When my bubs was born, we took the opportunity to travel to visit family, & because of the distance, we've always been frequent flyers. Sounds fabulous, but TBH it was such a challenge, if I had a choice, I could've given it a miss!! 😐But then again, my mama was such an exceptional cook, & the thought of the freedom of being ‘Sofia’ again & not just Elijah's mum always spurred me on! PLUS, 8 consecutive hours sleep OMG...WTF - where's my freaking suitcase!!!
In a previous blog Looking back – what should've been on my baby register list? 🤔 I gave some product recommendations for when travelling so that you can go from looking like a pack horse, to transforming into a freaking beautiful unicorn when in transit! 🦄
This week I thought I would share tips&tricks that's gonna make you look like you just walked out of a salon, not a saloon where you've downed one too many shots of tequila. 😜 ‘Cos having the right & light products to travel with is one thing, but actually handling your child when travelling is another! SO here we go....
Sorting out the poo-nami!
Getting right into it, firstly, I learnt pretty early on to ‘double bag’ Elijah in the nappy area! (yinno, like in a grocery store how you add an additional bag for supporting the heavier items!). This was a necessity as EVERY flight, he always treated me to a wonderful & very fragrant dose of diarrhoea! 🤢So to save my sanity & those around me, I would pop his normal size nappy on, then one that was two sizes bigger, to catch the overflow! Then once he'd done his deed, I could fold the smaller nappy within the larger nappy, & no accidental smearing of Elijah's gift would get on my hands (c'mon parents, you know damn well this happens!) 🤢🤗
Stains be gone!
Dressing Elijah in a double layer of clothing was a brilliant move! His family greeting outfit was his outer layer; once we were seated on the plane, I'd whip this off and store it conveniently in the seat pocket in front of me. His on-flight outfit was always clothing that I didn't mind if he got messy with – yeah bring on the poo-namu & food/milk stains! & once landed, I'd pop his outer layer back on, and my family were none the wiser when we got the welcome hugs! I always made sure that both outfits were of a breathable & lightweight material like merino. Choosing fabric like this, makes your bubs more comfortable, and helps regulate their body temperature too!
Give the boob!
As parents, I know that we've all felt for those with the screaming bubs on a flight😭 Being in a confined space & ungracious passengers giving the parent & child the evil eye - it's a horrible feel! You can sense their anxiety & stress levels increase at the same level as their baby's volume 🥴.
As a show of solidarity, you want to give them the nod of compassion & support, while sheepishly & gratefully patting our own kiddo, silently praying that they won't decide to join & make it a symphony 😨.
If your bubs are like mine, I knew the two instances when Elijah would start to whimper- always at departure & landing. & I knew it was because his ears were hurting because of the pressure – hell that's when the lolly basket is a blessing – thanks Air New Zealand! But of course, these are of no help to lil babies, so to keep him distracted & to keep his jaw moving, I'd always breast feed him (or bottle feed!) It really helps & keeps them quiet & comfortable. I always made sure to lock this in before take-off, & the moment they said we were descending - this was my cue- leave it too late & it's a lost cause! & to keep the peace with the public, I'd always make sure to wear a large cotton scarf – this way you always have a modesty cover up for breast feeding & to remove any awks moments 😁.
It's worth noting here, that the boob is also a great distractor when it comes to immunisation shots...distraction is key. 😎
The syringe of love!
The last tip I wanna share is when Elijah got older & needed more solid food, I use to fill up plastic syringes with his pureed food. This way I could slip this easily into his mouth, & he could have something more substantial on the flight & I wouldn't have to deal with mess on the clothes or face AND I didn't have to carry extra food bottles and utensils on flight! Too easy!
I hope that these tips&tricks will make your travelling life easier, like it did for me! & if you have any tips&tricks that have saved you, please share them. We all need a wee helping hand don't we?!
Sofia🩷
