous people that love road trips and figuring out our next move on the fly... with babies however, this could be tricky. Four 3 main reasons 1: Babies are a lot less patient between meals. Our solution for this was hitting up grocery stores because they're excellent for on the go snacks between meals like avocado, tomatoes, grapes & strawberries 2. Babies are often forbidden at bed and breakfasts, small hotels and hostels. This shocked me! Around our anniversary we drove to port Dover with love in our eyes and a happy cooing baby in the back seat. Everything was perfect except we couldn't find anywhere to stay that "accepted babies". Who knew little humans were in the same specialty request category as dogs? I didn't. We had dinner there and drove home despite our plans to stay. Your loss Port Dover, we are big eaters too ;) 3. Change tables aren't always an option. Be prepared for worst case scenarios. I'm talking poop up the back in the middle of the woods kind of scenarios. This happened to us and due to not being prepared with even a blanket to lay him down on the rocky floor we both took the shirts off our backs... which ended up getting poop on of course, a memory to cherish really! We found it hilarious :D ... I even had to put the shirt back on to go into a restaurant afterwards... P.U.
5- Whatever you do you will be judged... there's no blueprint for parenting and no matter what you do someone will judge you. Expect this! Being surprised by judgmental comments is never fun. Smile and nod and proceed with your life... I always pity those that don't know how off putting it is to judge others.
When you're a new mom, especially in the beginning, hibernating is TEMPTING, don't do it! You baby will adjust to your lifestyle, keep it moving if that's what you usually do, and they will be adaptable happy little cuties, just like you and your partner. Have fun! My first resort experience was amazing, despite a few hiccups (stolen stuff from suitcase, frantic search for antibiotics for ear-infection in a foreign country) our man-cub had the time of his life. He blew so many kisses and got spoiled with a ton of attention, he was having a blast, which helped us relax and do the same (all-inclusive bar helped too) The baby even made a ton of friends, which helped us be more social and meet new people as well. Cuba is gorgeous, the pictures do it no justice, there was a ton of activities for kids and adults alike, and that warm ocean is what dreams are made of. I wish you all the best with your travels! Remember sunscreen.
Thanks for reading, and pass it on!
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