Transport for London has a lovely program by which it offers expectant mothers charming pins that read, ‘Baby on Board’. Mothers-to-be proudly wear these pins on their coats as a cue for fellow passengers to give up their seats. The pins help to eliminate social awkwardness in the scenario when the polite gentleman can’t tell if a woman is just a little pregnant or just a little pudgy. And they offer no excuse to the hungover dude who wants to pretend he can’t see the eight-month baked belly protruding. For the most part these pins work like a charm. Throughout my recent pregnancy I relished in the kindness of others and the comfortable commute these pins made possible.
Often as I was sitting in my choice seat, I’d wonder just how uncomfortable traveling would be once the baby was on the outside. Would our traveling days be over and the blog be re-named to The Girl: Grounded? Or maybe we would travel, but only to child-friendly resorts with indoor swimming pools and restaurants with kids’ menus. Possibly we’d still travel to all ends of the Earth, but turn into those hippie travellers with snotty nosed kids hanging off of baby carriers on the front, back, and side – Jeff with dreadlocks and me without a bra.
Recently on a weekend outing to Bath, our ten-week old’s traveling chops were put to the test. We started to define our approach to travel with the baby really on board and identified a few ground rules. They’re probably very obvious to the seasoned traveling family, but were major breakthroughs for these first-timers.
Walk Before You Run…
…or in our case, crawl before you walk. For our first trip with the bub we didn’t want to bite off more than we could chew. Bath is an easy one and a half hour train ride from central London. Upon arrival, you can’t help but be struck by the picturesque Georgian architecture which have helped the city earn its World Heritage City status. The only ‘can’t misses’ in town are the ancient Roman baths and the 500-year old Bath Abbey. Beyond that, Bath is perfect for puttering around and daydreaming about life as a character in a Jane Austen novel.
Pack Light
Even as an experienced traveller packing light has never been my forte. Rather, I opt to buy luggage that makes packing heavy easy so that I can enjoy the breadth of my wardrobe even while away from my closet. The thought of wearing the same pair of black pants seven days running makes me shiver.
But with a 12-pound baby in tow you’d be a fool to stuff your Samsonite with superfluous outfit options. The mantra applies to the baby’s gear as well. Toys and books were tucked away in the toy box and scenes from the road kept our little one entertained en route. We will enjoy this stage while it lasts. I’m sure it will fade and when it does we will likely be on a eight-hour flight empty-handed with a very bored tyke.
The gear that did make the journey was purchased knowing it couldn’t drag these globe trotters down. Jeff’s favorite baby purchase and possibly now his favorite possession is our stroller – the Babyzen YoYo+. The pleasure he marinades in while other parents struggle with their behemoth strollers is actually palpable.
Enlist Babysitting Services
When making our booking at the super-charming Queensberry Hotel, I was a bit hesitant to take them up on their offer for babysitting services. Leave my precious cargo with somebody I just met?!?! But given our Saturday night outing would take us only down three stories to the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, The Olive Tree, I decided to give it a go.
And believe it or not, everybody survived. Jeff and I enjoyed a fantastic birthday dinner during which we didn’t need to eat relay style and James literally slept like a baby during the sitter’s entire visit.
Splurge on Lunch
Cocktail hours at swanky bars and multi-course dinners at luxe restaurants are central to every one of my travel itineraries. So it was a really tough pill for me to swallow that these would largely need to be put on a hiatus while we travel with those under the drinking age. But we’ve found that toting him along for indulgent lunches is a pleasant alternative (at least while he still lacks the fine motor skills to rip silverware and placemats off the table). In Bath, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the quaint country pub, The Chequers, and wished we had time to stay for more than just coffee at the uber-posh hotel, The Gainsborough Bath Spa.
Take It Slow, But Go!
The biggest takeaway I gleaned from our first trip with a baby on board is that while one does need to adjust expectations on what can be squeezed in on a day’s itinerary, traveling with children can still be done. It’s just done at a much…slower…pace. Even though the gang is up at 5:30 a.m., you still may not get out of the hotel until noon. The entire family may nap through prime sightseeing hours or crash even before housekeeping comes to turn down the bed.
But, there’s certainly no need to give it all up. No sir, when it comes to traveling, this vagabond family will not be throwing the baby out with the Bath water anytime soon.
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