Traveling with Fluff
The diapering packing list:
- Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag
- Bumkins Wet/Dry Bag
- 2 Small Wet Bags for the diaper bag (Kushies)
- 24 Unbleached Indian Prefold Diapers
- 9 Fitted Diapers (Thirsties, Earth Mom and Baby, and WAHM diapers)
- 2 Snappis
- 3 Diaper Covers (Thirsties Duo Wraps)
- 24 Cloth Wipes
- Wipe Solution
- Changing Pad
- Natural/Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer
- 2 Waterproof Lap Pads
- 10 Trainers for EC
Packing
I used my diaper bag to pack enough diapers for the first leg of our journey. My Bumkins Wet/Dry Bag came in very handy for this, as I was able to stash clean, dry diapers and wipes in the dry part and stick the used diapers and wipes in the wet part during our flight. In the picture below, I have the dry pocket in the front stuffed with fitted diapers for our first, six hour flight. Once we went through security, I pulled my hand sanitizer and wipe solution bottles out of the liquids bag I had packed for security and stuck both in the front pocket as well.
How it Worked – En Route
When it was time for a change, I just grabbed my Bumkins Wet/Dry Bag from my diaper bag and headed to the lavatory, which thankfully was equipped with a changing table. My only complaint about this product is that the material bunches up at the closure and it’s hard to get a tight close on the wet part, which is important for keeping odors and germs in. I think I’d like to get the smaller Planet Wise Wet/Dry bag instead.
I used up my fitteds first, because I thought they would be easier to fuss with in the busy-ness of the airport and airplane. I have since decided that prefolds are really no more difficult than fitteds to put on.
I was really glad that I had my changing pad, too, as the changing tables we encountered didn’t always look terribly clean or comfortable. I had my Built diaper clutch/changing pad (below), but found that my Waterproof Lap Pads made by Carters worked just as well – actually a bit better in that they were big enough to cover the entire changing table, and fit Annabelle’s whole body.
The benefit of the Built changing pad is that it does have the little pocket (below) which is big enough for a prefold, and a wipe, plus a spare cover and small wet bag, too. I didn’t find that feature particularly useful, however.
After our first flight, we had a four hour layover, so I did some rearranging. I emptied the Bumkins wet bag, which can hold 6 or so diapers if you stuff them in well, into the Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag in my carry on suitcase. The Planet Wise bag can fit days worth of diapers, so I have been using it as I would my diaper pail at home. I then restocked the diaper bag with enough fresh diapers and wipes for the second leg of our trip.
Hand sanitizer is not something I like to rely too heavily on, but when you’re holding an infant and diapering supplies and trying to clean up in a tiny airplane restroom, it comes in quite handy in place of trying to wash and hold down those silly little airplane sink handles at the same time. That reminds me – another great thing about the Bumkins bag is that it has shoulder straps!
A Little EC
Our second flight was seven hours long, but it was nighttime, so Annabelle slept almost the entire time. She woke twice to nurse and was back asleep by the time she finished. Since she never woke fully, I didn’t want to disturb her to change her. Once morning rolled around and it was almost time to start our descent, I took her back to the lavatory only to find that she was totally dry. Instead of changing her, I held her over the airplane toilet and she went! I didn’t expect that we’d do much ECing during our travels since it wouldn’t often be possible to get right to a bathroom when Annie signaled, so I was pretty excited about this small success.
Once we arrived at our final airport, we had an hour and a half or so of driving to get to my sister’s where we’re staying and of course had to stop at our favorite restaurant (WaterCourse Foods – the best vegetarian restaurant I have ever tried), so I again emptied the wet bag and restocked the diaper bag. We had plenty of diapers left!! Once at WaterCourse, I took Annie back for a change and again gave her a potty-tunity and she took it! The lavatory was our first public restroom EC success, and just hours later we had our second. I was thrilled!
