Mamas Worldwide » Travel

CARES travel system

Maria — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:59:34 +0000

It is summer, which means travel time in our home. In the past, we have flown with our car seat and go-go-kidz, which I still love and lend out to my friends quite frequently. Now that The Boy (TB) is getting bigger, however, I decided to invest in acar seat cover and CARES system. I use the cover and check the car seat, which is usually free.

Early on, I held off because I thought the curve of the seat would be uncomfortable for TB, but I have to admit, I love the CARES system, and so does my son.

When we boarded, I quickly slipped the main portion around the seat, and then looped the harness through his seatbelt. It took very little time, and we were able to board as a family instead of separately. (We normally tried to have one parent board with the car seat and the second board later with TB.) The harness and strap were easy to adjust.

CARES fits kids 22 to 44 pounds, which makes it a great addition for children on the airplane. It is also nice during layovers, because the system folds back up in to his six inch sack. At a meer one pound, it is a great travel companion.

The picture I am posting is slightly misleading. I snapped this picture prior to take-off, and when I looked at my son in it, I realized that the portion that attaches to the seat back was not low enough. We also further tightened the harness to fit his slight frame. According to the installation instructions, the red strap should be just above a child’s shoulders.

The CARES system is available for purchase in the US ($74.95) and UK.

(This post is cross-posted at www.piecesofmymind.com.)

Separation while extended nursing

Christina — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:25:02 +0000

I figure I’m a little unusual in the modern, western world. At 25 months, my son Oliver is still breastfeeding, and last weekend was our first extended separation since his birth.

I’ve left Oliver for a few hours before, even for almost a full day, but he’s never spent a night without me. I was a little worried how the weekend would go. Was my husband going to be up two nights in a row with our inconsolable son? But I was only going to be an hour and a half away and I really wanted to go to the expat bloggers in Germany meetup that was taking place in Munich. A Macedonian friend, who tells me that extended breastfeeding is common and never went out of fashion in her homeland, warned us that my husband was going to have a couple of very rough nights. I thought, at the very worst, he could pack up the car and join me in Munich.

I left Friday morning and the day went well. Rainer complained a little that he was always having to get Oliver little snacks or drinks throughout the day. My aunt had also mentioned during her visit that whenever I went to sit down, I was having to get up again to go to the kitchen for something. “Welcome to my world!” I said.

Oliver took to calling my husband, “Mama,” so apparently “Mama” is just the name for whoever he determines is the primary caretaker! (He does call me “Nina” when I don’t answer to “Mama,” so he understands that that isn’t my name.) Falling asleep went without a hitch, although Rainer thinks he may have fallen asleep before Oliver. Oliver woke once during the night, got up and looked in all the rooms, then lay down in the hallway crying. Rainer picked him up and took him back to bed and he went right back to sleep.

My husband is the less enthusiastic of us about cosleeping (he does still like it though), and usually wants me to get Oliver to sleep in his own bed, which is next to ours. Oliver loves his bed and is quite happy to sleep there, but Rainer had Oliver sleep together with him in the big bed while I was gone. I was a little surprised by this, and am starting to think Rainer may just be a closet cosleeper who doesn’t want to admit to how much he likes it.

The rest of the weekend went similarly, the next night, the same thing happened. Oliver woke once, went looking for me, cried, then went to sleep again. We talked 3–4 times a day on the phone and he was happy to hear from me, saying only, “Mama… mama” on the phone, but he didn’t cry at all.

In our last breastfeeding session before I left, I really concentrated on remembering everything about the moment. I knew there was a chance that this could be the last time Oliver breastfed. I was sad and realized that even though I occasionally get annoyed with his still very frequent breastfeeding, I wasn’t really ready to give it up yet. I figured on my return, I wouldn’t offer, but I wouldn’t deny. I’d just see what Oliver wanted to do.

During the trip, my breasts didn’t feel sore at all until Saturday night, or about 20 hours after breastfeeding. I hand-expressed into one of the hotel glasses and poured the milk down the sink.

I arrived home on Sunday afternoon and found I didn’t need to worry about weaning. As soon as I sat down, Oliver climbed into my lap and lifted my shirt. He spent much of the rest of the day on the breast. I was glad to find that he wasn’t ready to wean either.

How was your first extended time away from your child? Did it go how you expected? Or have you chosen not to separate?

Breastfeeding in Italy with a Toddler

Maria — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:35:57 +0000

I started this post after we returned from Italy in March 2009, but I never finished it. What better time to do so than now?

