Traveling with twinfants

Hi ladies!

My (92 year old) grandmother desperately wants us to bring the babies down to Florida to visit her. I would love nothing more, but have NO idea how to do it. She has absolutely no supplies available, so we would have to supply everything -- car seats, crib, bouncy, swing, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada. It would be a 17-hour drive or we would preferably fly. For you ladies who have traveled with your twinfants (mine are 6 mos/4 mos adjusted), how did you do it?!? Please, I'm desparate for suggestions!!!

Thank you so much,
Jenny

 

The car drive seems like a long one to me, but traveling on a plane you won't really be able to bring all the gear with you unless you can find a way to put it all in checked luggage. Each baby gets two checked luggages and a carry on as well as you and daddy. Just remember that it gets inspected by TSA and is handled a lot. I worked as TSA for 5 years and your luggage will be inspected. So if you do pack it don't pack it so that it takes too long to repack or making it a puzzle to put back. It would be doable and your grandma would love it. At her age this would be a special treat for her. Feed them during take off so thier little ears don't hurt and remember to declare all your formula etc. through security.

 

We have traveled to FL about 6 times since the babies were born. What we did was rent most things (swing, highchair, PNP, etc). I would look online or call around and see if there is anyplace close that you can do that. Reserve what you need before hand and then you just go and pick it up.
Let me know if you have any other questions!!

 

I've done it both ways. We did a 17 hr. drive when they were 7 mos. We stopped for the night (of H3LL) on the way and didn't stop on the way back!

We fly all the time, though. That's totally do-able. Since they are still able to be in their car carriers you would be in great shape.

Depending on if you are going alone or not, that would shape my advice for you!

 

It is do-able, and it makes for a long day, esp. depending on whether you can get a direct flight.

Re: the stuff - you could look into renting OR see if there is some way you can borrow a lot of stuff; perhaps through a church or synagogue group, or mother's group or something.OR...wait, why not - contact the local multiples club (look on the national parents of multiples website, you can google it and put in the zip code and get the local groups. I would be surprised if other twin parents would not be willing to help out with stuff while you are there! If you can't rent, perhaps you can find what you need on craigslist. I know at that age exersaucers were crucial for my two, esp. to be able to put them down for a minute.

In terms of flying i've never done it alone but i have done it multiple times with someone else. If they are going to be lap babies (meaning you don't buy a seat for them), just be prepared to be tired! Pack your diaper bag so your crucial supplies are EASILY ACCESSIBLE - in an outside pocket or easy to reach interior pocket. A backpack bag makes a big difference, i think, since you will have to fold up stroller(s) (don't ask, i have ended up travelling w/two singel strollers - a nightmare!). OFten you can get one of the security people to help fold but - you generally have to ask, they're not exactly forthcoming w/help in my experience.

Remember to bring baby tylenol and orajel if they're teething and put them in a ziplock bag. Don't give them benadrl unlesss you have already used it; it makes some babies absolutely wired.

bring plenty of whatever you're feeding them; and if possible feed on descent so they have something to suck on. I was nursing the first time and it was very challenging doing it in an airplane seat. I maanged but it wasn't the easiest. Don't know how long the flight is, you might just get lucky and have the timing be perfect.

Bring some toys to distract them , but try to avoid carrying too much on; weight increases as the day goes by!

If you have a baby bjorn or some kind of carrier that helps with the logistics; we generally push the strollers down the gateway just to the outside of the plane and they gate check them there; it means that you have to wait for them to brng them out on the other end. We have been lucky and often one of the flight attendants will be happy to help (sometimes i let them hold a baby because even though i generally dont' let strangers do that, trying ot explain how to fold the stroller while people are trying to get by is a drag!)

can they still share a pack-n-play to sleep? That would make things easier.

oh, and - depending on how long you will be there, you can have diapers delivered from diapers.com. I do taht and we pay no shipping since we get more than $100 delivered at a time, but it would be worth it to me to pay shipping to not have to deal with the hassle.

6.5 mos is a good time to do it - they are still probably not walking/mobile. A few months later it gets more challenging; they want to MOVE all the time. I just did it twice with my 10 month olds.

It would be a terrific gift to your grandmother and bring great joy if you can figure out a way to get it done. (of course you'll take pictures and send her a nice framed one!)

 

Jen- It's me! EEEEK! Sounds like a scary thing to me!! I'm WAY tooooo chicken for this type of thing!!

