traveling with a baby

[mrslefty]

We have a wedding in Monterey,  Ca in a few weeks. I know several of you have done longer trips with your babies.  What did you do for a crib? Did you gate check a car seat?  Any other travel and flying tips?

[jennlin]

when baby is little like this, it's suuuuper easy. just wear baby through the airport, and feed at takeoff/landing. if you want, you can take stroller/car seat through security and gate-check, but i prefer hands free and check with baggage. both are free.

most hotels provide pnp's if you ask. i'd bring a clean sheet for it, just in case.

[shevacc]

I don't trust baggage check so I tend to gate check the car seat since I absolutely need it on the other side. I haven't (yet) had them lose or leave something I gate checked but often seem to have bad luck with regular baggage check. There are some people who won't check car seats at all and equate that to the seat having been in an accident. I'm not that extreme.

[stretchad]

We have taken 3 trips with DS thus far. For all three trips we luggage checked the carseat in a padded carseat bag - this one. The seat has held up just fine in it. Note, the bag is made for a convertible seat, but the infant seat fits just fine with plenty of room for diapers, clothes, etc. Car seats are free to check. For the first trip we wore him. The Boba Air carrier is awesome for travel because it packs up into a nice small size. Not comfortable for hours of wearing, but so convenient for travel. If you carry the baby on, bring a blanket so you can lay the baby down for a nap in the airport during a layover (or delay).
The second trip I flew solo, so I put him in an umbrella stroller to have more free hands and brought a bookbag since it was much larger than my diaper bag. I just threw a skip hop changing station in it. This last trip, to Mexico, was the longest/furthest we've traveled thus far. He's much more mobile so extra leg room and and aisle seat were essential so that we could easily get up and move around if we needed to. 

Some additional tips - bring a change of clothes for baby AND you. Pack a thermometer and tylenol in your carry on. You don't want to be sitting there without a way to treat a fever if one creeps up during travel. Have a new toy and a couple of reliable favorites for entertainment. If baby lefty is on solids, bring lots of snacks. 

ETA: Yes, most hotels have a PNP. But, one of the hotels we stayed at ran out of PNPs by the time we checked in despite me double checking that we'd have one (not to mention they also gave away our reserved room type - a suite - for a night and had to put us in a smaller room for one night then transferred us). My point is, had we not been okay with co-sleeping, which we do quite regularly at home, I would have had to send DH out to get a PNP. So be prepared with a plan for how to deal if they don't end up having one for you. 

[alias]

I hate checked carseat & stroller & installed carseat w/o base. E was like 6 months, but he was still easy. Slept through one whole flight. Feed then during take off & landing to help w/ their ears.

Where we stayed had a PNP, but he hated it, so he just slept in bed with me.

[mrslefty]

Thanks guys. The internets were making me feel like a horrible person for wanting to check my car seat

[alias]

Sept 5, 2014 19:17:32 GMT -5 mrslefty said:

Thanks guys. The internets were making me feel like a horrible person for wanting to check my car seat

Sometimes the internets are a-holes.

It's safer to buy a seat IF something happens, but ain't nobody got money for that.