Before we left for Milan, I was a bit anxious about nursing a toddler on the flights and abroad. I was used to how nursing a two year old was seen in my every day life– primarily in Tulsa and Minnesota. I have a great support system and know The Boy’s rights well. Going to a new country though? For some reason I was a bit anxious about that.

Like many things in my time as a parent, I was worried for no reason. Not once did I notice anyone giving me a strange look. Not once did anyone mention to me that I should not nurse my toddler. For that matter, I received nothing but support from those around me. I am not sure if it is because a nursing toddler is quiet on a long journey or if they simply did not care one way or the other, but the flights were without incident, and so was our time in Italy.

I nursed The Boy all over the place– planes, trains, cafes, tours, etc. If anything, I recieved more smiles and positive reactions than at any other time during our nursing history.

I do not know if all of Italy is like what we experienced in Milan and Venice, but I do know that I appreciated the attitude of those around me.

Have you had positive experiences nursing in countries other than the one you reside in?

Time change and a toddler

Maria — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:22:42 +0000

Different people handle the time change with a toddler differently. Before we left for Milan, I checked my sleep books and then the internet looking for information jet lag. I was concerned how he would react, and the only site I found with any information I could agree remotely with was Delicious Baby. However, because we would only be in Milan for a few days (left the US Thursday, left Milan Tuesday), I decided that I was not going to force The Boy to adjust to Italian time. In the end, it did not seem worth it for such a short trip.

What did we do? After all, sleeping until two in the afternoon was not an option either…

Bottom line up front– we followed his sleep cues just as we do at home. When The Boy was tired, he slept. When he wasn’t, he didn’t. Several days, my husband and I got up earlier than The Boy, prepared for the day, and at the last minute, dressed The Boy and put him in the stroller or sling. This worked great. If we were out, and he was tired, we did the same thing. He slept some in the stroller and some in the Butterfly.

Nighttime sleep also turned out to not be much of a problem. The Italian lifestyle– late dinners especially– afforded us a late dinner, and The Boy was happy to oblige. After dark dining with a toddler brought a lot of attention, but the Italians were charmed by his smile, and he was well behaved. Once it was time to go to sleep for the night, our co-sleeping lifestyle kept things quite consistent for The Boy. We mostly followed our regular routine, and he nursed, rolled over, and went to sleep– just like at home.

When you travel across time zones, what do you do to “keep the sleep?”

Cross posted on Basketwives.com

What's in My Carry-On?

Maria — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:29:04 +0000

A series of recent flights has caused me to evaluate and re-evaluate what I have been packing in my carry-on bag. The Boy is now two and some of the items that used to occupy space are no longer needed, while we discovered the need for some new items. I thought I would share a look inside what we carried on for recent trips to Minnesota (two hour flight) and Milan (too many hours of travel to count!).

Books– I brought a few favorites and a new one. I also packed four or five in our suitcase to have different books for the trip back.
A sippy cup– It helped to prevent spills when the air was bumpy, and also to keep him swallowing on take-off and landing.
Bite sized candies– this time we used smarties, skittles and M&M’s. Because The Boy almost never gets candy at home, these were a very special treat for him, and he was eating them during take-off and landing of most flights.
Food/Snacks– I packed Ritz Crackers fresh stacks, cheese, and ham. I forgot the cheese and ham for the trip to Milan, but I had additional snacks that worked ok, including Craisins 100 Calorie Packs, raisins, 365 Organics Quack N’Bites, and grapes.
Diapers– I packed a few extra, but not nearly the number I used to!
Wipes and a lot of them– The entire package, brand new, in the event of an emergency. A lot of things can be cleaned with wipes!
Extra clothes– on set for each of us on the way over, and one shirt and pants for The Boy on the way back.
Music– On the way to Milan, we used Kevin’s ipod touch, and I missed it on the way home!
Crayons, pens, stickers and paper– The Boy loves to write and color. He spent hours doing it on a plain white paper drawing pad with his crayon rocks, and he can spend hours arranging stickers on a piece of paper.
Play-dough– I left the eco-dough at home in favor of a few colors of Play-doh from a party pack.
Blue painter’s tape– there’s a lot to be done with a little bit of tape!

I can fit all of The Boy’s items in to a Crockodile Creek Backpack ($25.99 from OompaToys.com). The mesh pouch on the side is perfect for his sippy cup, and The Boy can carry it at times himself. If it is too heavy, the straps adjust long enough for me to carry it.

Along with his carry-on, I carry a purse that holds my wallet, passport, book, sling, etc, but is not too bulky for me to carry along with the backpack and car seat (using the Go-Go Kidz). While many people are willing to help out, it is not always the case, so I try to plan for what I can do myself. The Boy does help by wheeling his chair though, so that is helpful!

