14 | Traveling with a Baby: Road Trips, Air Travel, and Equipment Tips

You've probably heard of the horror stories when parents travel with their kids and their baby just won't stop crying. Or maybe you've been scarred because this happened to you!

In this episode of Partners Beyond Parenthood, host Saba Bosuener discusses traveling with a baby and how to make the experience as smooth as possible. Drawing from her own experience of traveling to 14 countries with her daughter before she was 12 months old, Saba shares valuable tips for both road trips and air travel.

She  covers essential travel gear like car seats, travel cribs, and offers advice on navigating air travel at various stages of development, from newborn to toddler. Saba also shares practical insights on dealing with common challenges such as teething, sleep disruptions, and managing sick days while traveling.

Topics Covered:

• Choosing car seats for road trips
• Air travel with babies: tips by developmental stage
• Packing travel cribs and dealing with sleep disruptions
• Handling teething and sickness while traveling
• General travel tips for parents

Tune in for helpful tips, personal stories, and thoughtful advice on how to keep your little one comfortable and make family travel more enjoyable.

Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sababosuener/
Join the Partners Beyond Parenthood Facebook group to connect with me and other parents. Share your stories, get tips, and support each other on this parenting adventure!

I'd love to hear what you thought and if you're curious about any topics that you'd like me to explore, you can email me at hello@partnesbeyondparenthood.com.

