Flying with a Baby - Part 2

So! Yesterday we started talking about what to take on the plane with us when we are traveling with a baby. So far we have a Moby Wrap and a backpack. Sweet! Next we'll move on to what I pack in my backpack and the order in which I pack it.

My backpack has both a front section and a back section. We'll start with just the back section. Baby steps, people.

I keep items that I will probably not need quick access to or items that I only have as a "just in case" in the back section of the backpack.

1) First, I pack a nursing cover, a sling and a changing pad at the bottom of the backpack.

By now, I'm pretty confident in my nursing and diaper changing abilities to not really need either the cover or the changing pad but just in case I'm stuck in a really tricky nursing situation or a really nasty place to change Abilene's diaper, I have them. The Moby Wrap is more comfortable than the sling but the sling is much faster than the Moby (oh the tension). I've never needed it in the airport but I always have it with me if I need a quick way to scoop her up and still have some freedom for my hands.

 2) I stand a magazine for myself and a book or two for Abilene along the back wall of the backpack.

There are pretty good odds that Abilene will fall asleep on the flight. Having my own personal reading material makes time on the plane fly by (no pun intended). And, while I've always been looking for just the right gorilla statue to put in my back yard (yep, it's in there), you can only look through Sky Mall Magazine so many times.

  

3) I pack an extra footed onesie in a plastic bag and add that to the bottom of the back of the backpack.

You always want to have an extra outfit in the event that there is a mishap with bodily fluids (let your imagination run wild with that one). Obviously the plastic bag can then be used for the no-longer-wearable outfit. I always choose a footed onesie because then I'm not trying to worry about multiple articles of clothing. A footed onesie acts as your child's shirt, pants, socks and shoes all in one. Done and done.

Mmmm, I love Ross.

So here's a shot of what's already packed in the back of the backpack:

Plenty of useable space left!

Ok! What's next?

4) Toys! 

The Moby Wrap came in a nice, little drawstring bag that I have re-purposed to hold Abilene's toys. This keeps them all in one place instead of floating around the backpack. I actually have a set of toys that I really only use for traveling. This means that they are relatively "new" to her every time we take a trip. If a toy seems "new" to Abilene, she will take more time exploring or playing with the toy. This means I have more effective "ammunition to pull out of my arsenal" if Abilene needs something to hold her attention. Obviously if your child has a favorite toy, be sure to bring that as well.

5) Diapers and wipes. You've been waiting for that one, right?

I usually pack 10 diapers and a full (and by "full" I mean absolutely stuffed) case of wipes. Abilene obviously doesn't go through 10 diapers a day but if the airlines were to lose our luggage, I would be prepared for another 24 hours or so. Now, the back section of my backpack is for things I don't think I'll need to grab quickly so I put 8 diapers in the back of the backpack and I save the wipes case and 2 diapers for the front section of the backpack. I'll get to that in Part 3.

Clearly no diaper brand loyalty in this house.

And now the back of our backpack looks like this:

The last thing I put in the back section of the backpack is...

6) Electronics

Anything that could potentially be damaged or stolen I don't want to put in my suitcase. Things like my camera, Flip, Abilene's video baby monitor, etc. I put these items in a plastic bag and place them in the top of my backpack so that they won't get crushed. The backpack zips up securely and is with me at all times so I'm not too worried about someone trying to get anything out of it. Plus, the plastic bag would make a lot of noise if someone were to try and pull anything out while the backpack was still on my back. (Chargers to any electronics are packed in my suitcase. It saves space in my carry-on and they are more easily replaceable).

Now look at that! We're finished with the back of the backpack!

The backpack zips up easily and there's just enough room left for me to stick my jacket in there if I get too hot.

The last thing I want to note is that there are some items that Abilene might need in the car but she doesn't need on the airplane. Things like her hat, gloves, jacket, and blanket for the car seat.

Abilene might use these to get from the car to the airport and visa versa but, like I mentioned earlier, the Moby Wrap will keep her warm enough once we get in the airport. Because I only need these items outside of the airport, I leave the front sections of my suitcase empty in order to store them there. That way I can slip them in the front of the suitcase when we get into the airport and I have quick access to them when I grab my suitcase off the conveyor belt after I get off the plane to leave the airport.

So there you have it! The back of your backpack is done. Sit back and bask in your most recent accomplishment because flying by yourself with a baby ain't easy.

Stay tuned because we'll go over what to pack in the front of your backpack in Part 3 of "Flying with a Baby"!