What do you pack for short and long flights? Am I missing something? We have trips planned for May and June, so I’ll have more opportunities to alter my carry-on packing!

The Best European Car Seats

Christina — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:19:55 +0000

According to the German consumer ratings magazine Stiftung Warentest, these are the top five car seats in each category that have earned either a “good” or “very good” quality rating. The number in parenthesis is the score received, the lower the score, the better the car seat did in tests. When fewer than five seats are listed, that means that no other car seats in that category received a “good” or “very good” rating.

Note: Isofix is the international name for an anchoring-type car seat installation. The term LATCH is often used for this system in the US and LUAS or Canfix is used in Canada.

Group 0, up to 10 kg (22 lbs)

Römer Baby-Safe Sleeper* (1.8)

Group 0+, up to 13 kg (28.7 lbs)

Maxi Cosi Cabriofix with Easyfix base** (1.4), without base (2.7)
Römer Baby Safe Plus with Isofix base* (1.5), without base (2.1)
Recaro Young Profi Plus Isofix (1.7), without base (2.0)
Storchenmühle Twin 0+ Isofix (1.7), without base (2.0)
Graco Logico S HP with base*** (1.8), without base (1.6)

Group 0/I, up to 18 kg (39.7 lbs)

Wavo G 0/I with Isofix base (2.0)

Group I, 9 to 18 kg (19.8 to 39.7 lbs)

Group I/II/III, 9 to 36 kg (19.8 to 79 lbs)

Kiddy Comfort Pro (2.1)

Group II/III, 15 to 36 kg (33 to 79 lbs)

* Römer, also spelled Roemer, is the same company as Britax, but the seats sold under the brand name Britax do not appear to be identical to the seats sold under the brand name Römer
** Sold in the US as the Maxi Cosi Mico
*** Sold in the US as the Graco Infant SafeSeat, is also identical to the Teutonia Tario.

Mr. Bobbles Travel Crib Sheets

Blythe — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:51:37 +0000

We are devoted users of our travel crib. My son slept in it from his first night at home, in the bassinet insert at the foot of our bed. (Well, ostensibly he slept, but I remember nothing about that because if he was asleep, so was I.) We hauled it from country to country, on the train and the airplane and in a luggage rack on top of our car.

When I shopped for travel crib sheets, I was disappointed with the flimsy and scratchy standard options at the baby megastore I visited on a trip to the USA. I read a bit about the sheets, how they frequently popped off the rough canvas mattress and how, with multiple and frequent trips through the laundry, their elastic soon failed to bounce back.

Fortunately, I came across Mr. Bobbles Blankets in my Baby Bargains book. Along with pillows, blankets, and burp cloths, Mr. Bobbles makes some fantastic travel crib (or, as they call it, Playard) sheets. They’re constructed like a big pillowcase with a foldover pocket on one end, so you just slip the mattress inside and slide one end into the pocket. The fabric is thick, 100% cotton flannel, in sweet prints that wash beautifully. They’ll never pop off the mattress or lose their grip, since there’s no elastic involved. Since we bought ours, they’ve added stretchy backing material as a new design feature to make the sheets fit even more snugly.

Our Mr. Bobbles sheets have traveled with us from Asia to Arizona, and seen their way through washing machines on three continents. They are almost as good as new, with no stains or evidence of the various emissions that babies’ bodies inevitably deposit on their bedclothes. In fact, they just get softer as we wash them, so they’re even better than when I bought them. And, now that my son is older, he loves to identify the different cars and trucks on one fabric design, or talk about the froggies on the other.

Mr. Bobbles Playard Sheets cost $19.95 each, with $1 discount per sheet if you buy more than one in the same fabric design. They fit most American travel cribs/playards (standard size 27″ x 39″). See the Mr. Bobbles website for details.

Ten Reasons to Wear Your Baby

Maria — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:48:28 +0000

It’s International Babywearing Week, and in honor, I will share Ten Reasons to Wear Your Baby… or rather ten reasons why I wore my baby that might apply to you!

