Traveling With Baby...

We recently made a trip to Florida to see my parents so I thought I would share some of the things I learned while preparing and while flying with the girls and all of their gear.  Most of these tips are regarding air travel.  Check with your airline and also check with TSA's website for tips regarding travel with children also.

Baby Food - during travel
1.  You can bring pre-mixed formula bottles through security but you can not bring water alone through security (at least from what I read).  I always fed the girls a few hours before our take-off and then made a hot bottle of formula to put in the diaper bag.  It cooled enough to feed them at take off.  Security / TSA never had issues with the bottles, baby food, juice or formula (although they did some extra testing on the formula that they had us observe).

2.  Feed your child at takeoff and descent to avoid earaches or pain.  You can also use a binkie, teething rings and toys they like to gnaw on if you have bad timing.  I brought juice as a "bribe" for my girls to drink if I needed them to.  We fed them at take off but didn't seem to have issues with landing although I had diluted juice at the ready if needed.

3.  TSA security allows for baby food, formula, breast milk and juice for your child in reasonable quantities.  Their site advises on travel with children.  There is not specific measurements only "reasonable quantities" for your need of travel.  I brought a small 8 oz canister of formula, two small 4 oz juices, two 4 oz containers with my homemade baby food inside and some baby cereal with no issues whatsoever.  I also had two 8 oz bottles of premixed formula and 6 extra bottles for feedings.  I found TSA agents to be extremely helpful with our travel.

4.  Be organized and prepared for TSA security check.  Make sure your liquids (including baby food) are pulled out of diaper bags or carry-on luggage.  I packed a separate thermos type bag just to simplify things for myself with the baby food items.  Use your quart size bags and know where you place these in bags for quick pull out and inspection.

5.  Need to make bottles...think Starbucks (or at least we did).  We simply got a small hot water and a larger cold water and mixed them together.  The hot water was scalding though so be careful in the water temp before feeding your child.  Also many other restaurant and eatery style places were happy to provide water if needed but we liked the control over the temperature with Starbucks (plus you can find one in every airport and frequently too).

Baby Food and Needs - at your destination
1.  If you have someone you are visiting it is to your advantage to have them pick up things ahead of time if needed (diapers, formula, food) so that you can save trips and pain when you arrive.  If you don't have someone it is still easier to purchase these items upon arrival (especially as you realize you run out of pack space and weight limit quickly).

2.  I packed ice cube trays and travel containers.  We purchased a few of their favorite foods and made enough to last a week using my parents blender.  You can also purchase take-n-toss type styles that are cheaper.  I brought take-n-toss sippies to the airport just due to concern that security might not allow for the amount of extra bottles and containers that I was bringing (they did with no problem).

3.  I have heard of people using little bags to keep outfits together in their diaper bags to reduce the need to dig for items.  I didn't do this but just packed coordinating clothes for any accidents.  I also changed the girls immediately prior to take off and during layovers while in the airport to avoid changing them on the plane.  For longer flights you would obviously want to change them on the plane and in the facilities on the plane.

4.  Purchase new toys that your children haven't seen or played with.  Also take away their favorite toys for a week prior to travel so that they seem new and exciting again (or at least they are sure to appreciate them).  I chose toys that were quiet and not annoying to show courtesy to our fellow passengers.  I also chose toys that could be used with links or strapped on with binkie tethers so that if my girls tossed the toy or dropped it I wasn't on my hands and knees looking for it.

Other Tips:
- If you are traveling with multiples or more than one child and planning to use "Infant in Arms" (where a child can fly for free on your lap until the age of 2) then I would strongly suggest calling a reservation assistant and also locking in your seats if possible.  I arranged our seats online far ahead of time and everything was fine until we showed up to check in and all of the sudden our seats were not compatible with the air mask capacity of where we were assigned.  My belief is that an agent moved our seats next to each other without checking our special needs (ie Infant in Arms).  We had to hassle the gate agent to arrange our seats closer together as all of our packing was based on sharing a diaper bag and being within arms reach of each other for this purpose.  We also had trouble with this on the flight home when our first flight was cancelled and our new flight was not arranged with Infant in Arms in mind.  Check your seats and check with your gate agent to confirm your seats prior to boarding.

