And I thought backpacking with a baby bump is cumbersome. Traveling with a newborn or infant is on a higher level of difficulty – well, more like on a different insane dimension… much challenging than the countless treks I did (no matter how long they lasted), or getting lost in translation, or hopping on dodgy buses and boats.
There were a few occasions that I was on the verge of crying whilst on a trip. You see, I was never fond of babies and children. A handful of my closest buds still couldn’t quite grasp the thought of me raising one. The reason for which, is my lust for a carefree lifestyle.
It was the shock of our lives to find out that just after our honeymoon eighteen months ago, we already got a baby on the way. A made in China baby. Ideally, we wanted to have a child a year after being married. When things didn’t go as planned, we didn’t have any other choice but to accept our fate and alter our goals.
But our dream of becoming modern day nomads was never shelved. We welcomed our new little backpacking buddy with overflowing joy and pride, and started constructing itineraries that are suitable for her.
And we morphed into one of the most annoying types of travelers… The couple who cannot keep their baby quiet on the bus/plane/boat.
Thirteen days from now we’ll be embarking on an epic trip that shall take us to different provinces around the Philippines and random countries across the globe. I firmly believe that this unconventional lifestyle will not only teach us about diverse cultures, it can also provide us New Age parenting ideas that will help us raise a child who’s going to be aware of the ways of the world.
She has been constantly traveling since she was a month old. I am no pediatrician nor child care expert, but if you’d like to take your baby backpacking for the first time, here are a few tips:
Before the trip:
1. Consult a pediatrician. Discuss with him/her your activities, and the country you’re going to if you’re heading overseas. It’s also recommended that the baby had vaccine shots already, or at least some of them, before you go.
2. What to pack? There are a lot of factors to consider. You need to ask yourself: How long is the trip? What will be the weather? Will I be able to buy baby supplies there? And so on. Then you start estimating how much formula, bottles, clothes, nappies, and baby wipes you should bring.
If you’re just traveling within your home country, you could buy more supplies as needed (brands that you’re familiar with), easily during the trip. No need to bring a big bulk. Unless you’re heading somewhere remote-ish.
If traveling overseas, that’s when you should lug larger amounts of supplies if you don’t want to experiment on unfamiliar brands. Choosing the right formula (milk powder) for the baby can be tricky.
3. In the Philippines, medicine drops (for cold, cough, fever) for infants can be purchased over the counter. When our baby caught a cold in America, we couldn’t find any quick remedy in the pharmacy. Ask your pedia if he/she could prescribe a few medicines that you could buy to bring overseas.
4. Research extensively about your destination. Although it’s kick arse to be an explorer without fixed itineraries and maps, it would be irresponsible to be such when carrying a baby. Check the modes of transportation. They should be, of course safe for the little one. Also check the duration of each ride. You might not want to be on the bus for hours because you need to be up and alert all the time so you could hold on to your baby properly for drivers sometimes just suddenly step on the brakes or swerve.
On the road and up in the air:
1. When traveling overseas, especially in the west, check the regulations on infant/child car seat. You might need to look into renting one.
2. On buses and cabs (in countries without the infant/child car seat regulation, you’re not allowed to sit in front with the baby.
3. Most airlines charge for children 2 years old and below even if they don’t get their own seats. If you feel like letting your baby just sit on your lap during flight is unsafe, you may opt to buy him/her a ticket and bring an infant car seat (if you own one) to strap on the airplane seat. Consult the airline company about this first.
If you brought a collapsible buggy, you could check it in at the gate before boarding. Fold it first before handing to them. Upon arrival, it can be picked up either by the door or at the baggage claim area.
4. Aisle seats may be more convenient for you so you could easily head to the toilet anytime (without awkwardly excusing yourself often) or stand to walk around and lullaby your baby to sleep.
Speaking of toilet, there’s a nappy changing table for infants available inside an airplane’s rest room. Bring a blanket to lay your baby on so it would be more comfy for him/her. Do not forget to strap the baby before changing.
5. An airline’s cabin crew should hand you the baby’s life vest before take off. Ask for one if they’ve forgotten (it happened to us). Peruse the manual for the instructions on how to use it.
6. Like everyone else, the baby needs to be hydrated during flight.
7. If you’re on a ferry/boat, ask if there’s an available life vest for the little one. If there’s none, which is most likely, come prepared. Bring an inflatable floater.
When you get there:
1. Once you’ve reached your destination, it’s wise to check the location of pedia clinics in case you would need a visit. Don’t forget to bring your baby’s record book.
