Travelling to 10+ states with 6 month old - sleeping?

PittPurple

Hi all,

I'm very pre-emptively starting to think about what I'll need to organise for this ridiculous trip I have planned for next summer. I plan on spending 8-10 weeks in the states, in at least 10 locations (from NY to Cali with a million stops in between). Some will be getting driven from place to place and the longer legs will be flying and I'll be doing about half of this on my own with future LO. Budget is definitely a concern with so much travel. We usually fly Southwest in the states but I'll be looking at however I can get places without layovers so who knows.

I know I need to buy a carseat (thinking I'll get it delivered to my cousin's in NJ and have her pick us up at Newark on arrival) and am dithering about what to do about a stroller - we'll either buy a cheapie one for the states trip only or I'll bring my bulky but awesome one with us - but I'm getting stuck on the sleeping arrangements.

What are the options for safe sleeping while travelling? It seems insane to buy a pack-n-play at each stop, but if I just buy one at the start, I'll have to pay to check it on each leg, right? And carrying it from place to place with our suitcases, stroller, carseat and baby seems a bit insane. There will definitely be times that there will be no one to help me at all so it has to be manageable. 

Is there some solution that I'm missing?

welshgirl

Have you looked into those sleeping tents? That might be a good option, they're liter weight than pack n plays. I actually h ave one we didnt use if you're interested, but of course you'd have to take that with you... 

Otherwise, you could just cosleep? I know a lot of people are against it, but it might work well, with so many different locations.

Honestly, you will have a lot for baby gear. It will be ridiculous. But it will be alright  

kelly321

welshgirl:

Have you looked into those sleeping tents? That might be a good option, they're liter weight than pack n plays. I actually h ave one we didnt use if you're interested, but of course you'd have to take that with you... 

Otherwise, you could just cosleep? I know a lot of people are against it, but it might work well, with so many different locations.

Honestly, you will have a lot for baby gear. It will be ridiculous. But it will be alright  

This. It's somewhat perverse that 2 adults (DH and I) can travel for a week with one medium-sized suitcase, but for a weekend with DD, we have so much stuff we need to make about 3 trips to the car to take it all inside with us.

As for PnPs, could you group the visits (so like if you're visiting 5 places on the East Coast before flying somewhere else, and then 3 stops in the Midwest, etc) and get a PnP for each of those sections of the trip? It wouldn't have to be new - you could buy used ones on ebay or craigslist and have them delivered to the first person's house you'll be at. Or, if the people you're staying with are particularly helpful and you'll be in one place for like a week or something (or there's one visit that's isolated to see that one great-great aunt in Texas), maybe they could talk to friends with small kids and ask if they can borrow a PnP for the time you're there? When we visit my parents, my mom borrows a PnP and car seat from people with young kids at her office (obviously those whose kids are out of the infant car seat stage).

I'm going to be honest - I won't envy you on that trip :-) But I bet it'll be really nice to see everyone.

happy_un-bride

I hope to travel a lot with my little guy, so I am think of the Phil & Ted's Travel Cot.  Its a PNP, so I should be able to use it at home, but it also folds relatively small (will fit in suitcase).  Take a look and consider. 

As for the carseat - your little one could still be in an infant seat/carrier for the trip - you may want to just consider a snap & go stroller frame for this.

Good Luck!

LadyMadrid08

I disagree that you have to have tons of stuff actually.  Of course you'll need a carseat and somewhere for LO to sleep (if you don't plan on cosleeping in the places that aren't hotels which usually have cribs--that's what we used).

When I went to the US with DD (from 7-9 months old) I just took clothes, two bottles, and a few toys for her as well as an ergo carrier.   I got a carseat there and like you said that should be free to check.  I highly recommend an umbrella stroller (or snap n go like PPs suggested)--you will like it for all that airport travel since you have to fold it to go through the scanner if you gate check it (which i also recommend).

She took up the same amount of space I did (one large suitcase) plus her diaper bag and carseat.  I think you can get by without packing everything and the kitchen sink.

As for the sleeping and all that...just good luck!  I lived on pretty much no sleep our whole trip, but seeing family made it worth it.  And hopefully at 6 months your LO won't be crawling or pulling up yet.  That made our flights and travel a little more tricky.  I had to let her crawl around all over the airport before we got on our 10 hour flight.  Gross, but worth it to help her get her energy out imo. 

 

ETA: Both places I stayed family lent us a PNP.  I think kelly's suggestion about looking into borrowing if you can is a great one. 

MouseInLux

Last time we took DD to the states she was 8 months old. We took the infant seat, an umbrella stroller, the ergo, diaper stuff, clothes and a few toys. She and DH shared a suitcase. Oh I took a breast pump and a bottle because I was going to be away from DD in the morning.

DD used floor beds the whole time were were there. We got a sleeping tent thing and used it two days...fail. If there was an extra mattress she had that if not we made her a pad on the floor out of blankets.

We were driving and had a seat on the plane for DD so her infant seat went on with us. 

We checked the stroller with the bags and wore DD thorough the airport, so much easier. DH carried the diaper bag and I had my purse with DH and my iPads etc. We took not one bag more than we normally do.

