All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go

We took a family vacation to Coonor, a hillside town just below Ootacamund in the Nilgiris Hills. Though I have travelled with Ri before, the trip to Coonor was her first on a local Indian sleeper train. RD (Ri’s dad) and my mom were pretty excited to see how Ri would react to a train journey. They both love the whole idea of travelling by train especially the ones with berths during overnight journeys. *rolling eyes*
I hate travelling by train. I can handle some chaircar ones but get very edgy and squeamish in the others. Why I cannot stand train journeys is content enough for another post. Well, Ri did not like her journey at all. She was fine while we were sitting around chatting but could not handle sleeping on the berth at night. We thought that the gentle rocking motion of the train would soothe her to sleep. Well, to put it mildly, there was no soothing or sleeping for either mom or baby. Though, I did learn to expertly change diapers on a moving train.

Well, this was technically Ri’s fifth trip and I am not that nervous about travelling with her anymore. Infact I even have some travel-esque pointers for newer moms travelling with baby.

1. The trip usually looks a lot better in the photos post-trip. Well, that’s because we tend to only capture images of happy family smiling in front of scenic backdrop. Noone captures pictures of frazzled mom washing sippy cups and crusty oatmeal in the bathroom sink and picking up clothes and toys till her back-drops.
   
2. Space Bags are very useful when travelling with babies. They help you efficiently pack extra-clothes without compromising on space.  If you suspect you’ve packed extra clothes for baby, go with your suspicion. Extra bodysuits are always handy during travel.
   
3. Unless you’re travelling to a city where you know that you will get every baby-related item you need, I would recommend that you carry your preferred brand of formula, baby-food and diapers. Travelling with a baby is a lot of work and you may not have the time to identify a new place and shop from scratch where you go.
   
4. You cannot expect your baby to follow the routine potty-training schedule during travel. Changes in weather, long car journeys and new environments can lead to discomfort, nervous stomachs and diaper rash. Make sure you’re prepared to battle all of the mentioned. When I travel with Ri, I carry a digestive enzyme powder that helps calm her nervous travelling stomach and takes care of any output color changes. Talk to your pediatrician and find out his/her recommendation. During one of your regular pediatrician visits do take some time out to talk about what you should be carrying while travelling.
5. Ensure you carry medication for these symptoms: high fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It’s funny that this is on my list of recommendations because I have argued with my mother about this, telling her that I was sure most cities had good pharmacies and that it was messy carrying around glass bottles. She then reminded me that babies can fall sick at any time and I could not allow the baby to dehydrate or fever-spike just because I was searching for a pharmacy in the middle of the night in. Clearly, my mom won that round. She did not win the round where she insisted we carry her Fisher-Price My Froggy Friend Potty for a three-day trip.
   
6. If your trip is a short one (2-4 days), transfer baby food and formula to Ziploc bags and smaller containers. Make sure you pack your measuring spoon as well. And, do carry bottle cleaning detergent and brush as cumbersome as a task as it may seem to be. I’ve forgotten both once and emergency cleaning bottle with new toothbrush and Lush Solid Shampoo was not fun.
   
7. I highly recommend Munchkin’s Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmer while travelling. Though I was a bit apprehensive about how much I would use it when RD first bought it, I cannot travel without it now. Though Munchkin sells it as a bottle warmer, I multi-task it by using the warming steam to sterilize Ri’s sippy cups as well. Very useful for warming water and formula while on-the-go.
   
8. Gerber fruit snacks are a blessing during travel. Crackers, cheese cubes and store-bought yoghurt work as great meals and fillers as well.
   
9. Familiar toys and books are a boon when you want baby to sit quietly and play. Be minimalistic and carry these in one pouch for easy assembly and packing.
   
10. Other useful items that you must not forget because I have and it was not fun to: Thermos flask to carry around hot water for formula ( make sure you close it properly though), Scented diaper throwaway bags ( it’s just a fancy way to throw diapers, any decent plastic/brown bag will do). However, I do recommend Munchkin’s scented ones, they smell amazing.
    
11. Don’t forget baby’s soap-tray especially if you’re carrying regular baby soap. Sounds trivial but it’s annoying to discover creamy mounds of baby soap in hotel soap-holder and being forced to leave creamy mess behind. It’s almost as un-funny as washing NUK sippy cup with Lush Shampoo.

Most importantly, plan ahead and pack things ahead to avoid getting into a frenzy while travelling with baby. Travel and changes in environment are new for them too and it’s not unusual for them to be cranky or clingy. As a mother, it is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and more tired than you would at home. Come on, scroll up and see the number of things you have to pack, un-pack and carry around. While travelling by plane and car, Ri has had marathon feeding sessions leaving me feeling totally exhausted. So mentally disconnect from the images of Cocktails by the Pool and enjoying hotel showers.
When you come back home, all weary and bleary-eyes, go through your vacation photos and everything will seem rosy and shiny. For afterall, we need to show our babies the world, one place at a time.
Blog Title : Leaving on a Jetplane – John Denver