A day in the life of a mom...travelling with a baby.

Before I met my husband I was a major over packer but as he and I travelled together we became a carry on couple and the only luggage we used was the Patagonia MLC bag. Now that we have a puppy  and a baby those easy breezy carry on days are long gone.

I just went to Ireland to see my parents and travelled with the little man by myself. I did this at Christmas but there is a big difference between travelling with a 10 week old and a 6 month old. Luckily for me, and everyone else on the plane, he did really well but there are a few tips that I would recommend to parents out there to make what can be a stressful experience at the best of times go as smoothly as possible. 

• It isn't always possible but try and pick flight times that will make it easy on you and your baby. 
• While it may be difficult to pack light, pack smart for you and your little one. I wore every item that I brought for myself which is a first. 
• Pack one bag, with wheels, so that you can manage pushing the stroller and pulling the bag. Even if you are being dropped off and picked up you should be prepared to manage by yourself just in case.
• Try your best to have one carry on item; I used my diaper bag and edited down what was in there so that it was necessities only: diaper changing gear, multiple change of clothes, medicines, food, a few small toys, laptop and passports. 
  
•  Check your stroller at the gate but bring a baby carrier to the plane. I used my Ergo Baby Carrier which was a life saver. When Hugh was fed up of being in the stroller I popped him in the Ergo; he was entertained by what was going on at the airport and I had use of both arms.
• Be prepared for security. By the time I got to the security gate I had everything ready to go so all I needed to do was put it in the bins. I have received additional screening every flight I have taken so it is good to be emotionally prepared for that.
• International flights have bassinet seats so do your absolute best to reserve one. Even if your little one doesn't actually sleep it is so helpful to have the extra legroom and a place to keep all your stuff.
• Don't sit down and buckle up until you absolutely have to. This means baby will be in as good as mood as possible when being strapped in. Be ready to nurse or have a bottle at hand for take off and landing.
• When we landed baby went into the Ergo, collected our stroller and off through immigration to get luggage.

My favorite part of travelling was seeing people's reactions when they got on the place and saw us. You could see the flow of emotions...awww cute baby....oh no I'm sitting beside a baby....are there empty seats in the front of the plane???

As a mother all you can do is your best and this is definitely the case when travelling. Hugh was amazing on both flights and I am eternally grateful for that. BUT if he hadn't been I had come to terms with the fact that I couldn't keep everyone on the plane happy. I am a mom and I will make sure that my son is okay while doing my best to respect those around me.

And that is the day in the life of a mom.