My sister's review of her first flight (Ryanair) with a 4 month old

Being heavily pregnant, I've been sadly lacking any travel so having to live vicariously through others!  My sister and her gorgeous daughter Abbie recently took a trip from the UK to France and I asked her to review it below.....

 

At first we were reluctant to book a holiday with our newborn, especially given how much stuff we have to pack just for an overnight stay at the grandparents.  However, everyone kept telling us how easy it was to travel with a baby that isn't even crawling yet, so we bit the bullet and I'm so glad we did.  We flew Ryanair from London Stansted to Bergerac and stayed in a farmhouse we found via www.babyfriendlyboltholes.com.  Here are some things that we discovered along the way: 

- Luggage.  On Ryanair you are allowed one collapsible pushchair for free (we took our Mothercare My4 pram) and you can pay extra for 'infant items' such as a carseat or travel cot.  We took our own car seat for ease (it also fits onto the chassis of our pram) and peace of mind, and packed it in a car seat bag (available from www.kiddicare.com).  They didn't check inside the car seat bag for other items, so you could chance it and put some additional luggage in there too.  Don't forget a pound coin for the luggage trolley at Stansted, and bring your own transparent resealable clear plastic bags for liquids in your hand luggage, unless you want to part with more cash.  And no, they wouldn't let me use a nappy sack instead! 

- Airport security.  At Stansted they searched the buggy by hand, whereas at Bergerac they put it through the x-ray.  Rules on liquids seem to vary.  At Stansted I decided not to stress about taking liquids through so I packed a sterilised bottle in my hand luggage and bought a carton of formula from Boots (they stock plenty of Aptamil and you can phone in advance to reserve some).  At Bergerac I took several cartons through security and was not asked to open them.   

- Changing and Feeding.  Stansted have a number of baby changing rooms, with private areas for feeding.  At Bergerac this was much more basic, with a baby changing mat in the middle of the ladies toilet.  We took sterilising tablets with us which were very easy to use each day.   

- Flying.  We paid extra for Priority Boarding, which was worth it just for not having to rush to the gate and stand in a queue, although I imagine that they let families with small children board pretty quickly anyway.  We used a Baby Bjorn to carry her and left the buggy at the bottom of the steps.  I have heard of some people packing the buggy in a special bag.  We didn't have one, but we did pull the raincover over in order to protect the carry cot a little.  The flight itself was completely fine, our baby fed or sucked on a dummy for the whole flight and barely seemed aware of anything that was going on!  On the way out and on the way back the buggy was there at the bottom of the stairs for us.  

Aeroplane travel with a bump! (pregnancy not the turbulent kind)

I have flown during both of my pregnancies from as early as 4 weeks to as late as 33 weeks.  Although I fly often, I am absolutely petrified of flying and normally I like to take a lovely combination of sleeping pills & wine to get me through!  However, whilst pregnant I get to enjoy(!) flying naturally again and here are some tips:

• Check with your airline how late you in your pregnancy they will take you
• Check with your insurance how late in your pregnancy you can travel
• After about 20 weeks + of pregnancy and when you are really showing, I think it's definitely worth getting a doctor's note permitting you to fly.  You will most certainly need one anyway if you are flying over 27 weeks.  I have been asked numerous times at check in to produce one
• Parade your bump at check in. Sometimes it might get you a better seat or even upgraded!
• For long haul flights get proper support stockings that reduce risk of DVT
• Drink lots of water
• Bring lots of snacks
• Move around on the plane

I know some people are concerned about flying whilst pregnant but if you read any medical websites, they will all say it's perfectly fine.  They do suggest the best time to fly is between 14 to 28 weeks when the risk of miscarriage and premature labour are lower.  As with all my travel advice, I can only say if you are feeling good - go for it!

Travelling & potty training

I started potty training my 27 month old daughter a week ago.  First few days were a total DISASTER but then it finally seemed to click...  We've still had the odd accident but we're getting there.  I've been loosely following the Gina Ford 'Potty Training In One Week'.  Unlike her other books which are written in a very strict, slightly mental tone, I've found this book useful and easy to follow.

After Day 3 of potty training I decided to take my daughter out & about.  A friend recommended this great product for travelling with your child - the Potette Plus which is a travel potty and trainer seat in one.  It's easy to use, lightweight and comes with disposable bags.  My daughter seems happy to use it and I love the fact that I can either assemble it as potty or use it as trainer seat on public toilets.

http://www.bibsandstuff.co.uk/acatalog/Potette_Plus.html

I am still keeping my daughter in nappies for her lunchtime and bedtime sleep.  I also think I will put her in a pull up nappy for our next long plane journey, will keep you posted as to how that goes....

