After taking my 5 month old baby to Mexico, I thought I could share a few things I learned along the way.
First of all, I had a lot of parents surprised that I was even thinking about taking her along to a (heaven forbid) foreign country! "You're taking your baby!??!" I got a LOT Of that.. I think it's crazy. They have babies in Mexico too, peeps!
Here is a good article that talks a little bit more about that. We will grow up taking our families to Mexico (and ideally many other countries). You just have to know what you're doing!
Flying with a 5 month old Baby:
- If at all possible, schedule the flight around the time that the baby would nap, or even a Red eye. This is not always easy to do, but if at all possible, keep them awake during the time at the airport, so he/she is nice and sleepy for the flight.
- To prevent the babies ears from popping, nurse, bottle feed, or use a pacifier to encourage sucking during take off and landing.. Although, on our way home, she fell asleep before the plane departed, and wouldn't nurse through the take off, and she was fine! So, who knows.. Sometimes their bodies just work itself out, but it's better safe than sorry!
- Check your stroller at the gate and it will be ready for you when you get off. Also, for Mexico, we opted out of bringing a carseat.. It just wasn't necessary. We held her in taxi's the few times we took one for short rides, and it was fine. It was so nice not lugging that around our whole trip!
- Download some Baby Einstein! I don't typically turn the t.v. on for Everly, but in this case, I wanted to be prepared for her to start getting fussy and anxious. I just downloaded a 30 minute video and turned it on once, and she calmed right down. It was worth it to prevent a meltdown!
- There are diaper changing stations in the bathrooms on the plane.. I didn't know that and I changed her in our seats! (I didn't know where one would fit! haha) But the flight attendant did prefer that I use that instead. Plus, it's nice to get up and walk a little.
Mexico with a 5 month old Baby
Taking Everly to Mexico was awesome, but there are a few things I learned along the way..
- Don't overpack! We only brought enough diapers to get us through the first day and then we bought a pack down there. Most areas of Mexico have everything you could need. However, I did not see organic formula or baby food, so you would want to bring that (as I did).
- SUN PROTECTION! Sunscreen all day long, long sleeve SPF clothing, and sun hats! You just can't get enough sun protection! Also, make sure that your stroller has a shade.. That is key! I seriously did everything in my power to protect her from the sun, and even still she got a little bit pink.. It's hard to avoid down there. That sun is so strong!
- Watch for overheating! There were times when having the pool was a neccessity! She loved playing in the pool, and it did wonders in cooling her off. But again, make sure she's lubed up in SPF and has a sun hat on!
- Lesson Learned: a Front Pack/Carrier/Sling is NOT for a Mexican vacation! It just gets too hot. We brought it, and tried it for one day, and it just didn't work out.
- Be prepared to spend a lot of time in your hotel room. If you're a new parent like myself, it's quite a change from how Chase and I used to travel. Everly fits into "our" lifestyle pretty well, but there is a lot of things we've had to adjust, and when traveling and spending a nap time in the hotel room during the day is a part of it.
HAVE FUN! Growing up traveling, they will try new foods, meet new people, learn different languages, and overall grow to be inspired individuals! Raising your children to see other parts of the world and being able to share these experiences and adventures with them is what it's all about!
Stay Tuned: Our next trip is planned for August to go to Seattle and Orcas Island for a week. Everly will be 10 months old then, so I'm sure we will have an addendum to this with new tips and ideas!
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