-Bag your car seats or rent them.  If you are renting a car at your destination I have heard you can also rent car seats.  We didn't rent a car or seats but I like the idea and if we travel again I would consider this (depending on the fee).  You can check car seats for free with most airlines.  Also you are allowed to gate check them and if there is a free seat in your row you can also be permitted to use the car seat if it is approved (this does come with the hassle of car seats through security and the airport for a small chance of using them).  I recommend just checking them if you did not purchase a seat for your child(ren).  We double bagged ours in large black trash bags and then used duct tape over the top to wrap around the handle and sun visor of the seat.  Worked like a charm.  Pack extra bags and throw your duct tape in your checked bag for the return flight and you're set.

**some of this is really simple and some of it won't apply to your situation.  I probably missed some things. But how I wish someone would have layed out the basics for me so I didn't have to hunt down the best strategies...therefore here I am laying it out the way I found most helpful**

Food Allergies

Here are some ideas on what to look for if your child may have a food allergy.  If you suspect a food allergy contact your pediatrician for further advice.  Always introduce new foods at least 2 days apart and preferably 3 days, allowing yourself time to notice a change in behavior or physical changes.

Symptoms of a food allergy can be mild or severe and include:

Severe:
-hives, swelling or trouble breathing (this typically happens within a few minutes and up to a couple hours after eating).
-severe vomiting or diarrhea; blood in stools

** if your child has swelling around the mouth or trouble breathing call 911 or emergency service in your area.  A child's airway can close up in minutes and you may not have time to reach a doctor or hospital.  Also contact a doctor immediately if your child develops severe vomiting or diarrhea.

Mild:
-gastrointestinal issues (diarrhea, vomiting and general discomfort)
-eczema
-unusual fussiness or temperament change
-rash
-unusual diaper rash or diaper rash only occurring when fed a certain food

It is possible to be allergic to any food however 90 percent of food allergies are linked to : eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.  Take caution to not introduce foods to your child before the recommended age.  Always introduce foods in their singular form before introducing combined foods.

More in depth information can be found here and here.

Baby steps...

I started off my adventure into making baby food for my twin girls with all the prep I could.  I researched online (of course).  There are several websites that provide baby food recipes, ideas and guidelines.  I also asked the advice of baby food veterans I knew.  Here is what I've come to so far: 

Storage: 

This is half the point of making it for me.  Twins equal more food and more expense.  I figure it also means I can make baby food in bulk and not worry about it going to waste (especially if I'm able to freeze it) not to mention convenience (hopefully) and knowing exactly what is going into it.  The advice I got for storage was this...ice cube trays and freezer bags.  Simple enough.  So I'm steering clear of expensive tubs and storage containers unless this method fails me.  

Books: 

Next I decided to buy a couple of books.  Annabel Karmel is a name that apparently becomes pretty well known in infant and child nutrition circles.  She offers books on how to make baby food and meal planning for children of all ages.  Once we get out of this stage perhaps we'll move onto her other editions.  I ended up going with Starting Solids and Healthy Baby Meal Planner based on the reviews I read.  Be advised to always check with your pediatrician if you are concerned about food allergies and when to introduce certain foods.  Some reviews I read on other books stated that recipes called for such things as honey, strawberries and other things that were inappropriate for the age group.  Also a recipe book isn't really necessary.  Mostly you are steaming or cooking fruits and veggies and then pureeing them with breast milk, water or formula.  As your child ages you change the texture and way you cook things, and add in more and more selection. 

Gear: 

Then it was time for gear.  Where to start?  I was told that a hand blender, small food processor or even a full-size blender would work just fine for my first few months.  Later I would need to add in a food mill or ricer in order to get different textures and mouth feel as my twins aged.  I decided to start with the following:  microwave steamer, a mashing utensil, a Cooks 5-in-1 power blender (thanks to my parents from Christmas...not intended for this use so we'll see how it goes), freezer bags and regular ice cube trays (after some debate over lidded ones and a Wilton silicone brownie pan).
*as a side note I have not tried any of the items that are linked.  I linked them based on the reviews I have read and interest in them myself.  I will review items that I do try during my adventures*