traveling with a baby: the essential list as told by xavier

Everything you need to know about traveling with a baby.

Guest post by Rachel, Wokabout

My little family has almost made a career out of travel.  Jason and I have been married six years and during that time, we have relocated countries…hold on, let me do the finger count…six times?  Yup.  Six times.  I am Australian.  Jason is American.  We now have a little ‘dualie’, Xavier.  We usually live in China.

Xavier is almost one year old.  In his first year, he’s been to Australia, USA, Germany, China and back to Australia.  I feel like we’ve learned a thing or two (possibly even a few tricks) that are useful for any family considering travel — be it by plane, train or automobile. So because it is the little man that has taught us most of what we know, I thought you might enjoy hearing it from him.

So without further adieu, please enjoy the exchange between Mummy (M) and Xavier (Mr. X)!

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M: What do you think of your transient lifestyle?

Mr. X: I love it!  I love new places, new foods, new people adoring me.  I love presents from Chinese grandmothers.  Love it.

M: What about your crazy parents?  Do you feel like they’ve done you a disservice, disrupting your schedule and toting your all over the world while you’re at an age that you likely won’t remember any of it?

Mr.X: No.  They are first timers so they still have a lot to learn but at this stage of my life, I’m using 70% of my brain as opposed to the 10% that I’m likely to use as an adult.  I am soaking in everything.  I understand some Chinese you know.  Schedule?  What’s that?

M: Do you sleep through the night?

Mr. X: No.  Why?

M: Never mind.  Do you sleep in your own bed?

Mr. X: Sometimes, but why should I?  I prefer to sleep the Chinese way — everyone in the same bed!

M: Well, I think your parents wish you would spend more time in your own bed.

Mr. X: Well, they have to admit that it has cut down on the amount of ‘stuff’ we tote around.  No portable beds!

M: True…  Let’s change the subject.  Our readers would like to know what you consider essential to every travelling baby’s nappy bag (that’s a diaper bag for our North American readers).

Mr. X’s travel Essentials for Babies:

1. A baby carrier — I recommend Ergo.  There’s plenty of other styles — wraps, mai tai’s, ring slings — that are also useful (ring slings can be used as blankets/nursing covers too).
2. Res-Q remedy/ointment — go to your local health food store for this.  Modern day miracles that soothe bumps, burns and bites.   Great for Mummy’s cuticles.  Having this on hand is a lot better than standing in Chinese pharmacy and trying to figure out the universal sign for mosquito bite.   Or you could by a homeopathic first aid kit like this.
3. Coconut oil — the miracle oil!  Hand sanitizer, wound cleaner, sun protection, etc, etc.
4. Mosquito repellant stickers — discovered these in China and they are brilliant.  No more rubbing chemicals on my fair skin and one sticker usually lasts for a whole day (stick it on my back so I can’t eat it).
5. Amber teething necklace — truthfully, I haven’t travelled while teething so I can’t vouch for this one but my other baby buds tell me they don’t leave home without theirs.
6. A change of clothes…for the parents — you will puke or have a nappy blow out (no shame, brothers and sisters).  If you’re lucky, you’ll survive the trip in the same clothes.  Your parent/s?  Odds are not in their favour.
7. A bag of tricks — have your mum pack a little bag of fun things.  Include a few familiar items (like your teddy and your dummy/paci), your favourite book (the one your mum can recite to you so that she doesn’t have to look at it and get motion sick), and a few new toys.  I like cars.  BUT nothing should be loud or obnoxious.  The gentleman sharing your row will not appreciate irritating songs for the duration of the trip
8. Snacks — airplane food is not especially nutritious.  Here’s a link to the most extensive list of healthy foods you can bring on planes for children.  There’s a lot of things on this list that you likely didn’t know was allowed.
9. A stainless steel water bottle with filter — difficult to come by but who wants to spend half their vacation money buying airport water?
10. Baby probiotics — again from your health food store.  You can usually buy this in powder form and mix with yoghurt/foods/milk to calm the queaziest of tummies.  Drank bath water?  Take a probiotic.  Gas?  Take a probiotic.  Diarreaha?  Take a probiotic!

Bio: Rachel writes about her family’s gypsy lifestyle at wokabout.net.

Dear friends, don’t you love this list from Rachel and Xavier? (Thanks Rachel!) Have you ever travelled with a baby? I sure have, and I highly recommend it! (You can find some of my top tips that I wrote after Levi’s first international trip here: tips and tricks for traveling with a baby.) But back to you. What are YOUR top tips for traveling with a little one?