As we start to focus on our upcoming family trip to Paris and Provence, I’m documenting the process the entire way! Finding blogs specific to traveling with babies under a year is not easy. Our daughter will be 6.5 months on the day of departure, still at an age where she’s not crawling and not eating table food as nutrition.
Current to do list:
+ decide on the stroller/car seat system we’re taking.
Our original plan was to bring just our Britax B-Agile stroller & rent a car seat when we picked up our mini-van rental (I know, I know…but with four adults & a baby #dowhatyougottado). We knew that our transportation a.k.a. “transfers” would be by motor coach from airport to hotel so a car seat shouldn’t be needed.
And here’s a great lesson learned; ask your travel adviser to double check with the ground operator being used. Turns out they are requiring us to bring her seat…I’m not thrilled with this because it gives the airline an opportunity to ruin it leaving us SOL for the entire trip plus our return home. But I will trust the process & pray for the best!
A kind friend let us borrow their stroller/car seat system since they aren’t using it currently, we’re deciding between the two based on how she likes to nap & sit.
+ camera. Someday we will save money & purchase a nice one. But honestly we’ll use our iPhone. We keep the Shutterfly app on our phones to upload all photos then clear them off so we have enough storage!
+ baby carrier.
We purchased the Ergo Performance a few months ago & will utilize this as much as possible! Our daughter will tolerate it for almost an hour so we’ll weigh our agenda each day.
We purchased the Ergo Performance a few months ago & will utilize this as much as possible! Our daughter will tolerate it for almost an hour so we’ll weigh our agenda each day.
+ diapers/formula/food.
Our plan is to buy the Similac To Go packets so we can easily pack her formula. We plan to use bottled water to mix formula at all times. We will also bring a bottle brush & small thing of dish soap to clean them. This is one of my biggest concerns/frustrations but attitude is everything, right?
We make her real food here at home but will rely on those packaged types to give her purees. We bought cheap spoons to bring along & throw away if need be.
Diapers/wipes; we will bring enough for the first two days or so then buy as we need. She fortunately doesn’t (currently) have any skin issues so were hoping new diapers won’t be an issue.
+ preparing her. We are trying our best to get her used to the Ergo & stroller for longer periods of time. Along with that trying to “teach” her how to nap no matter her surroundings…umm this is where the anxiety begins, girl likes her crib & her quiet!
+ plane. Not much we can do but prepare and pray! We current have the seats with bassinet on our overnight flight & will continually check to ensure we keep them (airlines β€οΈ to change your seats! They reserve the right to). I have been buying small toys to pull out when necessary along with trying to get her to love a specific toy that might comfort her when out of her normal zone.
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| Not an Air France bassinet, there’s a bit “simpler” but example. |
As first-timers we’re hoping to be over-prepared & keep ourselves flexible to adjust to her needs. As much as we want to see everything in Paris, it may be that we do a lot of picnicking in parks, strolling along the Seine…all of which we are okay with!
If you’ve traveled with your six month baby internationally, what did you find you couldn’t have traveled without? Would love to hear!