Travel-short haul

The first holiday.

On-board and ready to go

It’s so exciting but then you think, how am I going to cope with a baby on a plane, taxi, bus with the heat, sleeping in a new place, feeding and changing and activity time. You start to feel that perhaps it’s just not worth it but you deserve a break or will it just be more work. Here’s how we planned and executed our first holiday.

We took a trip to the North-East of Brazil to visit our boy’s uncle. It is a long trip including 2 flights one lasting just over an hour the second over 2 hours. To fly out I was on my own as hubby was already there on a business trip which is why we decided to use the opportunity to visit. I must admit it was quite daunting thinking I would have to do the first flights alone. I've heard how babies scream through a whole flight or start getting travel sick and dread started to seep in. However I decided I needed to be super organised so that I could evict any mishaps and have the smoothest trip I possibly could.

First I had to work out the logistics of getting the boy up at 4.30am to get to the airport and decided the best thing was to pack his clothes in my hand luggage and take him in his pyjamas and sleepy bag. It’s good to remember that planes can be cold but airports hot so I had vests and long sleeved t-shirts and trousers and socks and then if he was very cold I still had his sleepy bag which meant I could avoid taking a blanket on-board as they can be very bulky and take up precious hand-luggage space. The next thing was his food. I wouldn't arrive at my destination until after 2pm so I would need a morning milk, breakfast, snack milk, lunch and water to hand. That’s a lot of food and liquid and I was concerned about the weight of my hand luggage as my guy is a bit of a gannet when it comes to food. I made up two bottles (I suggest having bottles ready even if you are breast feeding as it is really tricky to feed while taking off in the plane and often this is when baby needs his milk!) then decided that instead of his regular breakfast of porridge with stewed apple and toast he would have to make do with bread and butter and a banana. I made him a fresh lunch of vegetables and tinned tuna as I was concerned that it may be difficult to heat the food and if it was frozen or meat it would need to be piping hot. My concerns were correct so I was really glad I had something that he could eat cold. I also packed a bottle of water but wasn't sure if I would be allowed to take this on-board (I was but not sure if every airline allows this). I packed milk powder too in case I was really delayed and needed his next milk feed (I didn't but you can bet if I hadn't packed it I’d have needed it!). I also packed a couple of small books and some plastic light toys the wipes and nappies and some alcohol gel. I also brought a t-shirt for myself as I imagined that if he did get travel sick it would probably be all over me so at least I could change my t-shirt if this happened (again I was in luck and didn't need it).

So, I woke him at 4.30 after I had everything ready by the door so that I could lift him straight into the taxi and not have to wake him too much. I had hoped he might drift off to sleep again on the way but he was far too interested in being up in the middle of the night.  With a baby in arms you have full priority and if travelling alone get plenty of help from airport staff and I actually began to feel quite important! We boarded and I let my boy stand up a bit and play on the floor in front of my seat to use a bit of his energy. He was very interested in everything that was happening and was shooting smiles at every person who got on the plane. For take-off I gave him his milk which I had put off giving him before as I was concerned he would need to suck to help him to unblock his ears. He fell asleep drinking and woke up just before we landed and didn’t seem affected by the pressure on the way down.  What a star! So into the airport and 3 hours to kill... I had already decided that today was not the day to worry about him being dirty so I let him crawl around on the floor in a space where he wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. The gel came in very handy to clean him after as his hands were pretty grubby. People were very kind and he made lots of friends! The second flight began as the first and he slept for half of it. Once he was up I let him play by my feet and fed him by putting the seat-belt around him and sitting on the floor in front of him. He was very excited by his new surroundings and we were fortunate to have the full front 3 seats to ourselves so plenty of space to play and look out the window. All in all I was very impressed that it had gone so smoothly.

