BABY ON
BOARD! Anna Wughanga shares her no-holds barred account of travelling to Venice, Italy, three months postpartum, with a baby in tow
D
espite our love for travel, a high-risk pregnancy resulted in my partner Alex and I staying home for most of the pregnancy, with the exception of a weekend trip to Salzburg for a friend's wedding. Following the birth and trying initial postpartum period, we needed a break. My birthday, coming up in a few months, was the perfect excuse for a short trip. Alex began planning a surprise.
Additionally, I carried a few diapers/wipes and bought more in Venice. While I was unaware of the final destination, I asked Alex about the accessibility there. Following his response, I decided against taking baby chairs. Instead, we packed two baby carriers, one for each of us, and wore our son for the duration of the trip. After baby-related luggage concerns, packing was a breeze. Per our minimalist lifestyle, we packed a few neutral bottoms and a change of tops and accessories to introduce variety. With limited time, sleep and both mental and luggage space, minimalism is a top tip for new parents.
You Don't Know Baggage Until You Have A Baby! When packing, I use the ‘rollem-up’ method where you simply roll up your clothes in your bags as opposed to folding them. This helps maximise on space and has served me wonderfully in the past. I was however simply not prepared for the amount of equipment that comes with babies. Prior to birth, I had made the decision to avoid any unnecessary baby-related purchases, but still, the bottles, diapers, wipes, breastfeeding and changing equipment as well as baby clothes were overwhelming.
Getting There We could either take a twohour flight or a seven-hour train ride to get to Venice. Both options cost a similar amount. It may seem like a no-brainer to choose the flight, but oh baby! Our son was barely three months old at the time, which meant incessant crying. The prospect of being stuck in the air with a wailing baby and judgemental passengers was highly unappealing. Moreover, pressure changes in the cabin can be very distressing, even painful, for babies. We therefore
As I was exclusively breastfeeding at the time, I opted to leave all bottles behind and feed my son on the go. This saved a lot of space.
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