Ha, like this is going to be the guide you think will tell you everything..how about a little bit of how to and how to not 
Well we’re back from NYC and Boston ‘burbs and it was a lovely, albeit short, trip. I definitely want to recap the other parts but figured I’d do the baby stuff first.
Bottom line is Bean survived his first trip – and so did we 
Bean and me at Eataly on Thurs
Overall, I think we did great. Sure there were some stressful points, but for a whirlwind vacay that include d2 cross-country flights and a 4+ hour train ride, I’d say we did pretty damn good.
Here are an assortment of tips that I’ve come up with:
- Find out if your airline still has early-boarding for families with small children – United does not. I suppose that’s not a tip, but if you’re expecting it and don’t get it, it throws ya for a loop.
- Invest in a cover for the car seat (beyond a plastic bag). We gate-checked our snap-n-go stroller and car seat and were grateful for a protective bag since both were exposed to the elements.
- Plan your bottles (or your breast) for taking off and landing. Unfortunately our flights were delayed both ways and the airline was remiss in keeping us informed of the correct times meaning we gave Bean the bottle too soon and his ears ended up popping on one of the trips. Poor guy. This is the only time he cried on the plane rides (averaging 5-6.5 hours
) - Arm & Hammer pacifier wipes were a life saver for when Sawyer decided to fling his binky down the airplane corridor and we didn’t have the ability to get to a sink right away. We also used them to clean our bottles in the hotel bathroom.
- Formula to-go packets are amazing. Similac and Enfamil carry them and we’ve used both. They are like the Crystal Light packets only for formula. Genius.
- Buy bottled water once you get through security – don’t rely on the water on the plane.
- We packed about 15 diapers between our two carry-on bags, just in case. We had already planned on purchasing both formula and diapers once we got to NYC. Always pack more diapers (and wipes) than you think you’ll need!
- Carry plastic bags with you for disposing of the dirty diaper. You never know when and where you’ll need to do a (disgusting/nasty/mother-of-all-blow-outs) diaper change, so it’s handy to have something to put them in until you can get to a place where you can throw it away.
- Bring hand sanitizer and Wet Ones. Both are invaluable for obvious reasons.
- If you can avoid it, do not leave on an evening (or later) flight when going East-to-West. We were on a 530p flight out of Boston and since it was 3+ hours late, we didn’t arrive to our home until 2a (5a EST). ICK!
- Don’t forget to pack extra clothes for baby, and perhaps mommy too. I alluded to that blow-out above? Yeah, well Bean managed to do an epic blow-out poop on me while were were in Tribeca (I think?) in a (nicer) French restaurant drinking vino. It was so bad I had to throw away my outer sweater as well as Bean’s onesie in the restaurant bathroom. He ended up sporting a diaper and a big for the rest of the day
- To get from NYC to Boston, we traveled via Amtrak from Penn Station to South Station. My advice: ask Amtrak staff for early / additional assistance. They approached us and asked us where we were going and found out the track before it was listed and brought our suitcase and stroller to the platform. So so so nice! We managed to avoid the chaos.
- If it’s financially feasible, go business class on the train. There is quite a bit more room. We were able to put the car seat at our feet instead of holding Bean the entire time. He had a lovely nap and we had space.
- Oh and of course, bring toys, but also be creative in what you have around you. You never know what can be fun for a baby
Any tips for traveling with a baby?
