What I learned from travelling to Peru with a baby (11M old)

Draper on the beach with writing that says 'Draper's 1st Vacation'

Having a baby is a game changer. The first time you hold your precious little munchkin you know your life will never be the same. Your trips will never be the same either. Taking your sweet babe on his/her first trip is a big deal! It sure was for us. Leading up to our big family trip to Peru I was filled with fear, excitement and nervousness. Draper was 10 turning 11 months but I still couldn't help but think: are we ready for this trip? Will she have fun? How are we going to enjoy ourselves and follow her schedule? As moms it's our job to worry, right?

Well we survived. Actually we did more than just survive. We had the best 2 weeks of our life! Draper was AH-MAZING! She adapted so well to the heat, change of scenery, new foods and new routine. I think it also helped that my husband and I were very relaxed and had a go-with-the-flow mindset. We tried not to stress. We learned from our mistakes. If something wasn't working, we'd try a different approach and eventually we got settled and really enjoyed ourselves.

Here's what I can promise to you.... Travelling with an infant is not as scary as it sounds but it does take a bit of extra planning. I'm sharing everything I've learned about travelling with a babe in hopes it will help you and your family on your own adventures.

1. Book the right airplane seats.

We flew Air Canada Rouge (gross I know). We called in advance to tell them we were travelling with a baby and to find out the best seat for us. They were so helpful! They informed us that there was a seat near the front with extra leg room so our baby could crawl around and there was a bassinet that could be fastened to the wall. This saved our life! Being an 8 hour flight it was imperative that Draper slept or none of us would survive. We took off at 6pm, gave her her bottle and put her down in the bassinet. It was snug but she slept the ENTIRE flight. We actually had to wake her up at 2am for landing. So my advice is call your airline and talk to them about your options and if you need to pay extra for a baby friendly seat.

2. Invest in a travel stroller

We thought we'd be fine with just the Baby Bjorn carrier and a little umbrella stroller for our vacation but boy were we wrong! Thank goodness my MIL was able to borrow a full size durable stroller from a friend because we needed it. It may be a bit clunky and heavy but it allowed for Draper to take naps on the go or sleep while we went out for dinner. Also because it was so hot in Peru, the stroller had a full body cover that would block her from the sun completely so we could go for walks at any point of the day not worried about where the sun is. We are definitely going to invest in a good travel stroller for our next trip. Based on my experience its worth it. If you don't want to buy one consider borrowing from a friend.

Draper sitting in her stroller

3. Bring the pharmacy with you

You can never be too prepared when it comes with medicine. So, do yourself a favour and bring everything you may need in case your baby gets sick. Also teething is frustratingly unpredictable and no one wants to be stranded in a foreign city without Tylenol! I had also heard that Peru carried very different medicine than we do here in Canada so I didn't want to have to deal with trying to find the right meds at a local Peruvian pharmacy (especially when I don't even speak the language). Hubby to the rescue!

So, below is a list of everything we brought and you'd be surprised how much we actually used.

1. Saline Spray - for stuffed noses

2. Diaper rash cream

3. Anti-allergy cream - for bites and cuts

4. Colic/gas drops

5. Thermometer

6. Tylenol

7. Advil

8. Benadryl

9. Nasal Aspirator

10. Bandaids

11. Polysporin

Palm trees at sunset.

4. Don't overpack

What you will quickly realize is your baby only needs the essentials so don't overpack! I'm known for overpacking. It's a serious problem. But this time I tried my best to be smart about what to bring and what to leave behind. I mean we were pretty much just hanging out at the beach/pool most days so in hindsight all we really needed was bathing suits. I found it was most helpful to lay everything on our bed and categorized them into type of garment so I could see exactly what we were bringing. I started with a lot and slowly cut down to the essentials and it was perfect. We did some laundry (hand wash) mid trip but it wasn't even necessary.

5. Buy Diapers and Wipes there (but bring enough to last 48 hours on a flight)

Diaper and wipes are bulky and heavy and not fun to try and lug on your adventure. Do yourself a favour and leave them at home and plan to buy your toilet necessities at your destination. However, make sure you pack enough diapers and wipes to get you through 48 hours on your travel/flight. You don't want to get stuck in a situation where your flight is delayed and you baby has a case of the 'blow outs' and you burn through your stash. Luckily this didn't happen to us but if it did, we'd be screwed. In my experience airports don't sell diapers or wipes (shocking I know!)

Diego, me and Draper walking to the beach.

6. Leave the baby toys at home

When I was packing for our trip I made sure to bring a little bag of Drapers favourite toys - stuffed animal, teething toys, rattles and books. I wanted her to have fun things to play with while we were away. We'll that was a waste of space because I don't think she even looked at her toys for the two weeks. She was more entertained by the people we were with and the random things around the house (magazines, sea shells, deck of cards etc) Next time I'll leave the toys at home and use make-shift toys while we are away. You'd be surprised how much fun a baby can have with an empty water bottle!

Draper and Diego hanging on the beach

7. If possible, rent baby gear at your destination

Traveling can be stressful but the thought of travelling with all the necessary baby equipment you need to survive takes 'stressful' to a whole new level. My advice is do some research before hand to see if there are any companies that you could rent gear from during your stay. For example Wee Travel is the first baby equipment rental company in Canada. They make it easy for parents to travel lighter and stress-free, by providing the full range of hard-to-pack baby necessities. My MIL borrowed a highchair, pack n play, stroller etc so we didn't have to worry about lugging it all the way from Canada but if that wasn't possible I'd definitely look into short term rentals.

Draper in the carrier walking on the beach.

8. Bring snacks... LOTS of snacks

I read Bringing up Bebe while pregnant and swore I wouldn’t use snacks to bribe my child. Well, that goes out the window pretty fast if you want to actually keep your sanity on a flight or in a restaurant while traveling. Puffs and yogurt melts are like baby candy. Draper is obsessed with them and it would keep her occupied for a while. I brought so many snacks it was almost embarrassing. But it helped and the first rule of moms is 'you gotta do what you gotta do to survive'. So snack it up!

Draper and I smiling while hanging in the sun

9. The outdoors is your friend

I found the more outdoor activities we did the better. Draper would wake up at 6am before the rest of the family woke up and so we would go for long walks on the beach or down the boardwalk. Draper loves being outside. Don't most babies? She gets so excited and is entertained by the sights and sounds. She's become obsessed with birds on our trip and we spent many hours chasing and watching birds. It was actually so cute. Also being outside helped her to nap better. After a couple hours swimming or playing on the beach she would sleep like a dream! I'm talking a good 2 sometimes 3 hours in the afternoon. This is when mom and dad enjoyed some down time and yummy cocktails.

Diego, Draper and I at the beach.

10. You can still have fun!

This is probably the most important one. Yes travelling with a baby is different than when it was just the two of you living carefree. You have a schedule to follow now and an early bedtime but a baby last makes it more fun and special in a lot of ways. Splashing around with Draper in the Pacific ocean water, feeling her snuggled up against my chest as we walked the beach and watching her giggle at the birds as the ran around or flew by brought be so much happiness. Just seeing her experience a new place, new food, new culture was magical. We build so many wonderful memories as a little family of three that I will cherish forever.

Diego, Draper and I lying on the grass laughing

So there it is. All my learnings, summarized for you. If you have any other great travel tips please share them in the comment section below. Now go and enjoy every minute of your vacation with your little one. And if you don't have one booked yet, bite the bullet and book!! I promise you will not regret it.

xoxo

L