travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

ok, so we FINALLY booked a trip before baby #3 gets here..but im SOOOO nervous to travel with Melania..first because we didnt get her a seat on the plane (4 hour flight) but i know shes more of an "on top of me" kinda girl anyway..
but then i have a few questions im hoping a few of you can help me with...some may be dumb..but i have never traveled with a baby this age, so please bare with me lol

Am i allowed to bring an umbrella/lightweight stroller onto the plane?
I feel like i always see them up front when i get on? Or may i be crazy?

She eats all organic, (and im not willing to compromise on this for 4 days, we only do it here and there) and will NOT eat jar food, so i have to bring EVERYTHING..will i be allowed to bring a soft cooler as a carry on? And if so, am i allowed, ice-packs? And do you think theyll stay for the flight until i get to the hotel and put ice bags in it?

Pack n plays..
does anyone bring these with them? Do you fit them in your suitcasE? lol Do you just put them in a bag under the plane? I really would like to bring ours.


Ok thank you ladies!!!! Please keep the suggestions coming!! I need MAJOR travel tips!

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

How excting Where do you end up deciding on ??

As for the plane, there is a good chance your flight may not be full and they will allow you to bring her car-seat on...Ask at check in if the flight is full , I have travelled with my DC's numerous times and only once, did we have to lap it

The stroller you gate check, meaning when you board the plane, there is a spot on the ramp to leave it..It does not have to be checked with the luggage...

Many hotels/resorts have pack-n-plays and cribs to use...I always just bring my own sheet...The less you have to carry the better !

As for the cooler , I don't know about that Also, it always seems the mini-frides in the hotel rooms aren't really "freezers" so I'd ask about that too if you have frozen items....

Have fun !

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

The Umbrella stroller doesnt go ON the plane with you, but you can gate check it. Meaning they will take it from you right before you board, and then it will be pulled for you when you de-plane.

Pack n play- I dont think it would fit in a suitcase, unless you have a pretty big one I guess, but yes you can check that as a piece of luggage.

As far as the cooler goes, the food and ice packs shouldn't be a problem, but you can't take liquids on. HOWEVER if it's for a baby, they usually don't harrass you much. I would call them and tell them specifially what you are wanting to bring and ask them how you can carry it on. If they say no ice packs, then the flight attendants should be able to give you ice when you get on.

Good luck!

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

we actually decided on Mexico..my ped and my OB said it was FINE..and im not really that paranoid..i totally wanted to go where you stayed Bops but couldnt get a flight that was direct to Punta cana, only to Puerto Plata on jet blue, and the other flights were

Anyway, im so excited, just so nervous about these few details..

so as for the carseat..what if they cant accomodate my dd's carseat? How do i get it back in my car once im all the way checked in? And, what if they can accomodate it there but not back? Do they store it with the stroller?
Also, if im "Gate" checking my stroller, do i really need an umbrella one? Or can i bring my graco?

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

Jaime, we're traveling in December with Chels and so far I've figured this out, we're gate checking the stroller...I am NOT bringing my car seat even though I didn't buy her a seat bc we're not renting a car in the Caribbean and it's just another thing that we're going to schlep with us...Chels doesn't sit still for a second and I"m thinking by then she may be walking or at least attempting to walk so it's going to be a looooong 4 hours of us walking up and down the aisle! Thank g-d we'll have my IL's with us so they can do it as well As for a pack n play I'm using the one the hotel has for us and bringing my own sheets...


My question is do I pack a sep back for diapers wipes etc and all that stuff for her would be an extra carry on I guess?!!?!?!?!?

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

You can gate check the carseat as well....check with your carrier though. Jet Blue and SouthWest did it for us.

You only need one stroller....Will your LO fit in a Baby Bjorn carrier? On our many flights with babies we put the baby in the pack and it was very easy to travel through the airport. When he outgrew it we had him on a leash. (Believe me...He needed it! ) We also had a harness that attached through the airline seatbelt and then attached to me. Worked great!

WE have done five flights with our now fifteen month old....IT is really not a big deal. The most annoying part is the packing to me....Babies are stimulated by their environment and airlines are new stimulating experiences....They usually exceed our expectations.

HAve a wonderful trip

Message edited 9/22/2009 9:16:17 AM.

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

You can gate check a stroller. Ask for a tag as soon as you get to your gate and fill it out right away. It'll save time when it's time for you to board. We have gate-checked our Bugaboo before (the umbrella is easier though), they just put it under the cabin at the gate. You need probably need to wait for it outside the plane when you land.

I'd buy your organic groceries when you get there. You should have no problem bringing dry food and enough beverage for the flight onto the plane but anything else, you'll most likely need to check and if you are going out of the country, you have even more restrictions on what food you can bring.. no produce.

Most hotels have pack and plays or cribs for you to use so I'd leave that at home. (I'd bring your own sheets and blankets though.) It's just one less thing to carry. I don't think airlines count that as a free piece of baggage either.

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

Im packing Melania her own suitcase lol
Ridiculous i know, but i need enough diapers, wipes, bath towels, bottles formula etc for 5-7 days..i wanna make sure i have extra in case of emergency..and i also have to pack Bottled water..Did you think of clothes yet jenn? Gymboree outlet in the source has ALOT on sale if youll need bigger sizes..
Mila, of course fits into her 0-3 shorts STILL..and were leaving in 3 weeks so i think we'll be ok.

I wanted the PNP for the beach..but i guess this may not happen? To bulky to bring i guess?

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

When my aunt flew domestically a few months ago, they confiscated her ice pack.

You can definitely bring the food onto the plane, but I'd also check about bringing food into mexico.

We go to Cancun a few times a year and many times I've seen customs confiscating food from peoples luggage. It may be different if it is all cooked already but I'd definitely check first.

Re: travelling with an infant questions..and ALOT of them!!

IMO, I wouldn't rsik buying her food there ....

I made a terrible mistake of accidentally grabbing the wrong stack of size 4 diapers and didnt have enough when we went to DR....I guess lots of people ran out of them because they were next to impossible to find
Mexico is a bit more "americanized" than DR, but I wouldn't risk it

As for the car-seat, you probably won't be needing it in Mexico itself ( unless you are renting a car), so if you think she's be okay with your lap and don't want to lug it, don't bother...But your other option is checking that as well ( either with checked luggage or at the gate)

Either stroller is fine ...I'd definately bring something w/ a recline and basket..We always take my Graco Metro-Lite...

Don't forget swimmy diapers and any other swim devices ( floats etc)

If your resort is all inclusive, they usually will stock you up with bottled water in your room if you ask ( slip housekeeping a $5 and you'll be set )

You are not allowed to bring any beverage aside from baby formula and enough water to make her bottles on the plane , unless it is bought at the airport after going through security...

Most resorts also have little palapa beds that I found perfect for laying my DS and DD on...I'd skip the pack-n-play, but thats me