16 Nov 2017 | 4 min Read
Kanika Khybri
Author | 2 Articles
Being a parent isn’t easy; the luxury of being impromptu becomes a thing of the past – it’s about the child and their needs. Think of travelling for instance; my husband and I traveled the world before deciding to have a baby – it was one of the most fulfilling decisions, but had a complex side to it too. To travel now meant diapers, extra polythene bags, wet towels and lots of baby food. Challenging? Yes! Satisfying, umm yes, but with a pinch of salt. A few international, countless national trips, and two and half year later, I prepared a Bible for young mothers travelling with a baby; it’s produced out of experience with very little surrogate help!
Know the country well
It is important to know the country well before stepping foot. Does the temperature demand me to carry warm or summery clothes? Do the natives speak English? Would I be able to converse with them if my child needs specific attention? What’s the medical facility like? What’s the food palate like? With Indian babies especially, the ones who are indulged in ghee, dals and rotis at a very early stage, baby food is never to their liking. As a result, locating a good Indian restaurant in the vicinity can be a blessing.
If flying be prepared for takeoff/landing
I am still petrified of take-offs and landing, imagine what a baby would be going through then! When it comes to flying with a toddler you must be well equipped. The cabin pressure can be painful to the child and may cause him pain. Keeping a pacifier or a silent toy is ideal. A technique that has proven to be the most useful is to keep your baby’s sleeping pattern timed as per your flight time; if the little one sleeps a little before flying then half your battle is won. At the time of touchdown, sucking water or milk from the bottle is a great help since sucking motions helps in relieving baby of the pain.
Always keep extra pack of formula milk
An extra packet of milk wouldn’t hurt. The problem with different cultures and cuisines is that their packaged meal too ends up tasting different. Your little one may be tiny, but has a resounding recognition of what he/she likes best; the changing flavours of his/her favourite formula milk isn’t the best thing that can happen to your baby; an extra packet is always a help.
Do carry wet towels
Wet towels! Wonder why? While exploring a city with a toddler the probability of he/she puking is directly proportional to no nearby place to change or clean the child up. Hence a wet towel is a quick help to wipe him clean.
Keep your baby well covered
Even if travelling to a warm place make sure your little one is layered properly, airports can be really cold at times. Not just airports even planes/ trains become quite unbearable so you must make sure to keep him warm all times. A little extra sweat shirt does no harm as compared to one without it when the place gets cold.
Travelling with an infant won’t be easy but the experience is worth every penny. Baby will be unpredictable, yes! The moment you think all is under control something will crop up, but making sure you are well prepared can help you deal with the situation. Keep the travel calendar on!
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This article is an entry for BLOG-A-THON.
Also Read: Flight Travel With a Toddler Made Easy
Explore the entire collection of articles: Baby on Board
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