Traveling to Hawaii

Hi T., I have been traveling with my 4.5 years old since he was 6 month. Yes, I did always over packed and never sorry about it. To enjoy your Holiday you will need everything you use on daily bases. Your little guy will sense all the changes and that might change a lot for you and him. If you use a stroller, take it. If you are going to use a crib there I would take his sheets, blankets and etc. They can sense the difference in the smell. He will need his toys, too. Try to keep everything as close as possible to his daily routines - feeding and sleeping times, what he sees, what he smells and etc. Also, remember, the adjustment time even for 1 hour change (like the day-light change) takes about 2 weeks, so do not "work" on that. If you are happy and calm there will be no changes in your milk supplies, if you worry, there might be some difference but not too big. Good luck!

Hi, I travelled from Hawaii with a 5 1/2 month old and here is what I experienced. My son was a great sleeper also. When we went to Hawaii, he still got up his usual Seattle time, only problem was it was the middle of the night in Hawaii. I just got up with him and let him play around for a few hours because he was not going back to sleep. Poor little guy did miss some naps along the week because of our traveling around and exploring the islands so he was over tired by the time we went home. I would bring an umbrella stroller (they will check it for you right before you get on the plane and have it for you right when you get off the plane in Hawaii) It is just easier than having to carry the baby everywhere with luggage, etc. Another tip and this is huge....be sure you have two clean changes of clothes in your carry on for the plane rides. On our way home, my little guy had 2 blowouts where he completely got poop all over his outfit. I had no more clean clothes for him so he just had a shirt and diaper on and he got cold on the plane which didn't make him any more pleasant than he already was since he was over tired. Don't stress out if the baby is fussy and crying on the plane. A lot of the people have "been there done that" with a baby and feel your pain and the rest can just get over it.

How fun to go to Hawaii! We've traveled twice since my 10 month old was born and both times has been GREAT! Breastfeeding is awesome for take off and landing on the plane just in case he has some ear trouble. We always stayed on our home time zone as far as feeding and sleep patterns and it seemed to work well, that way you don't have to deal with the change coming back as well. Also, we took a red eye to Florida and it went just fine. We didn't sleep at all of course, but our son did fine. And we didn't take a stroller when our son was 4 months old, I used the Baby Bjorn and it was very easy.
Have fun!

If you are traveling to Maui consider Akamai (spelling) Mothers. It is a consignment shop but they also rent stuff for babies. We went when my son was 6 months old (no problems with the milk supply by the way), and we rented a crib and high chair. We took our own stroller so we could cart him (and all of his stuff) through the airport. I don't trust the airlines with our car seat as far as it being down below with all of the luggage and getting banged around (if you aren't supposed to used them after a minor fender-bender then how can checking them be good?) so we always bought a seat, it was nice on the long flight to have a place to put him when he was sleeping. Anyway, I am guessing that you can find a "rental" company on any island since so many families vacation in HI. Have a great trip.

Hi T.,
We also travelled to Hawaii with our son when he was an infant. He was done breastfeeding by then, but I imagine your milk supply will stay the same. The boppy is a great idea!! At 4 months they still are unable to sit by themselves.

We took an umbrella stroller rather then our larger one and it worked great. It has an umbrella cover for shade and a basket for carrying things. They will let you take this all the way to the gate.

We took the carseat as well but we checked it with our luggage. You can purchase covers for these so they do not get damaged. Plus it gave us extra "storage" and that's where we packed blankets and some toys.

Last but not least we checked a small playpen. We weren't sure of the quality of what the hotel would have. It was small enough that we even took it to the beach with us and it gave him his own space to play.

It is very warm in Hawaii so hats and sunscreen are a must. Your little one might be too little still (isn't it 6 months?) for sunscreen so check with your pediatrician on what they recommend.

Pack light clothes and HAVE FUN!! I'm jealous!! :-)

As long as you breastfeed him on demand, changing time zones shouldn't affect your milk supply at all! We've taken three trips back east with our daughters to see family and I've never had supply issues. Two of our three trips took place while I was still exclusively nursing one or the other of my daughters.

Oh, and we always love taking the red eye flights with our babies! I don't usually get to sleep much, but the girls always sleep most of the way which is wonderful :) I've also never brought a stroller with us on trips, but I have a great ring sling and a wrap for our younger daughter and my husband likes to carry our older daughter in the Mei Tai so the stroller would just be extra bulk. If you have a sling or wrap that you like then I would definitely not bring a stroller.

Best wishes!
~B.

