With the permission of one of my friends and readers, I’m sharing our email conversation after my post on Traveling with Baby. Again, I’m not claiming to be an expert. I’m only sharing my experience and what works for us.
Message from reader, Lindsey:
Ok…I have major anxiety about traveling! I am only pumping at this point so obviously that is a challenge all in itself…but when you stay in a hotel where do you wash bottles? Do you just wash them in the sink? Is the sterilizer you bought electric? I need to just get over it but it is so hard. I can’t even begin to think about all the millions of things I need to pack. Help! I need to be reassured… Talk me off the ledge. Haha!
My response:
First, your feelings are completely normal! I don’t breast feed or pump so I don’t have any advice in that department. But as for bottle washing and sterilizing. It’s SUPER easy because hotel water is almost boiling at high point. I take my own dish soap, wash the bottles in the sink and I just wash two times, HOT water rinse 3 times but now I have this handy sterilizer that is not a big deal to carry along, I take this with us.
It’s fantastic to use at home too!
I have a pram stroller so that’s what Jack has been sleeping in when we are away but he has almost outgrown it for sleeping purposes so I’m getting ready to buy a simple pack-n-play. I do not want any of the bells and whistles. He has slept in one at my parents’ house a couple of times and doesn’t mind it at all!
I use powder and distilled water for bottle making while traveling so I do not have to worry about refrigerating anything. For breast milk, I would think a car cooler would be very helpful. Again, I don’t do this but my friend Jennifer swears by car coolers with children of all ages. I plan to buy one when we start food/milk/juice down the road.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=car+cooler&x=23&y=21
WHITE NOISE is KEY for home and traveling, but especially in hotel room. You can still roam around the room or talk after she’s gone to bed and she won’t be disturbed.
Doesn’t have a lot to do with traveling, but have you looked into Moms on Call? I highly recommend it! www.momsoncall.com
What you have to remember is they are babies and they’ll adapt! Unless you are going to a rural area or third world country you can buy anything you happen to forget along the way if it’s a necessity.
LISTS LISTS LISTS. Make lists! They will help you relax and in return everyone will be more relaxed especially your baby and most likely you won’t forget a thing. Once you go somewhere one time you’ll feel like a pro!
And don’t forget, you’re an awesome mommy!!
Reply from reader, Lindsey:
Great advice! Thank you. I did get the momsoncall online seminar thanks to you. I did get the white noise machine too. I have a pack in play so that is good. Just reading this I feel a little bit better. It’s like I need support in order to feel less anxious and hearing that other people have done it and what they did makes me feel better. The sanitizer is electric?? You just add the water and hit start? I have a Dr. Brown microwave one but the hotel doesn’t have a microwave. I think I will buy that sterilizer too!
Reply from me:
Yes, you plug in the sterilizer! I had a microwave one and I like this one 1000x better!
Help Lindsey out, what works for you? I know I did not cover everything.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
We’ve flown twice with Tyler now and stayed in hotels – my two best tips are:
1. Put baby in the Baby Bjorn when you’re boarding and getting off the plane. Having both hands free is a huge help!
2. If there’s a big closet or bathroom and you’re used to baby sleeping in the nursery, put the pack n’ play in the closet or bathroom – closet definitely being the preference.
I also bring a crib sheet from home to put on the hotel crib mattress or pack n’ play mattress…I feel like it will seem more familiar to him. Probably more of a comfort for me than him
Enfamil has premixed 6 oz. bottles of formula you can order from Diapers.com that are really helpful too.
Have you seen this Puj Tub? We just purchased it and I love it! A friend recommended to me- she still uses her and her son is 6 months old. So it goes from reclining to sitting up which is nice because it will grow with baby! I think this would be perfect to travel with. Fits right in the sink and then lays flat to dry and travel!
http://www.amazon.com/Puj-Tub-Soft-Foldable-White/dp/B002WWF4IM
Most hotels will provide a refrigerator and/or microwave if you pull the baby card. Its worked for me. I stored pumped milk and sterilized bottles. For bathing baby, we usually just take him in the shower with one of us. He gets a bit slippery, but it saves us from having to take something with us.
Q1 – Additional response. I traveled while I was still pumping so I took my pump/parts with me everywhere. I was obsessed with sterilizing them and found and now LOVE the Medela Quick Steam/Sanitizer bags. All you need is a microwave and a little water. They are great.
http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Quick-Clean-Micro-Steam-Bags/dp/B000096QQ5
Here’s the details about how I did the pumping and traveling thing..just in case – http://www.momslittlerunningbuddy.com/2011/01/2-days-16-hours-of-meetings-and-44.html