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Transcript

Speaker: 0:00

My husband and I are both travelers at heart, and our travels did not come to an end when we had our daughter either. By the time she was 12 months old, she had already been to 14 countries across 3 continents. and When they are sick, whether traveling or not, it's never fun. The crazy thing about our daughter falling sick on the flight was not that she got sick, it was actually the experience at the medical center. They measured her temperature, checked her a little, and then afterwards, when they gave us the report, they actually told us that They had written a lower temperature so the airplane crew would let us on to our connecting flight. We were honestly shocked. We were baffled. We went there wanting an honest evaluation of whether our baby was fit to fly and they purposefully changed the temperature. Hello and welcome to Partners Beyond Parenthood, the podcast that helps new parents thrive without losing themselves. My name is Saba Buzunur and my mission is to help new parents gain clarity on what their priorities and needs are. In this episode, I'm going to give you a little bit more information on what travel looks like with a baby at home. different milestones, the different styles such as by car or flying somewhere, and what baby equipment can help make your trip easier and therefore hopefully more enjoyable. My husband and I are both travelers at heart and our travels did not come to an end when we had our daughter either. By the time she was 12 months old she had already been to 14 countries across three continents. Now that's quite a lot, but I want to make it clear from the get go, those did not all involve flights. In fact, after we moved from Mexico and landed in Germany, we bought a car and decided to do a road trip through Europe. Our plan was to eventually make it from Berlin to Barcelona, where we were moving, and enjoy the journey through the different countries while visiting friends and family along the way. We gave ourselves up to three months because we knew it would be a bit more of a slow travel style with a baby, and boy were we hungry. When we started the road trip, our daughter was about 13 or so weeks, so just over 3 months. Now, if you've planned a road trip with your baby, or are thinking of one, you probably have heard that it's not recommended to drive for more than two hours a day. Now I've seen different things here. I've seen some resources say that it's two hours at a time and others say two hours per day. In any case, the reason behind this is because the position your baby is in can be restrictive to the amount of oxygen they get in case their head plops forward when they sleep. Um, and it can also impact their spinal development. Knowing that we were going to spend a lot of time in a car, we looked into what available car seats there were because Two hours per day would have been tough and we would likely have gone over. We looked at the available options out there. We came across the Maxi Cosi Jade, which is a lie flat seat and is R129 or I size certified, which basically means it has the most up to date standards. of safety for rear facing seats until 15 months of age and offers a guaranteed fit for cars that have eye sized seating positions. So the thing with this car seat is that it is lateral facing, not rear facing, but it has gotten the certification which qualifies the seat as safe for the roads in Europe. So if you are considering a road trip in Europe and your baby is Under six or so months, nine kgs, or about 70 centimeters, I can definitely recommend this seat. Overall, a big benefit of this lie flat car seat is that you can drive for longer stretches since your baby will not be in a seated position and won't undergo the risk of restricted oxygen flow. Also, it's important to know, since this car seat is lateral facing, it takes up space. Because it's placed over two seats in the back, you may want to consider that. For us, since it worked out for her age and we were planning to do a longer trip, we decided to go for it. We loved it and it enabled us to drive for longer periods, making more way. If you're planning on taking a rear facing car seat, either because of preference, budget, space, or your baby size, talk to your pediatrician about your plans and any concerns you may have with the two hour rule, and they should be able to advise you best. That's it on equipment for travel by car. Here's a short recap and general rule of thumb you'll want to consider. You'll want to consider the length and distance of your trip, and then think of the seat you'll be using, the age, weight, or. Height of your baby can of course change this so make sure it is appropriate for your baby and verify with your pediatrician in case of any concerns. You'll want to think of a stroller or a base that fits the car seat to enable more space or have one that can fit the car seat and a bassinet or the other baby seat. You'll also want to think of some toys and songs to keep them entertained for moments when they are awake because that of course does also happen. The next tip I have is valid for all kinds of travel. So also something to consider if You're going by car, but also by plane. If you'll be traveling to numerous places, either hotels, Airbnbs, or whatever other accommodations are out there, I'd recommend taking a travel bed with you. Yes, you can always request one where you'll be going, but you can never guarantee that Their crib will match your expectations. By this, I mean the mattress may be way too soft, there may be too much space between the mattress and the crib structure, or the base may be too hard and not really mattress like at all. From all our travels, we've really seen a range, so your best bet is to take a travel crib. If you're thinking, holy, this sounds like so much stuff, Yes, you usually end up taking a lot more for your baby than for yourself. There are a variety of travel cribs out there. We had the Mika Miki co sleeper, but there are a few travel cribs out there that would have been easier to travel with. We just used it because we had it already from our daughter's birth. Later on when she outgrew that, we switched to the Darien tent. But only when we couldn't get a good crib. The Darien tent It definitely has its pros and cons. It's easy to travel with since it folds up pretty small and you can use it pretty much everywhere. I do love that about it. Like if you go to the beach or in a park as it comes with UV protection, it has a net which protects against insects and mosquitoes. and gives a nice breeze if you are in hotter climates. It can also be closed off at the bottom to kind of block more of the airflow. And as mentioned, you can also use it as a crib at your accommodation in case you're not happy with the one that you were provided. Naturally, your baby is going to be a little overwhelmed. It's a new place, lots of new impressions, and the sleep routine, if you have one, may look a little different. Even if you try to keep it as similar as possible. For us, the hardest part was not necessarily putting her to sleep. The hardest part was keeping her asleep while zipping her up in the Darien tent. This was my biggest issue with it. The zip to close it was so loud in the moments when trying to put her to sleep. I often had to start from the beginning and that was really frustrating. Also, I wouldn't have felt comfortable not zipping it up because We had and have a very curious little girl who would crawl and now walk out and explore and even in the dark, I'm sure. Um, so that's something you want to think of. I've covered quite a bit on equipment. The next thing I want to talk about is air travel with your baby. This is where your baby's developmental stage and general temper is so important because your experience will most likely depend on this. And I say this because. Because no matter how much others will say, don't worry about the others, don't care what they say, or, you know, they've all been kids at some point, it's still a pretty rough position to be in. You know, when they're having a meltdown or just can't stop crying. It's not fun and it's just, you know, it sucks. I know, I've been there and I'm sure many can relate, but I digress. Back to their developmental stage. Um, it can mean so many different things, right? Can they sit yet? Are they crawling? Walking? Climbing? Teething? Are they sick? All of these kinds of things will impact your trip. We flew with our daughter when she was just under three months, between four to seven around 10, 11 months, uh, and 17 months. And I happen to do a pretty brutal solar trip at around 13 months. So we've experienced a wide range of the different stages of travel according to their development. Now, because everyone's baby is different, and they will experience these milestones at different times. I'm just going to lay out what to expect according to what they are able to do. If they can sit, then that is still very manageable. You don't have to worry about them wanting or needing to run off and expel a lot of energy. On these flights, you can actually still enjoy them on your lap, and they may even, you know, doze off, which makes for an even smoother experience. I was breastfeeding during