I have travelled once internationally with my kid and numerous times within Pakistan due to personal and professional reasons and trust me, the kind of packing and preparation required when you are traveling with a baby is nothing you can match when traveling alone.

My first airplane ride with the kid (Lahore to Karachi while being alone) was very bad. I did half the things wrong. This post is for the parents who can pick a few things from my don’ts and plan something better. I was carrying the following:

1. Baby
2. Baby Bag
3. Stroller
4. Hand Bag
5. Laptop bag
6. Hand Carry Suitcase

I think this is the recipe for a great disaster because God has given you just two hands and not six. Please always submit your luggage and don’t try to act cool by thinking that “oh, I wont have to wait extra just to collect one small suitcase and I’ll reach my destination quickly!”.  Keep your hands empty as much as possible. In this list, the only three things to consider (while traveling) are 1) Your baby 2) Stroller 3) Baby bag.

Please use your baby bag compartments to put your wallet/mobile and pack your handbag inside your suitcase. I wish I could say similar about the laptop as well but they (airport staff) throw your things so brutally that there are higher chances for it to get damaged. If your baby bag has some space – just squeeze it there as well. If it doesn’t then put the charger in the suitcase and carry the laptop only in your bag. This is to reduce weight. Stroller gets submitted while entering the aircraft so that is taken care of.

Now you are carrying just two things: Your baby and a baby bag plus/minus a laptop bag as well if it is unavoidable to carry one!

Keep three tops for your kid and a couple of throwing bags. Mine kept vommiting during this one hour forty minute flight and I found myself mostly in the lavatory than on my seat. For that ride, my company, had paid for the toilet seat for me I guess :/

Don’t stuff too much food to your kid before traveling. Just give him/her enough so that (s)he doesn’t cry out of hunger because you never know that whatever you have fed is all over you when you are leaving the aircraft. Keep the food minimal during the flight as well. Don’t stuff your child.

Give Motilium to your kid if you know (s)he gets motion sickness. This holds true for a longer car ride as well.

If you are on a shorter flight, then sacrifice your food as well – that little space is not ideal for keeping both the baby and the food items. Avoid taking drinks (especially tea/coffee) or practice enough to handle all well!

Ask for a seat which is closer to the aisle. Children move a lot and make numerous trips to the lavatory. This is to create minimal disturbance for your neighbor. In case you are sitting with your husband, pick up the window seat so that you could enjoy few moments of a pretty view while he takes the kid for a walk :p

Carry cotton buds and shove them into your kids ear when taking off/landing. They get a lot of ear pressure and cry otherwise!

I hadn’t done half the things that I have mentioned here so I had quite a time in the flight. I learnt this all the harder way but then got enough practice so much so that my international flight with the kid went extra smooth.

And please, once you reach the destination, don’t stress much about the kid’s food. They settle in pretty well with what you give them. Some kids shift to liquid more – don’t worry, this is just a phase and that will pass out. Others want to try the new things which you are having.

Mine got hooked to Starbucks when she was only twenty months. Don’t carry any extra food for them. Trust me, they get addicted to the new food really quickly. Mine takes a lot of flavored yogurt, boiled eggs, pan cakes and french toasts, couple of bites of all the burgers that I’m eating, and bananas during these trips. And I’m okay with all this. I never carried cereals or tin food anywhere. All I worry about is to stock my hotel room soon enough and then I’m good to go!

Please remember that when you plan to travel, you travel for a reason. Babies should go with the flow with you. Don’t stress your life on this. I never carry any toy for her because she is not a toy person and that is just an add-on to my ever-bursting luggage already. This is what I carry:

1. A lot of diapers
2. A lot of clothes & her towel
3. Washing detergent
4. All her feeders ( I dont wan’t to spend my time washing when I’m out)
5. Feeder cleaning brush/liquid
6. Dry milk and boiled water flask
7. Basic medicines on fever/motion sickness etc
8. Her hair accessories – after all she is a girl and need her stuff 🙂

And I guess, that’s it.

My husband never prepare his luggage either so whenever I’m traveling, I have to prepare for each one of us. I usually make a list before start packing so that I don’t forget. I’m usually done with my prep in a couple of hours but my husband, who just has to prepare one backpack for himself (where he keeps his gadgets) usually take the full night before the travel :’/

So I believe this is all!

Travel light with the baby – at least keep your hands free but your luggage full. You have no idea what power these kids have to make your otherwise smooth ride an experience of its own stature :/