Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

The definition of a long trip can of course vary – but I am including anything where you will be away overnight, whether involving such delights as a foreign holiday or just a trip to your parents in the next town.

What happens and what you take will depend upon your transport – if you are going in your own vehicle there is probably room for everything, but will you need a cot at the other end or is baby small enough to remain in a carry cot or even to fit into a dresser draw? Can you beg, borrow or hire a travel cot? If going a long distance you may of course be going by plane. Do book a sky cot well in advance and then check nearer the time that the company really realise that you have a tiny baby with you.

While it may be nice to cuddle baby on your lap this could be dangerous at take off and landing and may not be allowed. Also check whether or not you can take a baby carriage out to the plane. Some airlines prefer you to take baby out at check- in and a few won’t allow them at all as the wheels stick out and can damage other luggage.

With security alerts even taking baby bottles can cause problems so do check ahead with the company. Don’t worry too much about heating bottles - babies will generally take feed even at room temperature or right from the fridge if that is all you can manage.

Does the baby need a passport of its own? Are immunisations necessary? – do check with your paediatrician if you are travelling to exotic climes and don’t leave this to the last minute as some vaccines need to be given in more than one dose or perhaps several weeks ahead of your trip.

Allow for delays – extra everything will make life easier though most air terminals will have shops to top up supplies of basics and some airport cafes will have baby food jars and will heat baby food for you or provide hot water.

I have seen a number of women – especially service wives - embarking on long trips with toddlers and babies - and no one else. Their husbands and partners had gone ahead ‘to get things ready’. A close relative of mine seemed to specialise in this at one time and encountered all sorts of problems with a baby and a toddler while her husband had had a trouble free and quiet trip a few days before. In some cases at least this is a cop out and they could just as well have travelled together.

Do travel with someone else if at all possible. Coping with a baby carriage and a toddler on moving stairs isn’t funny, but lifts always seem a long way off, or slow if not stopped altogether. At least if you have an adult companion you can go to the bathroom without having to decide whether to leave baby unattended or place him on the toilet floor while you use the facilities. Toilets may have rotating stiles which won’t allow a baby carriage through.

Smile broadly at the attendant if there is one and this problem can usually be overcome. Otherwise you will have to lift the whole thing over the barrier - having done that on more than one occasion (Gare du Nord, Paris) it may give you muscles where you don’t want them.

Then again a long trip with baby has advantages – everybody smiles and is charmed by the little one and will usually do their best to help.

So plan well ahead. Pack all you need and can carry ( I hope the two are compatible) Be careful if loading up the baby carriage with lots of bags. If you le t go it may well go into a nose dive. That sorted relax and enjoy. There will probably still be hitches, but at least you will have baby to talk too.