Since I'm only going for three days, I'm not going to bother taking the stroller. There'll be so many relatives wanting to hold her once we get there, I don't think we'll be taking so many walks. So Kev will drive me to the airport, and we'll check the infant seat when we get there and transfer her to the moby sling. (Which I assume I can just wear through security? It has no metal parts.) I'm a bit worried that this means that I won't be able to put her down anywhere, but it's a short flight to CT, so it should be okay. (And yes, I can use the toilet with her in the sling. :-)
I will pack to carry with me on the plane: two bottles of pumped breast milk, in normal bottles, trusting that they know the regulations allow it; one packet of dry formula, just in case they don't, or in case we get stuck on the runway for eight hours; one change of top for me; one change of clothes for her; receiving blanket, pacifier; diapers and wipes and a few plastic bags for disposal. I will probably also have my pump with me, just out of paranoia, but will not expect to use it. (Hmm...all of this won't fit in my sleek Essentials diaper bag -- I guess I can use a backpack. Or maybe this is an excuse to buy an additional pretty diaper bag. :-)
I expect that my breasts will get swollen and uncomfortable (since it'll be at least six hours from pumping at home to pumping at my parents' house), but with some breast pads to control leakage, I should be able to cope. I'll try to nurse her or feed her a bottle at takeoff or landing, but a pediatrician told a friend of mine that babies this small don't usually have trouble with air pressure -- a small blessing!
I'll pack whatever fits in my luggage, and plan to buy diapers, etc. as needed when I get there. But I'm adding one more item to my luggage -- a boppy, which will probably take up at least half the space in my little rolling suitcase. It seems a little silly, but she and I are both used to her nursing on it, and given all the trouble she has with nursing already, I don't want to disrupt our routine any futher.
Thanks so much for all the advice! Still nervous, but I think I can cope now.
It sounds like you are taking a direct flight. In that case, I would be OK with checking a car seat. But if I had to switch planes, I would never check a car seat. What if you arrive at your location and your luggage is lost, and you don’t have a car seat?
Just so you know, you can “gate check” things like the car seat and stroller. If they know you need it to get from the counter to the gate or need it immediately upon landing, they give you a tag at the gate and take it in the corridor leading up to the plane.
You may know this but I didn’t see it mentioned on the blog.
You’ll be fine. its two hours, she’ll be in the sling for most of it, and people are very helpful with a tiny baby and traveling alone. Now, a toddler…that’s a whole other story. Travel while you can.
I think I mentioned earlier in your journal how my mother induced labor so I would be old enough to go to Japan 6 weeks later. Which she did with another woman friend and her 3 year old. And had a grand time. That was the first of many trips with and without my father. Mom just strapped me on (she too had a sling) and headed out. Dresser drawers make great baby beds. You can bathe a baby in almost any sized sink and I have the photos to prove it. When I was old enough to walk (and dart off) I had a harness and leash (which she took a lot of flack for from old ladies around the world but it saved my life on many an occasion – I was apparently an inquisitive child) And she made sure I got a balanced diet over the course of the day rather than meal by meal because that can be impossible on resteraunt food. And I had a fabulous and exciting childhood. So don’t worry – just go and have fun and this will be the first of many!
Just a note – you will probably not be able to walk through security with the baby in the Moby. It’s been my experience in the past that you have to take the baby out, unwrap, and prove that nothing is being smuggled in the sling. Pretty ridiculous, but be prepared!