Snoozing in the hammock

Playing in the tent in the airport

When it comes to sleep outside the house it can be very tricky setting the same scene and getting the baby to sleep and to stay asleep. A few months ago we decided we would need to have a bed to travel with as we will be doing plenty of travelling in the next few years and with this in mind we purchased a travel tent. It has been one of the best baby items we have bought and he is happy to sleep and play there and as we use it at home often it is very familiar and smells like home. We were also able to put it up in the airport when we had a 3 hour stop -over so he could play and sleep in comfort. As soon as we got to the place we were staying I set up the tent (which is so fast and very mummy friendly) and let him play inside. When it was time for a nap I kept the simple routine of a cuddle, quick story and into bed and he went off to sleep fine. At night the same thing but he did wake more often than he would have at home but I did expect that as the climate was very different and there were different sounds to those he was used to.

Touching the fish at the aquarium

We managed to borrow a pushchair which was fantastic and we took off in the morning to explore the city. We found an aquarium and as the temperature was rising we decided it would be the perfect place to visit to keep cool and entertain our little guy. He really enjoyed seeing all the fish and they even had an interactive pool where he could touch some sea creatures.

It was a fantastic holiday and all my apprehensions have lessened as it was such a success.

Buy the tent on amazon at 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/NS-Associates-Large-Travel-Centre/dp/B000HK8DDE/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1348852693&sr=1-2

Aquarium in Aracaju http://www.tamar.org.br/interna.php?cod=185

Sleep at 6 months

Mums and dads need sleep but so does baby. Promoting good sleep habits from a young age can reduce problems in toddlerhood and beyond. Sleep is an issue that we all go through as first (second, third ...) time parents. My guy is no different, he likes to be awake!

The big question is when should a baby sleep through the night? I have many friends who have had an easy ride with their little ones sleeping through the night from an early age. My little man is not one of these babies. We accept he may have to feed in the night and also wake up (we do so why shouldn’t he?) but we also want him to sleep for long periods of time and have restful sleep. So how do we get a balance that we feel happy with?

I have gone through many thought processes when it comes to sleep and concluded that leaving him to cry is against my concept of parenting. He should be able to call for me when he needs something and I have a duty to respond. That said, he does cry... I’ve read a good many books and seen endless web sites but it’s hard to find a ‘how’ when looking for information on self-soothing and putting back to sleep when he’s screaming at the top of his lungs waking up the neighbourhood at 4 in the morning. So here’s what we do...

He has a lovely bedtime routine which I enjoy very much. It’s not for everyone but as I always say, you have to find a way that fits you, your baby and your family. So my guy has tea around 5pm then we watch something quiet like peter rabbit and have quiet play time. I don’t cook or clean in this time as he seems to get clingy and cries if I go out of the room which he doesn’t do at other times of the day, so this is his time. Around 6 we go up for a nice warm bath. He is sitting steady now so enjoys having a splash with the bubbles. This is a great time to sing some songs and he is really cheerful, regardless of his previous mood. After his bath he has a quick massage most nights as he has quite dry skin then it’s into pj’s and his sleepy bag at which point he is usually very tired and starting to complain. He then has his milk while I read him a story then either falls asleep while drinking or is almost asleep when I pop him in bed. He has a dummy at night so pop that in and kiss him goodnight then leave the room. Most of the time he will go off to sleep alone but when he doesn’t, I go back in and kiss him again and then leave again. If he gets himself in a tiz I go and pick him up just very briefly then pop him back down with a kiss and sit near him. If he continues to cry I repeat this until he goes off to sleep. When he wakes in the night and it’s not time for milk I do the same. It is by no means easy but definitely reduces the amount of crying and the length of time he cries for. The fact that I am right there with him helps me to know he is ok and knowing his routine I can be sure he’s not hungry.

