Travel to Florida with 5 month old
Taking our first trip as a family of three was a bit scary at first. Elliott and I were going for two weeks to spend time with my mom, which meant my husband Alex had to fly back a week early. We flew out early from St. Louis direct into Tampa. I was breastfeeding so I hoped we would have plenty of milk or that we nurse on the plane so it did not bother his ears. I highly suggest if you are carrying milk with you on a trip to put it all in one large container such as this. It made the security process so much smoother. For any breastfeeding mothers out there breast pumps and diapers bags are baby supplies and do not count against you for multiple carry on items. Now if you are traveling alone (without baby) the breast pump is considered medical supplies and does not count against you if you have two other carry ons. Another tidbit if your breast milk is frozen they don’t have to screen every individual bag. Make sure you know the airlines policies and stick up for yourself! For our flight there and back I made sure to back 2 extra sets of pajamas and like 10 diapers. My biggest fear was not having an extra diaper or clothes. On the way there it was not an issue. The way back we pooped EVERYWHERE and it went up our back. I discovered this like literally about to take off. I sat next to my 10 year old niece who held supplies while I changed E on the seat back table.
The carseat was a question about what to do. If we should rent or just buy one in Florida. We ended up packing our seat and the base in this carry bag. It has wheels and backpack straps. My cousin uses her carseat bags as extra luggage room for souvenirs, diapers, swim diapers, and ,lifejackets for the pool or anything extra that will not fit in her suitcase. You are able to check your carseat for free to your final destination from the check-in desk all the way to baggage claim so you don’t have to deal with something else. We carried it as backpack all the way to the mini where we installed the seat and hit the road. We also brought our stroller with us through security to stack our carry on bags there and push elliott if we need a break from carrying him. I was glad we brought out stroller and we just gate checked that. As a nursing mom I have to drink A LOT OF WATER so I did buy two of biggest water bottles at the airport to stay hydrated on our flight. And you better believe a glass of champagne on that flight because well kids.
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Nursing/sleeping the entire flight to florida. The Ergobaby carrier was a life saver!
My husband judging us silently
Where we going mom?
Thank You Southwest Airlines for letting us get this awesome 1st flight photo!
We had decided prior to going to Florida that we would go get diapers, wipes, baby food, sunscreen (favorite baby sunscreen) and other things that were necessities once we arrived. No reason to haul all that crap there when we could just buy it. I highly suggest this for any vacation especially for longer than a weekend if you are going to the store no matter what. We did pack this rechargeable stroller fan since we went in May when it is super hot. We also had a portable activity center shipped to my Grandfather’s house via amazon so we could use it there! We still use it on the houseboat and when we travel overnight. This was a lifesaver while hanging on the beach and using it on the pontoon while we were parked. Another item we loved for the pool was this pool float. We received it as a gift and it would fold up into a small bag so it was easy to travel with. My 5 month old son used it and my 12 month old nephew used it there as well. One thing we always question when we travel is where will Elliott sleep. Well let me just tell you we embrace the bathroom/closet space for naps and overnight. They are usually dark and quiet and it is in a separate space from us. When we were in Florida we just used a towel to cover the window in the bathroom as our makeshift blackout shades, however; we have since found these travel ones and I love them. We are also the crazy parents who do a bath every single night and we didn’t have a travel tub or blooming flower deal so we used the sink/bathtub and laid a towel in the bottom of it to support him. We had a lot of longs day missing naps/late bedtimes but we had so much fun and just went with the flow. Elliott typically was great but he had a few moments. We would take turns going for a stroller cruise during dinner in hopes he would cat nap or I would just nurse him to sleep at the restaurant some nights. Traveling/going places with a baby is TERRIFYING! But I am so glad we took this trip together as our first BIG trip because it taught we could do anything as parents. Yes traveling with a baby is work but I think it is so important for OUR family because we love experiences. My mom and step dad were so helpful and it did make the trip go a lot smoother to have a few extra sets of hands. My biggest advice is to just let go of that control over a strict schedule and embrace the memories. I know Elliott may not remember his first Florida trip but I know his dad and I will always remember those special moments and firsts. I have so much more respect for parents with multiple children braving the family vacation life.
This carrier was perfect for snuggling on the boat and getting in the water to cool off and still carry him.