2. A baby sling or carrier will definitely make your wandering easier. Unfortunately, not for me and hubby. Luna never liked the constricting feel of it. Nor did she like riding the stroller. So I carry her most of the time. My empowering thought: A woman I saw in Sri Lanka who got on a train and carried her child for two hours while standing.
3. Instead of bringing a big baby shoulder bag, use a backpack instead. It will let your hands move freely. It also won’t give you further shoulder/back pain.
4. Choose accommodations wisely. Your chosen one shouldn’t be known for bed bugs. Also, if you cannot afford a hotel room, pick a guesthouse/hostel that have actual cemented walls. Not makeshift, thin dividers. You wouldn’t want other guests to come knocking on your door in the middle of the night to tell you to shush the baby.
5. Cheap accommodations also do not provide a baby cot or crib. Be prepared to sleep with the baby (if you’re not a co-sleeper). Bring mosquito nets, by the way, especially when traveling in tropical countries.
6. Take heaps and heaps of photos!
Backpacking with a baby may seem like self-punishment. Truth is, now that I’m getting the hang of it… It’s the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. And I’m totally not alone! Check out my fellow backpacking Pinay mums Eileen of Possibly Pinay, Kim of Indie Escape and Audrey of Byaheng Barok.
To all the women who are of the same species, throw your hands up at me!
I volunteer to be Luna’s nanny on your next trip. Cutest passport pic.
I feel you.. I really feel you!!! I remembered packing for our short trip to HK and then I was so happy to know that I only filled up half the bag. And then it hit me… I needed her toys.. I needed her crayons.. I needed her meds… I needed this and that!
I’m soooo inggit bec I never got the chance to travel with her when she was smaller.
And appear on the backpack!!!
Haha! Oks sana Marky, kaso baka hindi ko ma-afford kung all expense paid kaw ;p
I like that mosquito net+mat thingy for myself. ha ha ha ha. Nice one, blogger mom!
Sooo useful Tita Lili! May Australian na nakakita nyan sa beach, tinanong nya kung may adult size! Lol.
Eileen, that is alright. You get to travel with your little one naman na now 🙂 I actually can’t wait for Luna to be able to pull her own stroller bag!
Eileen, that is alright. You get to travel with your little one naman na now 🙂 I actually can’t wait for Luna to be able to pull her own stroller bag!
Kamuka mo talaga si Luna ate, mas cute nga lang siya =)
Cutie cutie talaga ni Luna! This is a very helpful post for other nomadic mommies out there, Gay. Can’t say it’s helping me, but who knows, I may go back to this later to get some tips hehe
PS Erase Luna’s Passport number!
Ang cute ni Luna. Ang haba ng lashes! Youngest traveler I’ve ever known!
whew! hirap, right? but i bet you, it’ll be harder when you leave your kid behind.
sure, kids change the way we travel… but really, it would never stop us from travelling!
cheers to more travels, mom! 🙂
you’re an inspiration, gay. hope to do ala “pinaytraveljunkie” after my second month of pregnancy 🙂
super cutie ni Luna! And I am really thankful to those who invented the disposable bottles 😀
Cute! But you’re right. Hirap to travel with a baby. And so much stuff to bring. Hehe.
Definitely, Maybe
what a beautiful baby 🙂 Loved looking at the pics!
Gabe, eskyusmee! Carbon copy kaya?!
Aleah, hahaha! Ibang photo na-upload ko. This one’s got the top one deleted. Will change later 🙂
Nicem thanks! Hope her eyelash stays long ’til she get older.
Audrey, you are sooo right! It’s WAYYY harder to leave the baby behind 🙁
Carlaaa!!! OMG! Did not know, congrats!
Tina, I have not used disposable bottles 🙁 Would have saved me from the hassle of cleaning all the time!
ang cute cute talaga ni luna! 🙂 galing! bilib ako sa’yo gay 🙂
Taking down notes already, nn the way to there 🙂
Thanks for the shoutout, Gay! Travelling with the little one is indeed more complicated but it’s definitely more memorable! I, too, have my fair share or mid-flight meltdowns and hiking boo-boos! hehe
http://www.indieescape.com
Claire, hihi! Luna’s waiting for a playmate, mate ;p
the most traveled baby!
and you’re one awesome mom!
Cute naman ni Luna. Ang ayoko lang sa kids kapag out of the country..iyak ng iyak kapag malapit na mag-land ung plane.:p
Thanks Chyng! Ikaw na Luna ang sikat!
kill3rfill3r, sakit kasi ears nila dahil sa pressure and they dunno how to deal with it 🙁
first off, your baby is sooooo pretty! and she’s lucky to have a mom like you. It’s so inspiring to know that having a baby has not deterred you from traveling and the tips you’ve laid out on the post are really helpful (though I don’t have kids yet!)
