Best of the Breast: The best alliance on a looong air travel with a toddler

 Anxieties struck me before our planned travel to the Philippines back in December last year.  As it was our first time to travel with a toddler (a high-demand toddler, not to mention), I really didn't know what to expect.  Actually, I have been expecting it to be daunting and nerve breaking because I thought our little one would get bored or scared or would be too uncomfortable, etc. But I was wrong (thank God).  The whole trip was smooth in general especially while we are in the aircraft.  The longest flight we had was a 15-hour flight from Paris to Hongkong and during that whole time, Little Spanish Pinay was sleeping if not walking around or playing or reading or singing with us.  She rarely fuzzed.  

 

That's right... at one time, she preferred the cart over her stroller or the baby sling

I tried to pack enough entertainment for her as well as fun food.  But what really helped us a lot, is that fact that she is still breastfeeding.  I didn't have to bring bottles and formula and water.  That's a big convenience because we already have heavy carry-ons so being able to omit things to bring is a big help.  Plus, there's no need to prepare the bottle every time she wants to be fed.  Milk is ready and fresh and warm just the perfect way every time she asks for it.  The most important of all? It really helped her not to suffer from ear popping because of the pressure during landings and take off. 

Learning the cabin's safety instruction

zonked

Thinking about all these, confirms my thoughts that we shouldn't consider weaning yet.  Consider, I say? Yes weaning is knocking in my door of thoughts these days.  Getting persistent even.  But that's requires a whole different entry as it's a long  and winding road.

Air Travel with a Toddler: My Own Experience

Remember I posted this when we were still preparing for our first-long-flight-with-a-toddler going to the Philippines.  I meant to write different tips air travel with a toddler but my schedule just went crazier and crazier juggling my time between work, home and taking care of a toddler and a hubby.  Also, in the end, I just stopped fretting over it.  I convinced myself that whatever happens, we'll do just fine. 

And of course we were just fine.

Little Spanish Pinay did very well especially on the long flight.  She slept like a winner and played/watched her videos while awake.  She rarely fuzzed but her play included walking back and forth along the airplane's  aisle.  She's one curious little girl.  She look at each person in the seats then walk away then back and look.  She also liked passing through where the WCs are even where the cabin crew prepare the food.  She wanted to explore on everything.  Result? Mami got really tired.  She'd rarely want papi to go with her so most of the time, it's mami going after her.  She'd ask for papi only when she feels like watching her video.  She's all comfy and calm sitting on his lap.

So what did we finally decide on whether to bring just the baby sling or just the stroller.  At the beginning we were sold on just bringing the sling but I don't know what happened suddenly, hubby was so adamant on the idea that it will be better if we bring a stroller.  And so we did.   We used the stroller for some moments and it did help but LSP had other idea than staying in the stroller while we were going mobile throughout the airport.  She wanted mami's arms most of the time.  It helped though that she's already walking and loved to explore so there were times as well that she'd walk.  She especially liked the walkalator!

So what's the verdict on the stroller? It can be useful but not a necessity. In our case we especially put it to good use because we were able to use it as a cart for our fully-packed-shoulder-breaking personal bags. Since we don't get to travel often to my native land, we make sure we maximize all our luggage capacity both check-in and hand-carry.  You know, we gotta stock up on those sinigang, kare-kare mix, nagaraya, noodles, etc!

About the baby sling? It has become her enemy now. Sigh.  She didn't want to get even near it the whole flight except during our last leg of flight coming back here.  I asked her fervently for us to use the baby sling because mami's arm is going to break apart already.  I don't know if she understood my plea or she took pity of my best-actress-poor-me-look in my face, but she agreed to be carried on our baby sling.

Oh, I have to give one important tip for travelling with a toddler (especially if your toddler is a girly-girl who loooves the idea of her looking pretty)..... bring some of these!

click here for image source

Just look at her enjoying her beauty session:

I swear that kept her still and quiet for a good long of time.  From time to time though, she'd call me and say "Mami, mami! Tala guapa!" to tell me to look at her because she's pretty.

Air travel with a toddler - stroller; with or without?

We're spending C H R I S T M A S in my beloved Philippines! -ber months has started and I feel like I am already running out of time to prepare.  And since we are going with a 19-month-old-by-then toddler, I am kind of anxious on how I will be able to handle this.  It'll be my first time to travel (looooonnnnggg) with a toddler.  I'm sure things will be alright but I just can't help but get obsessed with how things would go.  There's just soooo many things to think about and consider.  This is going to be LSP's looong flight.  We flew to Madrid once and she was just about 4 months by then and it wasn't bad at all.  It as just an hour flight though so I can't really compare it to what we are about to experience.

image source

So I thought perhaps, to start with "preparing" myself for the long flight,  I'd write some tips I find while I read articles about the subject matter and then my thoughts and questions as well, so I can get some first-hand tips from my readers.

Our flight is going to be about 20 hours in total including airport waits.  What I have been contemplating a lot for now is whether we should bring a stroller for Little Spanish Pinay or not.  Since this is going to be across continents flight and we don't fly to Philippines quite often, I am pretty sure we'll be packed up to the limits.  So the thought of having an additional stroller to think about and stash, etc is kind of pushing me back about bringing one.  Plus, we'd have to buy (or maybe borrow) a different one than what she already has since the one she has now is not precisely light.  

Still the thought of having another carry on apart from 2 carry-on luggages, my personal bag and a diaper bag, is making think back and forth.

image source

This is what she currently has and it's not really good for bringing in the airpot as it is everything but a light stroller.

LSP is going to be just 19months by then.  Obviously already walking.  She loves walking on her own.  So I am imagining she'd prefer to walk around on her own than being in the stroller during between flights waits - especially that everything is going to be something to discover for her.  If that will be the case, then perhaps a stroller will be just be an extra baggage for us.  Then again,  I start to imagine scenarios like what if we need to run from one gate to another or LSP gets tired - a stroller will be handy.  Plus we can also use the stroller to put our bags if LSP prefers to run around on her own.  But then, I can also just bring our baby carrier.  With it, I can run with her from one gate to another.  Plus since she wouldn't have her own seat in the airplane, being in the carrier,  she can sleep on me and I'll have my hands free to do something else like hold my hubby's hand (hee!) or read a book or play DS.

I am still so undecided!  Hubby's first inkling is not to bring one but he's not really the type of sweating it out by trying to imagine different scenarios especially complicated ones.  He's so positive about everything (even in life in general) that he doesn't really consider much whether it is best to bring a stroller or not.

So, my dear bloggers... any tips and thoughts and kind words? :-)

A warning to Filipinos planning to go to Bali, Indonesia for vacation

I found this post about a terrible experience of 2 Filipinas in the hands of the airport officers in Bali, Indonesia.  I thought it is worthwhile to repost this so it can serve as a warning to those planning to spend some vacatoin days in the said country.  This is injustice and people must be aware of it to take necessary precautions.

Please find some time to drop by Chyng Reyes's blog to read the whole story.