If you are dead set on PnPs look into baby gear rental in the locations your going to or craigslist or if your family are church going people I bet theres someone at their church that would be able to lend then a PnP for the time you're there. 

AmericanInOz

I've been thinking about your trip this weekend

I agree with some of the pps - I'd get a small portable cot and bring it with you

I personally would not lug around a PNP - they are HEAVY and bulky

look into the bjorn one, its expensive but folds up quite small, or the sleeping tent, or maybe even one of those pop up side beds for travel (I've seen them somewhere online....)

I'd buy the carseat and an umbrella stroller that can lay flat - so dc can sleep in it if you're out and about

PittPurple

Thanks all!

I just found the Bjorn and Phil and Ted fold-up cribs online. They are pricey but I'm thinking might be worth it, even if I sell it on afterwards. I 'think' it would even fit in my suitcase.

What do you think is easier? A car seat and snap-n-go or a car seat and umbrella stroller?

The problem with this trip is that I'm not staying anywhere that long - it's all staying with people and it's for 1 night up to 2 weeks at various places. I'm sure my mom could find something to borrow from her synagogue friends, but not convinced about everyone else - and for such a long and ridiculously complicated trip, I'd rather be prepared on my own if possible. I'm thinking I might just stick with disposable nappies for this trip too, the idea of carrying around all the cloth diapers on top of everything is a bit exhausting!

I'm a really good packer normally - we have gone all over the place with just backpacks, so I'm hoping to keep us to 2 (US sized) carry-on's plus small backpacks for each of us for the actual flights (and for the diaper bag stuff). We can do laundry everywhere and summer's easier for packing anyway. 

welshgirl

Yes, definitely leave the cloth at home! You can keep it light in packing, and I think it's probably a good idea ATP invest in a travel cot. You might want it in the UK as well. 

Pas far as strollers, if you're getting a car seat anyway, a  snap and go makes sense to me. Ep I f you think you may want to be rear facing still at that age, which I would for travel if possible.

AmericanInOz

yea only thing with a snap & go to consider is that a 6 month old might be a bit uncomfortable sleeping in it and zipping around in a stroller in it

for an infant - I'd do snap & go, but for a 6 month old I'd consider getting an umbrella stroller that reclines enough that they can sleep in & a carseat

 

dublin

I travelled quite a bit with DS1. I have the Phil n Teds travel cot, packed up it is probably half the size of a normal pack n play but the main thing is it is very light so it can go in your luggage if neccessary.

Regarding a stroller I have a Bugaboo Cameleon so I travelled with the car seat on the Bugaboo base- for airlines in Europe and in the US this counted as just a normal stroller so you can gate check it (just need two tags- one for the base and one for the car seat). DS1 was fine at 6 months having this as his stroller when we were travelling. The Bugaboo Bee would actually be better because it is really more like an umbrella and with car seat adapters the car seat just fits on top so you get the best of both. Sounds like you already bought your pushchair though (although there is a good re-sale market and second hands online),

I travelled with two suitcases- a large one and a medium one that were the same make and they could be hooked together. Therefore at the airport I could pull the suitcases and push the stroller and have a diaper bag on my shoulder. I didn't use a carrier but many people rave about the Ergo for that age (I found DS1 to be too heavy for the Bjorn at 6 months- he fit in it but too uncomfortable for me). 

Everywhere I stayed people were pretty good at borrowing things from neighbors, friends, etc. Due to American basements and garages many people were able to lean exersaucers, highchairs, etc.

 This Phil and Teds 'Wriggle Wrapper' also seems like a cool product for travelling:

https://philandteds.com/uk/Products/Feed/Wriggle-wrapper

ccip82

I would also reccomend getting a convertable car seat if your LO will be about 6 months old.  On our recent trip back to the States when DD was about 8 months,  we ordered her car seat in the States and had it shipped to my dad's house.  We took the car seat back to the UK with us.  I am almost positive that most major airlines do not charge for car seats (Delta did not when we flew). 

Also, (this is completely up to you, some people think they are a waste) we bought a backpack travel bag to put the car seat in when flying.  When getting to and from airports, it lets you carry the car seat on your back so that your hands a free to lug other things It also helps to protect the car seat a bit when flying (how much protection, I am not sure...but it keeps it clean!)

I also agree with buying an umbrella stroller as opposed to a snap n go...up until DD was about 6 months old, we wore her through the airports, but now that she is older and heavier, we use a Tippitoes umbrella stroller.  We bought ours in the UK and it has worked well-but with how much we are using it, wheels are wearing down fast!

I definitely would try to borrow a PNP at places you will be staying at for longer periods of time.  What about co-sleeping during the places you will only be there one or two nights? (I know its not for everyone though!)

We started CDing too and I agree, when traveling disposables are the way to go!

If you have any other questions, I will be more than happy to help if I can  

ccip82

Just thought of something too- I am not using my infant carseat at the moment (and not in the forseeable future) If you only are buying a car seat just to have in the States, you are more than welcome to borrow my Graco snugride infant car seat.  I do have the stroller that it snaps into as well that I am not using over here...The stroller is gi-normus though and I feel like I scream "American" using it here.  It takes up alot of space, but it is a nice stroller and not taking the size into consideration, easy to use.  Anyway, just a quick thought