A made in China baby. Ideally, we wanted to have a child a year after being married. >>> hahaha… nice line. Luna is made in China.
kakatuwa nga ang backapcking buddy ng dalawang nomads. still looking forward to meeting little Luna.
im quite far from getting to this stage pero naiisip ko na talaga dati pa kung pano ba mag travel with a child in tow. thanks for the insight. more travels to you and your fam! keep safe and always be happy! 😀
Thanks Ramona! I’ve really put so much heart into this post because I’d like to encourage more mums to travel with babies, not leave them behind 🙂
Yeah Dong, lahat na ay made in China ngayon… pati baby ;p Hope she meets you someday too!
Catherine, hope you get to use the tips someday!
Gay! Awesome insight into how it’s like to travel with a baby. This is something that I think about from time to time because I know if the future when I decide to have the hubby and 2.5 kids that travel will still be part of our lifestyle.
I do have some questions: in terms of being more adventurous on the road is it more limited now with the child because you think of her safety first? Also do other travelers around you react or act differently because you have a child? And how does Luna taking all the traveling in?
“3. Instead of bringing a big baby shoulder bag, use a backpack instead. It will let your hands move freely. It also won’t give you further shoulder/back pain.” — akala ko lalagay mo si Luna sa backpack. wahahahaha
Hi Grace! Yes, with regard to activities, we do have limited options. We can’t do much long hikes anymore, we can’t stay out late and party, we try to skip destinations that require boat rides, etc. But we’re fine with that right now. Someday, when she’s old enough to walk herself, we’d be back to normal.
And as for other travelers’ reactions… well, if they’re from the west, they seem to be mrore used to it. It’s around the Philippines that I get the “oh no you didn’t!” reactions ;p
Ed, pwede rin! Hahaha! Kaso baka ayaw nya. Carrier nga di nya feel, what more kung sa loob ng bag. Lol.
So cute.. 🙂 pwede na ‘Little Pinay Travel Junkie’ 😀
May relatives po ba kayo sa Palawan? Mitra side? Or sa Manila?
‘Little Pinay Travel Junkie’ – Love it Renevic!
Hey Lizzie, I think Ramon Mitra’s my grandpa’s distant cousin 🙂
Oh. I see. I’m close to one of the Mitra Families here in Manila and I keep hearing Sen. Mitra. I just thought that you might be related to the Mitras I know. Hehe.
Thanks for the tips. Might be useful for me and my wifey any time soon!
Cool Ron, then we can compare notes. Hihi.
Luna is so cute.
Very very informative entry. Hope parents will read this para di lang sa mallsss (madaming s? Hahaha. Ang dami kasi nating mallssss e…) nila dinadala ang mga babies nila. 🙂
*flying kisses to Luna.*
Haha! Agree, Lito. We just have so much mallsss in the Philippines. Sarap rin kasi sa loob ng mall, malamig! Hahaha!
Wow this is truly a very informative post…now I won’t hesitate traveling with my little one na seeing that Luna has been to so many places at such a young age.
Awesome! Cannot wait to see posts/photos of you traveling with Sean!
I tell you, bigger kids are more difficult to handle during trips.
Wow! Your tips are amazing! If I have a grandson or grand daughter in the future (hopefully not very soon!), I plan to bring him/her to places, and will keep your tips in mind.
I gotta brace for that then, Ding. Hope you do get to use the tips sometime in the not-so-near future.
“And we morphed into one of the most annoying types of travelers… The couple who cannot keep their baby quiet on the bus/plane/boat.”
wahhhhh! very familiar scene… hirap nyan pag sa plane where everybody seems to be sleeping, ang mommy ang nahihirapan kung paano aaliwin ang baby para di umiyak… hehehe! 🙂
Haha! Yeah Mervz. Fortunately for us, Luna never seemed to have problems with landing. She just gets bored the whole flight when not asleep.
LOL di ako maka reply sa reply mo sa comment ko idol hehe. Sana may comment threading dito para astig.
Anyway, this is really useful for our very first ever trip, hopefully very soon!
Haha! Really Ron? Oh yeah, because it’s the default commenting thing of Blogger. Let me know about your trip with the little one!