takeoff and landing to help with the ear pressure, and this, together with whatever magical mini vibrations they feel when the plane starts moving, sent her straight off into slumberland. It was amazing. Once they start crawling, it starts getting a little trickier. They usually want to move a little more, so it's helpful to try and get some activity in before the flight or on a layover. to help tire them out. Movement is definitely necessary and will help you both once you're on the plane. In our case, we've done our best to avoid screen time and have been successful so far with the help of lots of different toys and what feels like eternal patience. Another thing that's helped is having a carrier on the plane to take them on short walks to see something else or help get them to sleep when they're a little smaller. That's honestly been really helpful. Now, it does get a bit more difficult as they get older, but the carrier is still a must have on a plane. You just never know when you're gonna need it. You may also have heard this, things definitely start to get a lot more challenging once they can walk. As mentioned, I went on a solo trip, literally the day after she took her first steps. And of course, with her new skill, that's all she wanted to practice. To start, the flight times were tricky. I was flying from Barcelona to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. And the best flights left in the morning, which were pretty reasonable, but the issue was the connecting flight. No matter the route, I'd end up landing in Ethiopia around or after midnight. And that's a pretty long day for a toddler, especially when there's no guarantee of good rest during the flight. Now, the reason that felt even longer is because I didn't have a bassinet. And the reason I didn't have one or get one is because I knew she wouldn't fit. And she would probably try and climb out anyway. I had checked the dimensions and a recent flight from when she was just 10 months demonstrated how she wouldn't be comfortable in there anymore. And in any case, she also seemed to actually sleep better when she was on us in the carrier, for example, than in the bassinet. When booking seats on a plane, do make sure to request the bassinet seats, because you can't buy them when you actually purchase your seats. You have to request them. And it also depends on availability. So again, make sure you check the dimensions. and see if there's availability. Remember that every baby's size is different, and some may be totally happy in the bassinet, even if they're a little bit on the larger side. So it can't hurt to ask if you think it'll work, and if there's availability. Also, depending on the timing of the flight, when your little one usually naps or not, You may be better off asking if there are any seats available that still have a free one next to it. In fact, if you don't have a bassinet, you will always want to ask if there are any seats still available that have a free one next to it. The best time to do this is at the gate before boarding starts as most people will have checked in by then and they have a better picture of what the seating availability looks like. That gives you and your toddler or baby much more space, which is honestly so helpful. That's an overview of traveling with your baby on a flight at different stages. Now, the next thing I want to talk about is. Teething and them being sick. Our daughter had a big episode of teething around 11 months and her sleep and demands were just pretty out of control. They just changed so much and we actually ended up leaving a week earlier. We were both so tired because she suddenly woke up multiple times at night, stayed up for longer periods at night and just wanted to feed so long and she was just clearly uncomfortable. So take into consideration that this can impact your trip as well, depending largely on what activities you have planned. Lastly, When they're sick, whether traveling or not, it's never fun. When we flew back from Malaysia to Spain, our daughter suddenly got a fever. She also had diarrhea on the plane and. It was evident she was just not okay. So we had a layover in Doha and we were able to get her seen by a doctor or a nurse I can't remember, um, at the airport. Now, they don't have medical facilities at all airports, but this one did. So if your baby does happen to get sick en route, ask a flight attendant whether your next airport has one. In our case, We had already given her, um, infant paracetamol, which for the US listeners is Tylenol, to help reduce the fever, and it helped temporarily, but by the time we landed, her temperature was rising again. The crazy thing about our daughter falling sick on the flight was not that she got sick, it was actually the experience at the medical center. They measured her temperature, checked her a little, and recommended giving ibuprofen to further help reduce the fever. They gave her the ibuprofen, and then afterwards, when they gave us the report, They actually told us that they had written a lower temperature so the airplane crew would let us on to our connecting flight. We were honestly shocked. We were baffled. We went there wanting an honest evaluation of whether our baby was fit to fly and they purposefully changed the temperature. We did ask them to correct it and write the original one and told them we'd see what the staff would say. You know, we were still pretty sure they wouldn't let us fly and Yeah, in the end they saw the temperature and said no, this baby shouldn't be flying. We stayed an extra night in Doha and all of that just to say that is a pretty crazy experience. I wouldn't have expected that it can happen. You know, I get it. Some people may want to return home as quickly as possible and, you know, go to the hospitals or doctors they're familiar with in the language that they speak and And so on, but I have to say that I really wouldn't have expected them to do that. The takeaway here is, double check their temperature readings if this does ever happen to you. Know that your baby is probably more resilient than you think. Yes, it sucks, but they, and you, will get through it as much as it sucks for them. The last thing I want to do is share some general tips on travel with a baby. Try not to be too strict with their schedules. They are getting so much new input, seeing so many new things, maybe even getting a ton of new smells. So, this will likely affect their schedule and wake windows. If you've done sleep training and want to stick to the routine, try to give yourself some grace. You know, remind yourself that it's a completely new environment. Hold your baby, soothe them, nurse them, do whatever you need to do, whatever feels right for you in those moments to get your little one to sleep. And not every day will be the same. Some will be better, some worse. Now, if you like having a dark environment to sleep, then black tape is going to be your It's crazy, but you don't actually notice how many lights there are in hotel rooms and Airbnbs and covering them with black tape can really help darken the room. Take into consideration the weather and climate of the place and how this may help or restrict you from doing activities with your baby. You'll also maybe want to double check if you're breastfeeding, whether it is okay to do so in public. For example, when I went to Malaysia, it wasn't common to do that outdoors. There are maybe some areas where you can do it in the hotel accommodation or residence. That's fine. But when you're out and about, that was not the case. You definitely had to find places like bathrooms and they have many of those, but you definitely wanted to go and find those places. Get one or two new toys for the trip and try and have a few that you can rotate in general, particularly if you're going on a longer trip prepared for the fact that something of theirs will probably go missing or something will go wrong. As mentioned, that has happened to us. And it can happen to anyone. If they lose something and it happens to be one of their favorite toys, see if you can just get a backup. That is honestly very helpful. Lastly, and most importantly, try and be present in the moments that you are out and about with your new family. It's incredible that we get to experience these things with them. All right, so that's been quite a lot of information. If you have any questions about the items I mentioned here, Please feel free to join my Facebook group, Partners Beyond Parenthood, and I'd be happy to answer any questions there. Also, if you have other gadgets or tips that you think could be useful, I'd also love to hear about them. I hope this episode has given you an idea of different styles of travel, at different milestones, or What you can expect when they are sick or teething, which can help you plan your next trip. See you next week. Thank you so much for tuning in and sticking around to the end. If you've just watched and enjoyed this video, I'd be so grateful for a like and if you hit the subscribe button. With your support, I'll be able to invite bigger guests and provide more value. If you're listening to the audio only, make sure to follow this podcast to get tips on parenting and partnership and hear inspiring stories from other parents as well. See you next week.