For naps he was having 40 minutes three times a day and sometimes 20-30 minutes in the pushchair late afternoon. He had been on a three hour routine but recently after his naps were decreasing in time and he was getting in a state I did some research found Tracy Hogg and discovered that he could manage a four hour routine at this age. Tracy Hogg aka the baby whisperer has some really good ideas about routines and methods for increasing naps and putting back down to sleep. I have used several of her ideas and adapted them for our situation such as the picking up briefly explained above. Since I changed his routine I have been making a conscious effort to lengthen his naps using the same technique as I do at night. He is getting more sleep and has condensed the 3/4 naps into 2/3 naps and is starting to wake less at night. It has taken a few weeks but there is definite progress and light at the end of a long long tunnel of wakeful nights. 

Buy Tracy Hogg's complete guide at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whisperer-Solves-Problems-Teaching-Questions/dp/0091902517/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348068938&sr=8-1

Play time - Toys and activities

What do you play with someone so small?

We have found our guy loves anything. We haven’t really bought him many toys yet as he is just as intrigued by a cardboard tube as he is with an expensive interactive toy. I have made him many small toys out of felt which he can take everywhere and are great in the car. He is fascinated by them and enjoys the different colours. When he was tiny I hung them from a mobile and now he’s older he can hold them in his hands. I have also knitted him a couple of sheep and rabbits which are safe for him to put in his mouth and also give different textures.

He enjoys any made up games which make him laugh. I made finger puppets and invent stories and songs. This is fun for our boy but for us too and wet Saturday afternoons can turn into long theatre sessions! We have found he loves anything where we use different sounds and animal noises. Sometimes we imitate the dog barking or the birds tweeting and then show him the animals when we’re out playing.

The mobile is brilliant as you can put almost anything on it while they are tiny and not able to pull the things down. I put leaves up for him one day and another day feathers and seeds we had found when out for a walk. I’m looking forward to collecting things with him when he’s bigger and having a nature box or something for his new found treasures!

Food - fruit and recipes

So here are our thoughts on food.

The first big question is WHEN?

I believe that there is a window of interest for all things in a baby’s life and so when my boy started to seem interested in what we were eating or how we were eating I decided it was time to try food. That said it was a very slow and gentle process. Not once did I force food on him and if he didn’t seem to like something (no mum, cauliflower is not for me) I have put it to one side until he is older and able to try it in a different way.

As a family we feel that food is very important and not a toy. There is a lot of information out there saying it’s a good idea to let the child play with food to get an idea of textures and temperatures. We do not agree with this method and teach our boy to eat properly and not put his hands in the bowl of tip food on the floor. He always has a spoon and is fully encouraged to help himself. Yep, it’s messy but we feel it’s the best way for him to become an independent eater.

I was told by the doctor to mash his food and never liquidise it as this helps him to get used to different textures and consistencies. I have never followed this to the Tee. I prefer to do what I feel comfortable with. For example, I give him mango and was very concerned about how stringy it can be so I liquidised it AND put it through a sieve. It made me calm and he was able to eat it very well. Now he’s older I liquidise it but he is able to cope with small strands so the sieve has become redundant. My advice would be to do what feels comfortable and natural. Sometimes we are not ready to give it all mashed and I think its fine to go slowly. There’s no point mashing it and feeling uptight as you feed your child and this will only make them feel nervous and perhaps give a negative vibe to meal times.

So, how did we start?

When he was around 4 months old there seemed to be an interest from him around the food we were eating both the utensils and the food itself. I began letting him suck on pieces of fruit when I was having them so I would cut a finger of apple removing the skin and hold tight as he enjoyed a new flavour. As he got more and more interested in the fruit and when he was able to sit up I gave him a few spoons of liquidised apple. He loved it! From then on I gave him a couple of teaspoons of fruit once each day and then began introducing vegetables. Once I was confident he was using a more chewing like action I gave him the fruit mashed. I found he loved cooked and mashed pear and apple and was beginning to eat larger quantities as the weeks went on. By the time he was 6 months he was having small portions (a few teaspoons) of fruit and veg twice a day. He still had his full quota of milk and only began to reduce this himself much later after he was well established on solids.

