International travel with baby twins

[thebulldog]

My new twin nephews will be heading to europe in early May as they turn 5 months old.
I don't have kids so looking for things to put into a care package to send my SIL to help prep for this.

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[origami]

Oh my, she's brave. I hope these babies will have their own seats. I'm not sure what she would need for 5 month olds because it's not like they could zonk out on iPads. She'll have to bring a ton of stuff for the kids so I wouldn't buy a bunch of extra stuff. I'd suggest buying what she would already be taking. Maybe a few new small baby toys? Whatever brand of diapers and formula she uses? If her babies eat snacks at that age then that too. For her, a travel sized bottle of liquor and some Ativan no really, if you're buying for her too maybe an iTunes or amazon gift card if she has an iPad or kindle.

[loveactually]

Lurking here and I clicked on the wrong board but saw this post) I do not have twins but I have flown with my son multiple times transatlantic at different stages. The earliest being 5 months. You might want to post it on the international living board.

I am not sure what you could buy her maybe some nice snacks, magazines, or like the other poster said a gift card to itunes. Some nice flap or quiet books that have different textures or flaps for them to look at could be a good gift to include. Normally by the time I got my son calmed down and asleep I basically just wanted to close my eyes and rest until he woke up again.

Here is some advice for her for flying:

If they are going to be lap infants I would highly recommend her to request the bassinets in the bulkhead rows. It all depends on what airline she is flying if she is able to guarantee this or not. But you can always put in a request and go to the gate to confirm.

If possible wear the babies and skip the stroller unless it is an international move and they will want the stroller at the destination. I would still check the stroller unless they have a long layover someplace and either both or one of the babies takes good naps in the stroller.

The leg room space is also really nice to lay a blanket down and just let the kids play on the floor and will give them a chance to rest their arms.

I packed a rolling suitcase with all baby stuff it in. Inside the suitcase I had 3 smaller bags. One for feeding, one for diaper changes, and one with toys. This way I just took the three bags out and stored the suitcase in the overhead bin.

Let me know if you want me to write any other advice.

[UnderProtest]

Eeehh, there really isn't anything special for the kids at that age. We took our twins across country (6 hour flight) at 7 months and it was the best time to fly with them. They had their own seats and we left them in their bucket car seats. They pretty much slept the whole way. Just make sure she is organized with enough diapers. formula/milk, food, and extra set of clothes. Now, at 3, they are horrible on planes. They do not want to sit still or sleep so transatlantic flights suck.

[thebulldog]

Thanks for these tips! Will try the international board too.

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[floridakat]

Be sure to suggest extra clothes for her, too!

[anna7602]

I would try getting her an Amazon gift card for the country in question (amazon.fr, amazon.es, amazonUK, etc.) so she can order diapers, etc. to be delivered to her hotel or AirBNB/VRBO and waiting for her upon arrival. One less thing for her to travel with!

Besides that, 5-month-olds don't need much for the flight itself or anything travel-related besides perhaps a place to sleep. If you want to spend $$$, you could offer to get her a KidCo Peapod. They fold up nicely and fit in a suitcase.

[floridakat]

And then you can take pictures like this. :-)

[fryjack2]

Flying at 5 months was easy! Skip the stroller and use carriers. If they don't use a pacifier, maybe have her bring a few to try anyway just in case it will help with ear pressure. My boys have never had issues with their ears (they have flown many long distances beginning at 3 months) but I know a lot of kids do.