Traveling light. The first international trip I took The Boy on, I had way too much gear– car seat, stroller, diaper bags (yes, more than one). It was a hassle. On the way back, I figured out I could wear him and have much less “stuff” to carry. These days I take the carseat with the go go kidz attachment and a sling.
Convenience. Stairs? No problem. Need to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer? No problem. Need to mow the lawn? No problem! Forgot your changing pad? No problem! Crowded store? Still not a problem! Dirty shopping carts? Also not a problem! Babywearing made my life a whole lot easier!
A Happy Baby! Babies that are carried are happier, and what makes a baby even happier? Snuggling close to mommy!
Great exercise for me! Have you carried a 25 pound toddler on your back (or front) while mowing the lawn or exploring Washington D.C.? It’s GREAT exercise and really works on the abdominal and back muscles that were weakened during pregnancy.
Including The Boy in my life. When wearing The Boy while cooking (him on my back so he can’t reach the hot pans), he could be involved and see what is going on without being in a dangerous situation on the counter. He also gets to mow the lawn, go for walks, shop– all from the best seat in the house!
Extra snuggle time. Who doesn’t want to snuggle their baby or toddler?
A calm place. Whenever The Boy gets over-stimulated or is tired while we are out, he can come climb on board. Wearing The Boy keeps him close and sooths both of us!
Nursing on the go. I was able to use my slings to nurse The Boy while shopping, sight seeing, and eating. It leaves my hands free to carry items, push a cart, or whatever else I might need to do.
Arm and hip comfort. Holding The Boy through a basketball or football game (or really any extended period of time) is hard on my arms, shoulders and hips.
Overall, I wore my son, because it was what seemed most natural to me. I practice attachment parenting and this is one way to enact their eight principles.

There are ten of my reasons. Why do you wear your baby? Do you have a great babywearing story to share? If so, please do!

International Babywearing Week

Christina — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:55:08 +0000

This week is International Babywearing Week, so we here at Mama’s Worldwide thought we’d bring you a couple posts on babywearing.

As a practicer of Attachment Parenting, I’m pro-babywearing, as it has a lot of benefits for mother and child (Maria’s going to write about some of these tomorrow), unfortunately, I’ve also got a very bad back, making babywearing difficult for me.

While still pregnant, I bought a Baby Bjorn Active. According to the company’s description, the Baby Bjorn Active is good for back support. It’s adjustable, so my husband and I could both use it, and I’d also read in many reviews that husbands are more likely to use a Baby Bjorn than other types of babywearing.

It’s pretty easy to get into and adjust, but I was never able to find a really comfortable fit and found myself constantly readjusting the straps during use. Even when Oliver was small, my back would start to bother me after a while. Add to that the spinal stress it puts on the baby, and I knew I needed another option.

I was a little nervous about going to a wrap or a ring sling, so I chose a pouch-style sling, the Hotsling. I like the Hotsling, and it’s actually a lot easier on my back than the Bjorn was. I transported my 15 month old through the Munich, Amsterdam, and Washington Dulles airports on my recent trip to the States in the Hotsling without my back getting too uncomfortable. I like that you can easily move the baby from front to hip to back carry. Oliver enjoys riding in the sling and I enjoy using it. The downsides to the Hotsling, at least in my opinion are that breastfeeding in the sling is difficult (I can’t manage it, but I’ve heard it is possible for some skilled mamas) and that it isn’t adjustable. Unless you happen to be the same size as your husband, you’ll need two different sizes. Additionally, I’ve lost 40 pounds since giving birth and had to buy another Hotsling (two sizes smaller) this past summer. My current sling is starting to get a little loose now, if I keep losing weight, it’s gonna be useless.

I think about buying another sling. If I did, I would consider the Mei Tai, or a ring or wrap sling, as they’re more flexible, but as Oliver gets older and heavier, I know my babywearing days are limited. My back is just not going to allow it, but maybe with the next baby I’ll feel the expense is worth it.

For more reviews, see Maria’s earlier post on Baby Wearing for her takes on the Mei Tai, Zolo Wear, Hotsling, Baby Bjorn and Baby K’tan.

Odenwaelder Babynest

Christina — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:31:48 +0000

Last year while in DC over the Christmas holidays, we received a lot of comments on how warm and snuggly Oliver looked in his stroller bag. The stroller bag is a pretty common thing in Germany and the rest of Europe, so I thought I’d introduce you to the company that produces the baby stroller bag, and now kid stroller bag, that we went with, Odenwälder Babynest. Odenwälder Babynest is a German company that makes high-quality, hand-made sleep products.

Mucki L Thermo-Revolution Footsack

Alex Blanket

Car seat inserts

Down Toddler and Kid Comforters

Odenwälder Babynest is available in Germany from Amazon.de, and the company website lists handlers in many other European countries.

Mamas Worldwide » Travel

CARES travel system

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Separation while extended nursing

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Breastfeeding in Italy with a Toddler

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Time change and a toddler

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What's in My Carry-On?

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The Best European Car Seats

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Mr. Bobbles Travel Crib Sheets

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Ten Reasons to Wear Your Baby

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International Babywearing Week

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