Packing Tips When You're Traveling with Baby

Traveling with baby (A trolley luggage for baby and me, a backpack function as diaper bag + camera bag, a stroller, and a carrier)

When we went to Amsterdam last year, my husband, baby and I brought two trolley luggages (1.5 full, another 0.5 for any shopping we want to do in Amsterdam), a diaper bag (me), a backpack (husband), and a stroller. While it wasn't the lightest we can do, but it wasn't very bad as public transports are really convenient in Amsterdam. 

This year however, we went to New Zealand without my husband. While there are 10 other people that could lend a hand to me (or some luggage space), I still try me best to pack everything in one bag, so that I'm capable of carry everything on my own! And the picture above proves to you, it's totally doable. 

1. Pack Light
   Yes, it's still possible to pack light with a baby. Assuming you're traveling for two weeks, do NOT bring two weeks worth of clothes. Instead, bring clothes for 4 (or 5 if you're really worried) days, and wash them along the way. Best to rent a place with washing machine. Or, maybe some self service laundry nearby.
2. Buy diapers at your destination
   Bring just enough diapers for your journey and the first day of your trip. Buy diapers at your destination. And buy smaller packs if it's available to avoid bringing more diapers back home.
3. Bring refill pack milk powder
   Buy milk powder at your destination, start to mix the milk you bring over from home with the new ones to get the baby ready to switch milk powder for the days during the trip. Suggest to only do this to baby over a year of age.
4. Bring zip lock bags
   Bring zip lock bags to pack milk powder in one serving size each so that you do not have to bring the entire can of milk powder home at the end of your trip. You can also pack milk powder to your destination in zip lock bags to save space.
5. Bring a "portable high chair"
   This doesn't help to save space in your luggage, but something useful along the trip. Please refer to this post.
6. Bring clothes/towels/toiletries/shoes (anything!!!) that you can throw
   This is the best way to come back from trip with a lighter bag!And the best chance to clear the clutter in your room and wardrobe! This is the best travel tips I learned from my sister over the years of traveling
7. Always use a vacuum bag
   Vacuum bags are life savers! Pack your clothes into vacuum bag and squeeze the hell out! You can pack 25-50% more into the same luggage space with vacuum bags. Get medium size bags, they're always easier to pack than the larger ones. Bring extra so that you can vacuum your purchase too.
8. Bring your baby's favourite pillow/toy/bolster/blanket
   Always have something familiar for your baby on the road. The familiar smell from home brings some calmness to the baby. But do NOT over bring, chances are you do not have time for all his toys. Tidbits like raisins/baby biscuits are useful when you're on a road trip.
9. Always do homework on your destination
   Read blogs, find out from forum, is your destination stroller friendly? Will there be a lot of walking? How's the weather? This helps you to decide whether to bring just the stroller? Or just the carrier? Or maybe both? (For example, we brought carrier and stroller for both Amsterdam and New Zealand. But if you're going to Hong Kong, just bring the carrier). 

Do not bring more than you can carry, and hope you can get help, or use a trolley in airport etc. Bring just enough necessities, don't tire yourself up. If you really can't squeeze in anymore, buy toiletries when you arrive at your destination. That saves up a lot of space and weight. 

Remember, when there's a will, there's a way. Do not use "having children" as an excuse for not traveling, traveling with your kids is a very good experience for yourself and the kids. 

Happy packing! Happy traveling!

Travel with a Baby

Baby with the portable "high chair"

You've never realized how many gadgets and accessories you have for your baby until you're traveling!

I always try to minimize purchase for baby. But when it comes to travel, sometimes, some accessories are more helpful than you thought they are. And this "portable high chair" is one of them!

If you're renting a car, you could rent a baby car seat. But there's no way you could rent a high chair. And let's admit it, you do encounter places with no high chair. When baby is younger, it's not too much a trouble to have him on my lap while I eat. But now that he's much bigger, taller, heavier, and love my food too, I'd rather have him on his own seat.

And this portable high chair comes to rescue!

It's easy to use, as long as you have got a chair with back support, you can easily "lock" the baby to the chair. It's definitely not as safe as a high chair, especially your chair doesn't come with the arm rest. So you still need to keep an eye on your baby while he's in it. But really, this is better than nothing for me!

I've not used it since we're back to Singapore. But I've used it couple of times during our NZ trip. Either in the youth hostel we stayed, or some restaurants.

I've bought mine from here, instructions on how to use can be found in the link too.

I am not earning anything from sharing this information. Just like to share with this the traveling parents!

我以为我会失去你

躺在病床上，是多么的无助

看孩子生病，是件很痛苦的事。送孩子入院，是很心痛的事。

但是，比这一切还要可怕的是，就是没有人能够告诉你，在医院里睡了两天，昏昏沉沉不能醒来的孩子会没事的。没有人会肯定的告诉你，“Everything will be okay”。

这种等他醒来才能做决定的等待，是煎熬的。

入院的那晚我完全没睡，深怕睡着了会发生什么事。

躺在病床边，护士体贴地给我准备了三张椅子（好让我可以躺下），被单和枕头。这样的小举动，我也竟然感动得想哭。当下的我，情绪是多么的不稳定。

我躺着，望着机器，听着他的心跳。我拿起笔记，想写些什么，但没写下多少。写完以后，看一下自己的字迹，发现我的每一行字都往下倾。

让我想起了小时候玩的一个心理测验。在空白的纸上写字，如果字体往上，那你是开心的。如果字体往下，那你是伤心的。以前，我的字体都是往上飞的。

我为了证明这是错的，抑或是证明我是快乐的，我更努力的写更多，但是不管我写了几面，它们都不由自主的往下滑。

原来，这个测验还不是100％的笨。原来，是真的。

Fast forward四个晚上，孩子逐渐清醒。老土的说，心里的那块石头真的有几千几万吨重。他醒来的那个晚上，总算轻了一些。就连医生脸上也终于挂上了放心的微笑。

不瞒你说，我几乎以为我会失去他。那种撕心裂肺的感觉，只能够铭记于心。

跟自己说，以后不管孩子发生什么事，只要不是离开我，就可以了。

祝，身体健康。