Settling In
I have continued to use my carry on suitcase to house our diaper stash, and it works pretty well. The Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag easily holds 3+ days worth of diapers, so that has been our ‘pail.’ It hangs on the closet door in our bedroom at my sister’s right next to the makeshift changing area I have set up.
The front dry pocket holds Annabelle’s EcaPants (EC trainers), which she wears when we’re home. So far, we’ve been successfully ECing twice a day at least. I haven’t stressed about it much, as babe is spending less time in my arms and more time playing with her Auntie, cousin, and friends, so misses are more common than at home. For this reason, she is diapered when we’re not just lounging around the (my sister’s) house.
For changes, I have one of our lap pads on the floor in the guest room with a bottle of wipe solution on hand, as well as a spare cover, etc. It has worked out great!
For outings, I do things just like at home. I love my small spray bottle for wipe solution and my two Kushies wet bags for used diapers. They work great for even several hour long outings. Here’s one stuffed with several diapers from a long day out.
Overall, I would say that traveling with cloth is no more of a challenge than using it at home. I would much rather carry a few extra items around than send bags full of non-biodegradable diapers to a landfill!
Colorado
Well, we made our trans-Pacific journey and Annabelle was a dream. It wasn’t fun – it was very, very long and not terribly comfortable and she did cry at points, but it was as good as I could possibly have hoped.
It was a challenge to carry the car seat, my carry-on luggage, and Annie (thank goodness for slings!), but I was offered help constantly, so I actually seldom had to. I’m hesitant to accept help in general, but most insisted rather than asking. It was quite sweet. In Honolulu, one of the pilots carried the car seat from just off the jet way all the way to baggage claim! I was also reassigned to a seat with an empty one next to it for our second flight, which was amazing!
I appreciated the advice I received to use disposable diapers for the travel portion, but I’m too stubborn, and was set on never buying another ‘sposie, so I went with cloth. I’ll make a separate post on that soon. It was not nearly as difficult as I imagined. Fortunately, both planes had a changing table and I got nowhere near running out of diapers. In fact, I am just now washing a load on my fourth day in town. I guess that was a sillier worry than I thought!
Annie has loved meeting her aunt and uncles, her cousin, her grandparents, one set of great grandparents, and even one of her Great Aunts. It has been a hectic week for all of us, but she has been so adaptable despite her jet lag and everyone who sees her comments on her happy temperament and her sweet smile.
First time meeting Grandma and Papa
Checking out Papa’s beard
Getting kisses from Grandma.
Jet lagged baby, up and grinning at 3am on our second day!
Annabelle’s first time meeting someone smaller than her.
Checking out the scrub oak with Great Aunt Christi.
This is what jet lag looks like! With Great Grandpa.
Time for a Break!
If you don’t hear from us consistently for the next bit, you’ll know why!
packing…
I hope the end of the summer is treating you all well!
Over the River and Through the Woods…
…to grandmother’s house we go!
I would love to hear some advice from the more experienced mommies out there. We’re beginning to plan for Annabelle’s first vacation now. We’re going to be taking a three state tour – just the two of us, so that we can see all of our family and introduce them to Annabelle.
I am nervous! Annie so loves to be walked around all the time, and having to comply with fasten seatbelt signs is sure to interfere with that some of the time. She is also getting less and less content with being held for long periods. She’s just too busy right now!
Then of course I have serious issues with strangers touching her – both from a mama bear and from a philosophical standpoint. It makes me cringe. She is quite squeezable, so it’s hard to blame people when they want to touch her, but I just don’t think it’s ever appropriate for a person to come up and touch someone they don’t know unsolicited. Maybe I’m just uptight, but I’m dreading that part. I wonder if dressing her in this is too over the top?
I’m also irrationally worried that I’m going to run out of diapers. I have thirty or more, which should surely be enough for our 36 hours in transit, but I’m still nervous! I’m sure I’ll feel like a superhero once I can say that I have traveled that distance in cloth, but it’s hard to imagine!
If you have any tips or tricks on traveling by plane with an infant, and/or traveling with cloth diapers, I would love to hear them!
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