Baby on board
by Simon Felton
The thing that worried me most about becoming a dad (bulging nappies aside), was the thought of kissing those exotic long-haul holidays goodbye in favour of a nice day out at the local country park and visiting the grandparents – “yours or mine this weekend?”.
Struck by this worrying realisation that a life of day-trips and comfortable furry footwear awaited, I dragged my wife, who had done all her kicking and screaming for the year, and our two-month-old son Benjamin (who hadn’t), on a two-month, twenty thousand mile round-trip to Australia.
But seriously – why do it?
It sets the standard. You are saying to yourself (and your friends and family for that matter) that your life, as you knew it, is not over – and how about this for a positive marker.
It also provides a focus outside the nursery – can alleviate post-natal blues – and provide a little breathing space from the continual invasion of well-wishers dropping in to say coochie coo.
Top tips
When to fly
You can actually fly with a baby when it is just 48 hours old! We opted to travel when Benjamin was two months old, after his first round of vaccinations.
Babies need passports too
It’s the law. We had Benjamin’s photograph taken when he was five days old and he looked like a potato. By the time we flew he looked like a bigger potato. According to the UK Passport Service: ”The baby or child should be on its own (no toys, dummies or other people visible),” and so we gave the local bus-station photo-booth a miss. Can you imagine? Instead, we found a local photographic studio that captured our prized produce perfectly for the same price.
Luggage
Travelling sans weight with a baby isn’t an option (nor, in our case, was travelling with a light baby). Car seats are a good idea as you need to get your newborn to and from the airport by car or taxi. Backpack baby carriers (such as the Macpac Koala) are also invaluable. Fill them up with baby’s clothes on the way out, and use them for short treks when you’re there.
Pushchairs can be bulky and susceptible to in-flight damage. Buy a cheap or second-hand stroller, or hire one from a shop at your destination. Travel cots are also rather bulky, and we rented accommodation that came with a cot; although Benjamin spent the odd night crashed out in an empty suitcase. Checking your baggage allowance before you travel is a must.
At the airport
We aimed to get there four hours before each flight, and were able to check in early and confirm bulk-head seats with a pull-down cot, which was not guaranteed on booking. It would be a long flight with a baby on your lap. Time flies, what with feeding, changing nappies, and a little down time before take-off.
When it came to boarding, imagine my joy as the announcer urged those travelling with small children to gloat their way past those passengers who insist on forming a queue.
The flight
Now we’re getting serious and I have to admit that I was worried, for our own sanities and that of our 24-hour neighbours. Mercifully Benjamin slept for most of the way, spurred on to the land of nod by the white noise of the air-conditioning system. We made sure that we had enough milk and disposable nappies to last the journey, and knew which toilet had baby-changing facilities before we started queuing.
My fears of high-altitude drama had dissipated. In between naps he was either plugged with milk, whisked off to the loo for a quick change or to be found tarting about with other passengers and the crew. He did a lap of laps at one stage – passed like a baton on a circuit of the plane. We were treated with extra smiles and waited on hand and foot: not having to worry about catering for ourselves or well-wishers was a relief. It would have almost been worth the money had we remained on the tarmac at Heathrow.
Stopping off
We didn’t on the way as we thought it would be more hassle than it was worth. This worked well, although we arrived a little jaded. We did on the way back and it worked even better. Despite the sauna-like climate of Singapore, it turned out to be a perfect family stopover – safe, friendly and affordable.
Simon Felton is a freelance journalist, you can contact him at simon@hedleyfelton.co.uk.
The thing that worried me most about becoming a dad (bulging nappies aside), was the thought of kissing those exotic long-haul holidays goodbye in favour of a nice day out at the local country park and visiting the grandparents – “yours or mine this weekend?”. Struck by this worrying realisation that a life of day-trips and comfortable furry footwear awaited, I dragged my wife, who had done all her kicking and screaming for the year, and our two-month-old son Benjamin (who hadn’t), on a two-month, twenty thousand mile round-trip to Australia.
But seriously – why do it?
It sets the standard. You are saying to yourself (and your friends and family for that matter) that your life, as you knew it, is not over – and how about this for a positive marker.
It also provides a focus outside the nursery – can alleviate post-natal blues – and provide a little breathing space from the continual invasion of well-wishers dropping in to say coochie coo.
Top tips
When to fly
You can actually fly with a baby when it is just 48 hours old! We opted to travel when Benjamin was two months old, after his first round of vaccinations.
Babies need passports too
It’s the law. We had Benjamin’s photograph taken when he was five days old and he looked like a potato. By the time we flew he looked like a bigger potato. According to the UK Passport Service: ”The baby or child should be on its own (no toys, dummies or other people visible),” and so we gave the local bus-station photo-booth a miss. Can you imagine? Instead, we found a local photographic studio that captured our prized produce perfectly for the same price.
Luggage
Travelling sans weight with a baby isn’t an option (nor, in our case, was travelling with a light baby). Car seats are a good idea as you need to get your newborn to and from the airport by car or taxi. Backpack baby carriers (such as the Macpac Koala) are also invaluable. Fill them up with baby’s clothes on the way out, and use them for short treks when you’re there.
Pushchairs can be bulky and susceptible to in-flight damage. Buy a cheap or second-hand stroller, or hire one from a shop at your destination. Travel cots are also rather bulky, and we rented accommodation that came with a cot; although Benjamin spent the odd night crashed out in an empty suitcase. Checking your baggage allowance before you travel is a must.
At the airport
We aimed to get there four hours before each flight, and were able to check in early and confirm bulk-head seats with a pull-down cot, which was not guaranteed on booking. It would be a long flight with a baby on your lap. Time flies, what with feeding, changing nappies, and a little down time before take-off.
When it came to boarding, imagine my joy as the announcer urged those travelling with small children to gloat their way past those passengers who insist on forming a queue.
The flight
Now we’re getting serious and I have to admit that I was worried, for our own sanities and that of our 24-hour neighbours. Mercifully Benjamin slept for most of the way, spurred on to the land of nod by the white noise of the air-conditioning system. We made sure that we had enough milk and disposable nappies to last the journey, and knew which toilet had baby-changing facilities before we started queuing.
My fears of high-altitude drama had dissipated. In between naps he was either plugged with milk, whisked off to the loo for a quick change or to be found tarting about with other passengers and the crew. He did a lap of laps at one stage – passed like a baton on a circuit of the plane. We were treated with extra smiles and waited on hand and foot: not having to worry about catering for ourselves or well-wishers was a relief. It would have almost been worth the money had we remained on the tarmac at Heathrow.
Stopping off
We didn’t on the way as we thought it would be more hassle than it was worth. This worked well, although we arrived a little jaded. We did on the way back and it worked even better. Despite the sauna-like climate of Singapore, it turned out to be a perfect family stopover – safe, friendly and affordable.
Simon Felton is a freelance journalist, you can contact him at simon@hedleyfelton.co.uk.
Interested? Take a look at our baby friendly and family holiday pages.