I’ve never been a nervous traveler. I’ve back packed alone, I’ve traveled to remote areas, I travel often for work and I’ve always enjoyed traveling solo. I am so accustomed to traveling alone, that even when my husband and I travel, he refers to me as “Airport Brittany.” It’s not a pet name, it’s his way of saying I am easily annoyed, walk sideways and refuse to wait for people who don’t have pre-check (he was guilty for the longest time). I will never confirm or deny these allegations, but instead believe he’s using it as a term of endearment. Nonetheless, I was anxious and curious.
When I got pregnant, people said to me “you know, when you have a baby, you won’t be able to travel or get away.” I didn’t like that answer… or how negative everyone can be about it being “hard.” The thought of lugging a baby to another part of the world felt a little daunting especially during COVID when the travel shaming is on fire. Self-doubt and questions crept in.
STRESSED.
Would we get into a scary situation? How much stuff do we bring? Do you bring diapers or formula? Will he (Cooper, the 9-month old baby) hate flying? (But really, how could I give birth to a child that hates airplanes?) What if we test positive and get trapped?
UPFRONT PLANNING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
I read some time ago that people are happier when they spend money on convenience and experience over “things.” It’s stuck with me to the point where I pack light. I won’t let my Global Entry expire and I will plan, plan, plan to make sure when I get there, I am focused on having fun, not logistics. I either have an angel baby, or that thinking paid off for our first trip. I’m going to go with a mix of both.
When looking for a resort to spend Cooper’s first passport stamp, I looked for convenience. We booked Finest Playa Muerjas. As part of your stay, they provide a crib, a baby bath, a bottle warmer, a monitor, a car seat and make baby food. Mind blown!!! A hotel would provide you a micro nursery and you show up. GAME CHANGING!
In all honesty, babies have too much stuff, and you really can do without most of it. We brought our own formula to prevent tummy aches and some baby food in case Cooper didn’t like the baby food (he didn’t love it but LOVED guacamole). The concierge was nice enough to buy diapers upon our arrival to prevent us from lugging five days’ worth of diapers in our suitcases. I would’ve never thought to ask if a place carried all these things, but now I will be on the hunt for family resorts that offer these services. Less luggage = Less “Airport Brittany”.
BABIES NEED PASSPORTS TOO!
I knew I wanted Cooper to have a passport right away but I didn’t know some of the rules around baby passports. Who knew? Growing up, all you needed was a birth certificate to visit places like Canada and the Caribbean. Today, you need an actual passport. This was a helpful article explaining both parents needed to be present which makes sense. I never thought about that. I tried following suggestions on taking his photo myself, but ended up at CVS for 45 minutes with many people laughing at us trying to get an infant to not make faces. Pretty entertaining at least.
STROLLER VS. CARRIER
Less is more… with the exception of the stroller. I am pretty sure our stroller tames down the “Airport Brittany.” Who doesn’t want to throw all their stuff in the bottom and carry less? We debated on bringing or renting there which I have heard of people doing. I got many suggestions to carry him, but, honestly I don’t even like carrying my own bag, let alone juggling bags and a squirmy infant.
We opted to bring our Uppa Baby Vista Stroller and purchased the Uppa Baby Stroller Travel Bag in fear of damage. We rolled right up to the gate, broke it down in a few minutes and brought that bad boy everywhere in our resort including the beach. Honestly, it’s also nice to have something of your own when traveling and it’s so easy to do I wouldn’t leave it home.
WAS FLYING HARD?
Cooper loved it and was amazed looking out the window. Customs was easy with Global Entry, although, I figured he would fall under my global entry, which wasn’t the case. Lines are less terrible when you don’t have to carry anything and your baby is snug in a stroller taking it all in.
The biggest perk I enjoyed was boarding earlier for “families with children under 2.” Sign me up… No risk of losing overhead space.
The best preflight advice was to give Cooper a bottle during take off and landing. This helped popping his ears. Another option would be a pacifier to do the trick. Scheduling our flights around feeding time was helpful in making sure he wouldn’t push the bottle away.
SEAT VS. NO SEAT?
Having an extra seat is definitely a luxury at this age. We purchased a seat one way and risked it the other. Luckily, on the way there, we snagged an empty middle seat. For long haul travels, it would be ideal to reserve a bassinet to avoid long stretches of holding your little one. We recently flew again without a seat either way on a shorter trip. Although it was a shorter trip, we felt the difference. I wouldn’t let it prevent me from jetting off, but more of a nice to have.
PACK LIGHT- YOU WON’T REGRET IT
Choosing a location that can provide traditional baby items like cribs makes a world of difference. For international, we opted not to bring the car seat and book transportation that included one. Our first international trip was an all-inclusive resort where we didn’t have to leave. If you can avoid bringing the clunky items, do it.
Trying new foods or new formula can be risky. Even more, we knew, because of his age, he would want to try different food and didn’t want to introduce too many potential changes in a short period. We opted to bring our own formula. Other countries may carry the same product, but the ingredients can alter based on location. Breastfeeding moms can save luggage space here. Formula, the diaper bag, a pool float and a stroller is all we brought and he did great!
What’s your next trip?
xo
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