A holiday shouldn’t be stressful, and on our first trip to Melbourne, Australia with T.Rex and my entire family (for once!), my husband and I decided that the most important thing was to keep the main thing, the main thing – and not worry about all the things that could go wrong on our trip. We knew traveling with a 9-month-old baby was bound to be a big challenge, so we put our heads together and came up with a few thoughtful ways to avoid mishaps and mayhem, and make everyone’s lives a whole lot easier.
Pre-Purchase a Baby Cot on Gumtree
If you’re doing the whole Airbnb thing like we did, you can skip taking your travel cot with you, and just get one delivered to the address you’ll be staying at. We managed to get one for just AUD$30, which was a steal (remember to check if it comes with a mattress).
The One Bag Rule
Share a SINGLE carry on between you and your husband, and squeeze all the baby stuff in that bag. That way both of you will have your hands free at any give moment if the baby needs to carried. Basically in the airport it was just us, the baby, and the ONE bag. It also fostered a great sense of teamwork between my husband and I during the flight, as we constantly made joint decisions about what to take from or put back into the bag for T.Rex’s diaper changes and meals. (Rather than having to struggle with our own individual bags). We love the One Bag rule so much that we try are going to apply it as often as possible when out and about with the baby.
Packing light also applies to your check-in bags too. Don’t pack toys or too many clothes. Choose scarves that double as a blanket for the baby and bear in mind you can get diapers and wipes almost anywhere so there’s no need to stuff your suitcase full ‘just in case’. The one thing you should remember to pack is an antibacterial spray like Bud’s Baby Safe Anti-bac Toy & Surface Cleaner for quick high-chair wipe-downs at random restaurants (with family you never know where you are going to end up eating!)
Don’t Ignore the Time Difference & Go Easy on the Routine
Even with just a 3-hour time difference, we eased T.Rex onto his regular schedule one feed and one nap at a time; within a day it was bedtime at the usual time.
A note about meals: we opted to leave the baby bullet home and switched T.Rex to mainly sweet potatoes and bananas with Bellamy’s porridge as a base. Yes, fresh is always best, but sometimes a jar of (organic) baby food does the job just fine.
Google Paediatricians
Search for clinics and hospitals in the area you are staying. Write down numbers and operating hours in your phone. Although we didn’t have to use this, it gave me an incredible sense of peace.
Share with Family Members
My siblings (who live in Australia and the US) hardly ever get the chance to bond with T.Rex, so we turned jobs such as pushing the stroller, playing with and carrying him – into things they could “help” with. Put aside the feeling that you need to do everything for your baby yourself, and get others involved because they will most likely love the chance to help.
Thanks to some very effective planning (largely my husband’s), we had 10 days of great quality time with loved ones. I used to think of travelling as something I’d have to say goodbye to after having a baby, but the trip taught me a lot about being how being flexible makes things fun. I know babies get cranky, cry and can be difficult to calm at times – but if you do your groundwork and get yourself as prepared as possible, you can relax a whole lot more and enjoy the real moments vacations are made of.
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Michelle Lim-Chua is a banana born in New York City, who fell in love with a boy from Melaka and became a mama of one.