Below are a few of the recipes I have tried. Please share your own recipes or things you have tried and your thoughts and experiences on starting food.

Fruit recipes:

Stewed apple and/or pear

slice the apple and/or pear, put it in a pan with water and boil until the fruit is soft. Drain excess water then mash or liquidise. I usually freeze the fruit in ice cube trays so that I have quick snacks handy. 

Mango sorbet

Liquidise a couple of mangos then depending on the age of your baby sieve it or leave it as it is, freeze it in ice cube trays. To serve, take it out of the freezer about 30minutes before eating so it is icy but not too frozen.

Banana mash

Exactly that! Mash a banana and serve! (I gave him banana after 7 months when I was sure he could cope with the thick texture).

Strawberry milk

Liquidise and strain a few strawberries and add to milk (either babies normal milk or if over 6months cows milk).

Potty Training

For many, potty training is a huge and unpleasant step, both for parents and children. Here is how we plan to avoid the stress and make it part of everyday life.

As soon as our little guy could sit up well we began his potty training. Yep, he was 5 months old and that may seem crazy but trust me it works. So we began by sitting him on the pot when we changed his nappy. Every time we changed him he would sit on there for 30 seconds or so, so that he could begin to associate the nappy with the potty. After a week or so we could see a pattern emerging with his toileting so we changed the times we routinely changed him to be after milk or food. You can imagine the surprise when just 7 days after we began our little man had his first achievement! From there on out we have had more and more success to the point that one month and a week after first putting him on his potty he now succeeds at least 3 times per day. The idea now is to continue as we are until he is walking comfortably around 14 months then take off the nappy and hope for success. I’ll keep you posted...

Let me know what you think or what your experience of potty training was like.

Sleep

Our ideas about sleep: 

It’s really important. 

I need my sleep to be a good person and my son needs his sleep to be able to learn everything that comes his way. From the start we have had the rule that once in bed he stays in the room until the morning. We didn’t bring him downstairs even as a newborn but dealt with him quietly and in dim light throughout the night. We have a relaxed bedtime routine and we don’t go out with him after 5pm (if we can help it) as we know this is when he needs his routine to begin and he can stay calm and relaxed. We are not fussed about the sleeping through the night issue and know we will get there after he is a year old. We have a relaxed approach to tending to him at night and follow his changing needs.

We have decided to follow the Montessori idea of a mattress on the floor instead of a cot. We had a moses basket until he was 5 months and rolling over then we moved him to his mattress. I began his day sleeps on his mattress from 10 weeks so that he could gradually get used to it. The mattress is in his room which is covered with soft foam flooring. It is a cot mattress and fully baby safe. We moved him to his own bedroom at night when he was 5 months old as we could see that we were disturbing his sleep when we went to bed or moved or snored! The benefits of the mattress on the floor are to do with gross motor skills and spatial awareness. He will independently learn to move off the mattress without falling and will eventually be able to get back onto it when he decides to go off to sleep. We have a stair gate on his door and limited furniture to avoid any mishaps. We are prepared to take out any furniture and leave the room bare if this becomes an issue in the future. 

Introduction

Introduction

I will begin by saying that I have cared for hundreds possibly thousands of small children throughout my career but there is nothing like having your own child to get a reality check and see how very challenging it is to be a parent. One of the first things you realise is that everybody has an opinion and view about raising your child. This is not very easy to take especially when you know that a said method is likely to backfire! The second thing I have realised is that you have to do what is right for your family. It’s all fine and good taking advice here and there but if you are doing something that you don’t feel is right or that is making you or your child unhappy then just don’t do it. Easier said than done but you are the one who will be dealing with the aftermath of some mad advice gone wrong and usually at around 2am! So that said, we love to hear people’s opinions but are safe in the knowledge that we always discuss any new parenting ideas together and make sure we can pull them off as a family before implementing anything new for our son. The third thing is that every time I think I’ve got something figured out, something else goes up the shoot! I guess that’s being a parent for you!