T.,

We just traveled from Portland Oregon, to Okinawa Japan. I am a breastfeeder...Take your boppy pillow! It saved my life. I used it all but the first long flight, and regret not using it then. He slept in my lap perfect when I used it!

The time zones never affected my breastmilk!

Stroller...great for changing planes in the airport. Beware...they abused my stroller. You can stoll them right up to the airplane, and they check it at the door for you, and have it waiting for you at the door. Super nice!

As far as sleeping habits...they will get off schedule...but you will be suprised when they get back into their own bed at home how fast they go back to normal!

Zip Lock baggy everything!! Everything from Meds, to baby food. It makes it smoother to go thur security!

Good luck, and Have lots of fun!

A stroller is not nessassary if you have a baby pack or some sort of carrier like a wrap. I travel with a cloth wrap that is a long shawl that is light and airy but not too see through so I can nurse in it. I check the carseat (unless you buy a seat) and only take a normal diaper bag with a book or two. If I get in a jam I could buy more stuff if nessassary. Also there will be only be a hour time difference so I would not adjust his schedule for it just do every thing an hour off. Take his favorite toys with you and consider how he sleeps. If you have food (you) diapers and entertainment you should be just fine!

Looks like you got lots of responses...YES, take a stroller..you can gate check it, and, or course, a car seat. Our baby slept almost the entire time. If you are lucky, you will end up with a spare seat next to you, then you don't have to hold your baby the entire flight...it's sooooo much nicer that way!

Sleep...well, every baby is different. Ours lost all sense of sleep and woke every couple of hours screaming...it was terrible, but our best friends and their baby -- not a problem whatsoever! Just have low expectations and realize once you get home, all should go back to normal within a week or so!

Have fun! If you are going to Maui and can go to a luau, go to The Feast at LeLe in Lahaina. My brother works there and it is AMAZING!
S. Moffitt

When we've travelled I've had no trouble with milk supply. We just switched my daughter to the time zone we were in as soon as we got there. In some ways it was easier for her as she slept more of the flight.
Stroller or Not? Do you have a baby bjorn or sling or something to carry your son in? How much walking will you do? Some areas aren't stroller friendly so a baby pack may work better but think about what you realistically use at home and in what conditions.

Hi T.,

I just returned from a 10 day vacation to Kauai with my husband, our then 6 month old son Jack and a bunch of family. It was a wonderful vacation and so conducive to being there with our little guy.

I didn't notice any difference in my milk supply and his sleeping was great if not better. Though daytime naps were a little less due to all the activity - he made up for it at nighttime.

It was so fun to be able to let him crawl around in nothing but a diaper - unless he was in the sunshine in which case he looked like he was going on jungle safari with the big trunks, swim shirt and hat. But in the shade, naked as can be.

The warm weather did him well - he started crawling there, standing up too.

So for packing, a stroller is a definite. Take a sling or bjorn - but, when it's warm it's more pleasant for him and yourself if he's in a stoller and not hanging onto you. Don't pack a bunch of pajamas, even in an air conditioned room he probably won't need them. Jack slept in a onesie and his sleep sack, and just the onesie when napping during the day. A light jacket is nice for evenings - we didn't really even need that.

Lastly, the red eye coming home - we did that too. I was anxious about that but it turned out great. The key was a dose of baby Tylenol, a few teething tablets and a meal upon takeoff and voila! Jack slept the whole way home.

Have a great vacation and relax, it'll go smoothly.

W.

T.: I travelled to Hawaii when my daughter was 3 months- with the time change, I just made sure I kept feeding her the 2-3 hours I would normally. And maybe even more due to the heat- so they don't get dehydrated. Yes, bring a stroller as I assume you will be sight seeing etc? And a baby carrier comes in handy too :) And make sure the hotel has portable crib for the baby, if not I found a portable crib made by Eddie Bauer at Target. It folds down flat with handy strap- looks like a laptop bag once flattened. That was helpful. It's basically a box with no top. I just put blankets on the botton to cushion it and she took naps in there. Bring hats for baby to cover from the sun. Check with your Pediatrician about sun block for baby. I hope this helps- HAVE FUN!!!!!

-Steph

When I traveled with my first son when he was little I left the stroller at home. Instead get a child carrier that goes on your back. You have both hands for dealing with luggage, ect, and it is so much more convenient when you are traveling around your vacation spot. We used this for out trips to Germany, Ireland, around the states, you name it! The backpacks can be pricey, but if you like to travel, or hike, they are worth every penny. We got one that was sturdy enough to last until our son was almost 2.

