This time last year I was being pushed through Departures at KLIA on a wheelchair, with a newborn in tow and feeling completely petrified. Fifty days after I had given birth (via a rather traumatic) c-section, I was facing the prospects of enduring a 13-hour flight to London with a very young baby.
I was bringing my baby to meet my family and to also spend the rest of my maternity leave in London to recover. With the flight ticket booked months in advance, I hadn’t banked on the fact that I’d still be in a lot of pain and unable to walk much or carry my baby. It was, to date, one of the most daunting experiences of my life.
I remember thinking that all I wanted was for someone to be able to guarantee that nothing will go wrong or at least give me real tips on what to do when travelling with a baby, instead of the standard “make sure he is sucking on something when you take-off and land” advice.
Fast-forward a year later and our baby Aidan has been on eight long-haul flights. We also travel Economy class; so no flatbeds, legroom or any of the other benefits that would make a huge difference when travelling with a tot. Aidan’s travel needs have also changed tremendously in a short year, so I hope what I’m sharing here will help other ‘first-time-flying-parents’ overcome those fears.
Top tip
Always take a night flight. It doesn’t matter how short your trip is – you’d be surprised at how quickly babies adjust to time differences. Before Aidan, we assumed that we should always avoid night flights (what if he cries and keeps everybody awake?) but what we didn’t realise was that because it was night, he’d also be asleep most of the time.
At the airport
If you’re travelling alone with a baby, do request for special assistance with your airline. They should be able to organise for lots of help at the airport like helping with your hand-luggage and letting you skip queues.
If you’ve recently given birth and must travel, request for a wheelchair so you won’t need to walk the long distances to the gate and risk postpartum injury. You’ll also receive assistance upon arrivals.
While in the air
In-flight bassinets are usually fixed to a wall connected to the toilets or galley (cue flushing sounds and metal clanking during food prep). On top of that, there’s usually another baby next to you. While there’s not much you can do about the noise, babies are thankfully very sensitive to light cues. So we always make sure to have a thick blanket and duct tape with us to build a makeshift blackout cocoon on the wall over the bassinet. (The duct tape is also ideal for baby-proofing the wires and sockets in the hotel room at your destination!)
As Aidan got older it took a lot more to keep him entertained during his waking hours. We bring lots of books, fun, interactive toys like puppets and even a full sized pillow for comfort. The mirror in the toilet also is a great distraction for when your baby is feeling restless.
If your baby has started solids, bring his food with you. We’ve been on flights where they have run out of baby food so best not to take your chances. Invest in a good cooler bag that can keep frozen breastmilk and home-cooked food chilled throughout your flight. Planes don’t have conventional fridges and the best the crew can offer is an extra ice pack for your cooler bag.
If you spy an empty row, run for it as soon as soon as boarding is complete. Your baby will be much more comfortable lying down across the seats than he would be in the cramped bassinet.
Lodging
As soon as you land, follow the local time and stick to the routine you’ve established at home. Babies are happiest when they’re following a good routine and it will make travelling a breeze when you introduce familiar activities like meals, baths, naps and play at similar times, in between new ones like sightseeing and visiting new places.
Always contact the hotel in advance to arrange for breastmilk and food storage (minibar fridges aren’t cold enough and will switch off when you remove the keycard). So far, all of the hotels we have stayed in have been extremely accommodating when it comes to storing and preparing baby food and milk for us.
If available, do ask for the ‘disabled access’ room, as you’ll have lots more space and a low bathtub which makes bathing your baby heaps easier. Bring a lightweight foam bath support which will keep your baby safe and also allow for a hygienic shower on the floor if your room doesn’t have a tub.
We also always book a suite, so that the bedroom can be closed off and we can enjoy quality time in the living area when Aidan is asleep.
Pack heavy
When travelling with an infant, it pays to pack as much of their favourite things as you can. On top of necessities like medication and portable changing mats, the idea is to create a home away from home. When we recreated our living room in the hotel room with Aidan’s things, it resulted in a very happy baby.
When Aidan started solids, I’d bring along his 2-in-1 baby steamer and blender, a portable electric hob, a lightweight pot, a vegetable peeler and a small knife so that I could prepare fresh meals for him daily.
Getting around
Depending on where you go, bring a baby carrier and/or a stroller for your baby to nap in. Some countries have a great public transport system with easy access for strollers while others don’t even have pavements.
In some countries, you will automatically be assigned to a taxi with a car seat (brilliant!) and in others you will need to book and request in advance. Some won’t even have car seats in which case you just have to buckle up, hold your baby tight and pray for the best.
Before I had Aidan, I was an avid traveller and was terrified that having a baby would prematurely cap my wanderlust. Since then, my fears are fading and I believe that if you expose a child early enough to travelling, they will grow to enjoy it and become independent individuals later in life.
We’ve just booked our first overseas beach getaway with Aidan so wish us luck for when we grapple with the messy cocktail of a sand-covered toddler, sunblock, saltwater and tropical insects!
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Diyana Abbas is a sleep-deprived, full-time working mum. She is a senior account manager in Advertising and a part-time commercial model who’s juggling work, life and looking after her baby boy; armed with a bucket-load of under eye concealer. She blogs about her parenting experiences at Wollywrites.
