Travel, transitions and toddlers

When I booked a three-month trip to the US for Xavier and I, I knew I had to prepare for three inevitable things:

1. The chase
He was bound be a lot more active than the time we went to Hawaii where he was 9 month old crawler... Disney made for one of the best workouts of my life!

2. Stocking up big
Pack your faves and travel with the basics he’s used to like wipes, baby wash, and nappies… I had been told that these items are usually quite different in other countries.

3. The Milk Issue...
The big one… brace for the 1 year transition from formula to full cream milk.

After taking advice from my sisters, the one-year mark was the best time to introduce full cream milk. Unluckily for me, I began this introduction two weeks before flying off to LA. I knew this was going to be the biggest challenge for Xavier’s poor little belly, as it’s a given that dairy in other places certainly wouldn't be the same as what he was used to here. This is the reason why I decided to keep giving him Munchkin Grass Fed. Since 4 weeks old, Xavier had been on Grass Fed, and while it’s not completely imperative to keep him on formula after having introduced regular milk, for the traveling mum like me, I knew this would save my butt (and his) while we were in transit.

So for the first 3 weeks of our trip, my wonderful cousin Alex came along to help out with Xavier while I found my groove. One of Alex’s suitcases was packed with tins of Grass Fed, to the weight limit. I had a few more in my bags that would be enough for the entire three months. This was the best packing move I made, and here’s why…

Keeping him on one daily feed of the Munchkin Grass Fed he loved, ensured his little system was in check. This was so important in the early days while I tried different milk brands that were available at the wholefoods I shopped at. The first kind I chose seemed to be too heavy on his belly, while the second type definitely clogged him up. By the third week in LA and after a couple of days of adjusting his diet, Xavier had completely settled in and was happy having both organic whole milk and his one trusty Grass Fed bottle .

Here’s a few more things to note if you plan on taking a long or short trip with your transitioning bub:

1. Be one step ahead of feed times
Ordering full cream milk from Starbucks at American airports can take a lot longer than most impatient toddlers care to wait. So having a thermos of warm water and Munchkin Grass Fed ready to mix made it much easier on the road, in flight and any other time we were out and about.

2. Bathing on the road
If you’re staying in an Airbnb property like me, don't make the mistake of realising too late that your place does NOT have a bathtub. Either way, I still packed my Munchkin inflatable duck tub that was perfect for splashing around in the summer heat, as well as fun bath time in hotels that don't have tubs.

3. Plan ahead!
Long gone are the days of spontaneity and throwing caution to the wind. Unfortunately, that can be a really challenging thing while on vacation. While Xavier took his naps, I spent 15 minutes repacking his backpack and preparing snacks to go so that if and when the opportunity came up to dart out the door some place fun, we were always good to go! Grass Fed, clean bottles, healthy snacks, diapers, wipes and a change of clothes were all we really needed!