Ang cute ni Luna! I’m sure she’ll appreciate this post once mabasa niya paglaki niya 🙂 Lucky girl! 😀
Hope so Mica, cause we’re doing this not just for us… but more so for her 🙂
Grabe.. Idol ka Ma’am…
Babalikan ko tong Post mo kapag may baby nako.. hahahaha…
Salamat po sa tips.. 🙂
Haha! No prob! Will wait for that time to come and follow your adventures too!
mas madami na agad siyang napuntahan kaysa sa akin 🙂 idol ko kayo maam! 😀
Hahaha! Di naman siguro Josh, mas marami pa rin sayo 🙂
wow! kudos to all mommy backpackers. I still can’t imagine myself bringing a baby on one of my trips. Knowing my mom, she won’t be allowing me. hahah! I’m sure papayagan akong maglakwatcha nun kahit saan pero with a baby?!?!?! Imposible. hahaha!
Hahaha! It actually amazes me that my mom lets me bring my daughter anywhere we go. I think after taking her overseas, her views have changed a bit.
super cute ni luna!!! wah nainggit naman ako kay luna mas madami pa sya napuntahan sakin.. hahaha.. little pinay travel junkie nga like renevic said!! bagay ang titulo sa kanya.. hahaha
Haha! Yeah Joan, she’s totally a lil miss Pinay travel junkie!
travelling with kids is awesome 🙂
we bring our 5-year old daughter everywhere we go!
start then young as they say.
Awesome! It’s more difficult to leave the little one behind:)
some say “made from China” has inferior quality, well your daughter is an exemption, looks like a future “Lara Croft” ~ “Luna Croft”
ang ganda po ng blog nyo, I started on this article kasi “a father of 3 boys”
okay po, God bless sa mga lakad
Oh hi there Joni! Hahaha! I like “Luna Croft”.
Cheers to us backpacking parents 🙂
Have you tried requesting for a bassinet seat for an infant under 2yo without a seat? It’s usually located on the bulkhead area. This is foc but I’m not too sure if budget carriers charge an extra.
For some reason, the bassinet seat’s always booked out when we inquire about it 🙁
hi, found your blog while surfing if ok nba e travel yung 4month old baby going 5 months na in a luxury bus from Manila to Baguio? the thing is isang gabi lng kmi dun…we will be living ng Friday ng gabi and going back dn agad ng Sunday afternoon.
Yung concern ko is yung ear pressure,kakayanin na kya ni baby?
thanks muchhh 🙂
Hi there! You baby will definitely be able to handle it. We took our baby to Baguio when she was a month old. Babies are also allowed to fly during that age, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Ear pressure might hurt your baby though, so don’t be surprised if she’s suddenly grumpy during the ascent. Bring a pacifier 🙂 Happy trip!
Hallo! Just stumbled onto your blog. Your Sagada pic is super cute. Made me remember my own Sagada trip years ago. I miss Yogurt House. Hehe.
And hey, you have such a beautiful baby. ^_^
I super miss Yogurt House!
“you have such a beautiful baby” – Thank youuu! 🙂
“This mat with an attached mosquito net protected Luna..”
Hi, Gay.. grabe, girl scout talaga!haha.. I want to be this protective and adventurous when I’m given a child.
Thanks for showing the way. hehe.. I’m sure if I post a pic like this one, you’d say: “Been there, done that.”
Thanks for the vicarious experience. 😉
I feel you. But I’m proud you’ve done this super challenging task and was able to bring Luna to your travels! I couldn’t get Avis to travel with me, my parents were highly against it (being a single momma on the road) and it was a big regret, when I went to Bantayan Island I wish I was able to take her. Reading this made me miss that time and also take comfort I wasn’t alone in attempting that trip. Thank you for writing this!
Even though I didn’t get to take her on my early travels this summer, now that she’s at 10 months old and growing I will be more comfortable taking her on my future ones. At least she has completed her vaccines now. The biggest hurdle in my planning for Cebu last summer was thinking of how to bring a baby onto and off a bus and also wandering around as I don’t have a companion with me. Have you ever traveled with Luna alone without your hubby?
I enjoyed your post, Gay! See you soon in October hopefully!
Yes, Luna and I have traveled a few times without the hubby. I remember flying from Philippines to Malaysia to Australia on Christmas Eve, I had to carry her for an hour whilst in queue at the connecting flight booth. And I had 2 carry ons with me!
It’s never too late 🙂 I’m sure you ans Avis will have tons of adventures in the future!
Hi gay! baby soo cute. .i would to ask some tips, coz we will be travellng to baguio this april together with our friends. my baby is 5months old.
Sounds exciting! Shouldn’t be much of a problem, just make sure your baby is warm at night 🙂