Definitely bring a stroller and a car seat. The airline will let you carry on both of these items, at least the stroller for sure. I wouldn't sweat the milk supply issue, your body will adjust. And expect that his sleep pattern will get out of whack. That's just part of traveling, it happens to every one.

Hi T.,
First, have a fabuluos trip! =0) Here are a few tips to help (we've travelled to Hawaii and other places with two young kids...): a stroller, in addition to a Baby Carrier of some sort, will be helpful (the stroller can be gate-checked and can serve many purposes), car seat (you don't need it on the plane, but if you plan to drive anywhere, you do!), books and toys for your son to enjoy (we always get them one new thing for a new trip...even something small, or a new book or something...Dollar Tree is great for this), loaded diaper bag, complete with an extra, light-weight blanket; a pacifier or other such item(s) for him to suck on. Key: make sure he is sucking on something for the ascent and descent (nurse him, give him a bottle, or a pacifier, or, your finger...just something; if you're going to nurse/give him a bottle, try and time things so he'll actually be hungry at the time of ascent and descent). Finally, rest assured that it is much easier to fly with a 4 month old than a six month and up-old. Most of the time, the 4 month old will either nurse or sleep. =0)
Also, for yourself, you might want one of those neck pillows; it's a long flight. Take a hat for your son, too. The travelling won't affect your milk supply in any way, but his sleep schedule may change for the first day or two there and the first day or two back; this is normal; most people's sleep schedules are thrown off just a little by travelling. Any change in routine for a baby will do this. =0)
Have a great time! Let me know if I can be of any more help.
Be strong and laugh often,
L.

Hi T.,

We actually did the same thing at the beginning of March, our baby girl was 5 months old. Breastfeed David on the take-off and landing to help with ear pressure. Changing time zones doesn't have any affect on your breast milk supply. It will only change your babies schedule slightly by you altering it to accomodate for the flight and new time zone. The first day will take a lot of flexibility and maybe mean keeping the little one up slightly longer or feeding them a little later in the day so that the next morning you can wake them up within an hour of their normal wake time. By the end of day 2 you should be on your normal routine.
Definitely take baby medicines like tylenol, gas drops, nose saline, etc just in case. We took our baby monitor with us and were so thankful that we did. We had rented a condo with a pool so during her morning naptime, we left the monitor on in the condo and my hubby and I went down to the pool. We just bought regular diapers there instead of taking up that much suitcase space. There are places on most of the islands where you can rent baby equipment if you wish such as a pack-n-play, swings, exersaucers, high chairs, etc. Just search baby rental equipment. We used akamia rentals.
Our baby liked the hot tub more than the pool and the ocean was a little loud/overwhelming/scary for her with the waves and cool water. We still took her to the beach everyday but it took quite a few days for us to figure out how to spend more than an hour there without a fussy baby. We left around naptime where she would fall asleep in the car on the way, then when we took her out, covered her with a blanket and left her in the carseat so she would keep napping. Then my hubby and I could enjoy about an hour or so of hanging at the beach boogie boarding, snorkeling (one at a time naturally), etc until she woke up and it was time to eat again. Then I fed her and she would have approximately another 1-2 hours of happy baby time.
Buy swimmer diapers before you go. They will still be big but necessary. When baby is done in the water, we found it helped to change her out of all wet stuff within a few minutes. Sand is an issue as it gets everywhere but if you can get to a beach that has a shower, use it to rinse the sand off you before feeding baby.
You can gate check the stroller and the car seat if you want. The stroller may or may not be helpful depending on how much you plan on walking around town/shops/etc. We were very glad we brought ours. Oh, another thought if you like to watch the sunset. We found sunset to coincide with fussy time so we would watch the sunset on the beach or at a nice outlook and then go have a nice dinner out while baby slept in the stroller next to us versus trying to handle a fussy baby at dinner and miss the sunset while annoying other eaters.
It takes a lot of flexibility and ingenuity to make it work so that your whole family can enjoy the trip. If something doesn't work, try again. It took us about 4 days to get in a groove to work around naps, baby, and our desires. If you have more questions, let me know.

L.

We went to Washington DC with our almost five month old at the time, and time zones did not really affect either me or our sone. Yes, a stroller is a must!! Most airlines will let you take it all the way to the plane and leave it at the door take advantage of this. You then just pick it up in the same spot at your next stop. P.S. my sone is 16 months and still does not sleep 8 hours, so yes you are so lucky to have such a great sleeper. It's only one hour backwards in Hawaii so should not cause any problems. Many hotels have cribs to use but make sure and check them for problems,holes,lose bedding, etc.. and most of all pack sunblock for baby and have a blast!!!