Friday, September 14, 2012

Top Ten Favorite Products of a First Time Mama Bird (Infant Traveler Edition)

As you may have read in my recent Debbie Downer post, my husband and I traveled by plane with our nearly five-month-old daughter for the very first time.  Though I was terrified and sure something would go terribly wrong, nothing did.  It actually ended up going much smoother than anticipated, partly because of luck, but mostly due to planning.  It takes some time to really think out what your travel schedule looks like, and what activities you will be doing while away, but it is well worth the brainstorming.  Below are my “Top Ten” product picks (in no particular order) that kept everything moving in the right direction, as well as some travel tips and tricks I hope you will find helpful (as usual, just click on the name to be taken to the product link).

J.L. Childress Ultimate Car Seat Travel Bag- Though comically large (and yes, it is worn as a backpack...), it is totally worth the embarrassment.  It is super durable so you don’t worry for the safety of your car seat as they oh-so-gently heave it into the cargo space.  And the best tip I was given?  Stuff that sucker with packs of diapers, wipes, and plush toys, as car seats are checked free of charge!

Babyganics Dish Dazzler Foaming Travel Dish and Bottle Soap- If you are anything like me, you are particular about what you wash your bottles with.  This was the first time I wasn’t going to have the luxury of a dishwasher and dye-free scent-free dishwashing liquid, but after rave reviews from friends I ordered a pack of these three-ounce pump bottles.  No leaky bottles + an acceptable three-ounce packaging = one happy traveling mom!

Ergo Carrier- This guy became a second skin for me.  After going back and forth about lugging a stroller, we decided in the scheme of things it didn’t make the most sense for our trip.  We knew everything would be in walking distance of where we were staying, and that we would not be out for hours on end.  We found it most helpful to counter-check our car seat, and stick Birdie directly in the Ergo.  Security was a breeze, but speak up!  We asked if there was a family friendly security line (we had both formula and medication that needed to be tested), and though there was no sign or separate line, they ushered us to the front!  From the look of winding Disney Land-esque line, we probably saved a half hour. I was able to pass right through the metal detector while wearing Bird in the Ergo, which I definitely did not expect.

MAM “Fashion Clip”- Although it looks like a pretty unnecessary trinket, this gem saved us numerable times.  My daughter is a MAM baby, and a MAM baby only, so losing a paci on the plane was not an option!  This hooks right around the knob of the pacifier, and can velcro or clip onto clothing.  You don’t think it’s a must until you see a paci rolling down the aisle.  Thank goodness I had a pacifier wipe to offer to the woman sitting across from us...

Luvion Baby Monitor- We are a couple who felt strongly about a monitor that both used sound and video detection, though I know it isn’t for everyone.  My husband did a ton of research on monitors, and came out at the other side in love with this one.  Why you ask?  We live on the top two floors of a condo that we share with two other units, and we had heard plenty of horror stories about interference.  Believe it or not, after using this bad boy for a whole five months, we have yet to encounter one instance of it!  In addition, we felt that if we spent a good amount of money on a monitor, we wanted it to travel well, and it certainly does!

Bath Books- I know bath books are about, well... BATHS, so you may not think about trekking them along.  However, we have been reading to Birdie almost every night for the past three months, and it has become a big part of her bedtime routine.  With the exception of Goodnight Moon, I wasn’t interested in packing a library that would break my back.  So, I threw in a few of our bath books (which, by the way, have yet to be used in the bath).  They weigh just about nothing, and can be shoved into anything since they shrink up when pressed down (and why not throw them in your car seat bag?).

Chewbeads- The Jane Necklace- I had a matching necklace and bracelet set that had yet to be worn, but figured it couldn’t hurt to give it a try.  Since I figured I would not want to be pulling out Sophie the Giraffe every five seconds, nor subject fellow flyers to her squawking, I wore these Chewbeads on the place ride there and back.  Bird totally took advantage of them, so it made up for the fact that a few hairs on my neck were sacrificed in the making of happiness.

PhysiObebe No-Rinse Cleansing Fluid- One day while attending Next Steps with Birdie, one of the Center Associates offered me a sample of this liquid gold, and I snagged it.  I decided I wasn’t going to bring along all the bath necessities, and figured we could always wipe her down with some wipes if need be.  This stuff?  Great alternative to a real bath while on-the-go.

Infant Medicine Pacifiers-  Our little Bird has pretty severe reflux, which means we never have the option of missing a dose of medication.  Given to us as a gift, these “medi-dispensers” majorly come in handy, especially with traveling.  Rather than taking out the bottle, and dirtying a measuring syringe, you can set these up ahead of time and stick them in a baggy (just keep them upright).

Infant Feeding and Sleeping Log- Not to say we are on any sort of real schedule, but we  still swear by tracking Birdie’s bottles and napping habits.  It seems that most people let tracking fall to the wayside when traveling, but it actually may be when you need it the most.  A small simple spiral-bound binder does the trick for us, but many people love iPhone apps like this one.


Please comment below to share some of your must haves while jet-setting!

1 comment:

  1. While these are also my favorites, I recently received tee pees for the boys from last year's baby shower. It's been a favorite for two years now. Well, I guess, now I have another favorite when it comes to baby shower gifts.

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