Renting a car on holiday - the car seat dilemma

We have rented a car several times on holiday and when you have a young child i.e. still in a baby car seat I'm really in two minds as to whether you should bring your own or rent one with the car.

On the one hand, if you bring your own then you are guaranteed a safe car seat.  You don't have to worry about 'one not suddenly being available' when you are in a long queue for hiring your car.  You can then use it attached to your buggy for dinners out and transporting baby.  As mentioned in a previous post, if you are bringing your own, invest in a cheap bag to put it in when you check it into the hold.

When hiring a car in the South of France we were actually given a toddler front facing car seat rather than a baby one.  Our daughter was about 4 months old and I wasn't that happy about using it but we weren't using the car extensively and we strapped her in pretty tightly.

If you hire one with the car then it's one less piece of luggage to have to carry and avoid losing/getting damaged.  In fact, as I type this post, I think the best piece of advice would be to hire one with the car but keep phoning the car rental company in advance to confirm what kind of car seat they will be giving you.

and finally.... don't forget to pack your baby!

Short haul plane travel with young baby

My sister had a baby in May (my gorgeous new niece!) and she was asking my travel tips for their first adventure in August.
She lives in the UK and they initially wanted to take the car and drive over to France.  I told her she was mad and should embrace the option of budget airlines for short haul travel and go by air.  I honestly think that traveling by plane can be a lot easier than a loooooong car drive, particularly if you are still breastfeeding.

Things to remember:

• If you have a big buggy (eg Bugaboo Chameleon), check with airline how they can store it.  Are you able to take it to gate or do you have to disassemble the whole kit & caboodle at check in
• If you do have an enormous buggy, maybe it's wise to invest in a cheaper, lightweight one for your trip?  We travelled with friends who had to undo their entire buggy every time they went through security which wouldn't have been fun if the parent was traveling alone
• Check the updated liquids policy, this seems to change all the time.  You can carry formula in powder versions and sometimes ask for boiled water on the plane.  I have also used bottled water on planes, I really don't think it's going to harm your child for a few feeds!  I have also carried on cartons of premixed Aptamil.  If you think security are going to remove these from you, you can call ahead to the airport Boots and reserve some to pick up
• Take your baby carrier with you e.g. Baby Bjorn.  You might have to wait a while for them to deliver the buggy to the aircraft door or in some cases it's gone straight to the luggage carousel.
• Carry lots of nappies & wipes!  You never know if you will be delayed. If you don't want to carry a big changing purse you can also buy a disposable changing mat.
• If taking formula in bottles, overfill them as you will have to drink some yourself at security (gulp!) to prove that you are not taking dodgy chemicals on board
• If your buggy/car seat is going in the hold, invest in a bag for it (available online pretty cheaply to avoid damage)
• 1 or 2 changes of clothes for baby.  I have had a vomiting incident within seconds of sitting down on the plane
• Change of top for you!  See above
• Bibs if you are bottle feeding
• Blanket (If you use a big muslin for breastfeeding this could also double up)
• Grobag (You might want to ignore this for really short flight)
• Several dummies
• Calpol sachets - just in case
• I don't reckon young babies really need many toys and you should save room in your hand luggage for yourself!  If they are getting to the chewy stage and like something to hold then a wooden ring or a magical Sophie Giraffe is good  http://www.sophiegiraffeusa.com/

Flight Review: Bangkok Airways - Hong Kong to Koh Samui

I normally like this flight as it's just under 3 hours so is bearable with a screaming child!

http://www.bangkokair.com/en/index.php

I don't think you can check in online but our travel agent normally assigns our seats together.  They don't have a bassinet so be prepared to hold your baby for the flight. Again, I don't think they necessarily assign bulkhead to people travelling with babies, on this flight there weren't any kids travelling in those seats.
Check in is easy although at Terminal 2.  This means you have quite a distance to get to the gate including 2 trains and lots of escalators so I would take your buggy to the gate.
The plane is clean, fairly new and staff pretty friendly.
There are no seatback TVs but a few dotted around the cabin to show an in flight movie.  We took our trusty DVD player so all was good.
I/my travel agent forgot to order a child meal but my daughter wolfed down the adult meal of noodles which wasn't too spicy.
On our outbound flight they had sat us right at the back row.  Being 7 months pregnant this was fairly uncomfortable and as a nervous flyer you can feel every bump!  However, this proved to be a wise seating choice as they open both the front and back doors at Koh Samui airport.  We were able to rush off the plane, hop on the transit bus and race to the front of the immigration queue which can be lengthy. And then you are in paradise....