 

Thanks guys! The idea of renting and shipping/ordering are fabulous!!! I hate the idea of dragging all that stuff down. In your experience, do they deliver, or do you have to go and pick it up? For those who rented, do you remember from whom? We'll be in the Boca/Del Ray area. Also, do you rent car seats, or bring them with you? I've only ever installed our seats (bases) once, so that worries me. Or, can you just rent the Graco bases and bring the buckets? Oh yeah, and I would be traveling with my husband.

Mere -- I know! I'm terrified. But, it would mean so much to my grandmother that I just have to do it.

 

I just did a search and came up with these:
http://www.babyborrowrental.com/
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/baby-equ...als-florida.htm
http://rent-baby-equipment.com/rentals-by-...ent-florida.php

AS far as the infant seats, you can just use a seat belt to strap them in w/o the bases while on vacation, thats what we did. I rented from a place in Venice so that won't help you much.

 

QUOTE(excitedk @ Feb 17 2008, 07:26 PM) [snapback]626257[/snapback]
AS far as the infant seats, you can just use a seat belt to strap them in w/o the bases while on vacation, thats what we did.


I have done that too.

 

Don't be scared!!! We've flown twice with the girls. Once they were 5 months (3 1/2 adj) and then again when they were 8 months old (6 1/2 adj) and both times they did really well. The first trip was a 4 hour direct flight and the second we had a lay over in between 4 hour and 1 hour flights. We held the girls the entire time and used the Bjorns in the airport.

Since its a 17 hour drive, I assume the flight will be about 2ish hours? Is that right? Thats not bad at all... you can change them right before you get on the plane, feed them on take off and landing and they will probably sleep in the air.

I would definitely see if you can borrow or rent things. I've heard good things about www.babysaway.com. I haven't used them yet, but I definitely will some time. They bring the stuff to you which is great! I also had diapers, wipes and formula shipped to our destination so I wouldn't have to go to the store once we got there (or worse- take it with us on the plane!) from diapers.com (free shipping!).

GL!

 

I've BTDT with the long car trip and 8 month old babies - FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I repeat - FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

We are planning to fly from MI to FL when the twins are 5 months old. We have a layover in Atlanta. The flights are 2 hours and 1 hour. We are planning to buy diapers, wipes, formula when we get there. We are staying with family. We are planning to take our double snap and go, so we have our carseats. Hopefully, we will be able to borrow pack n plays and maybe some bouncies. I like the rental idea. I will have to look into that.

 

I'm looking at a flight from Australia to U.S.A -- so a 15 hour flight. Alot of your ideas will help us too. I'm nursing so I'm hoping I won't have to pump too often since I think It would be gross to do it in the bathroom. All those germs in there.

 

QUOTE(heathertwins @ Feb 17 2008, 08:27 PM) [snapback]626499[/snapback]
I'm looking at a flight from Australia to U.S.A -- so a 15 hour flight. Alot of your ideas will help us too. I'm nursing so I'm hoping I won't have to pump too often since I think It would be gross to do it in the bathroom. All those germs in there.

If you are bfing and have the babies with you there is no need to pump!!!

 

You can do it. We rented cribs as well when we went to SC. But you can also rent high chairs, bouncies, etc.

We travelled a lot, to Jamaica at age 2 1/2 months, to Europe at age 5-6 months, to Denver at 8 months, a road trip at age 12 months including a flight back to Chicago from New Orleans and then back to Europe 2 days later. It's not easy with 3 kids, but you do what you have to do to make it work and actually get a change of pace. My oldest has done 8 transatlantic returns. In May we'll be taking all kids to Turkey (only 3 hours for us) and in June, I'll take the oldest back to Chicago in June.

 

All I can say is WOW! You all have done a lot of traveling with your babies. That makes me feel so much better. The whole thing is just so daunting. Well, I guess parenting twins itself is daunting, so why wouldn't traveling with them be as well?!? One more question. . .how did you attach the buckets without the bases? I've only seen them attached once with the belts and I thought there were bases. But, that would be much easier if we could bring our seats (providing we go soon as DS has almost outgrown his bucket).

Thanks again for all the advice!!!

 

QUOTE(JennyR @ Feb 18 2008, 09:13 AM) [snapback]626770[/snapback]
All I can say is WOW! You all have done a lot of traveling with your babies. That makes me feel so much better. The whole thing is just so daunting. Well, I guess parenting twins itself is daunting, so why wouldn't traveling with them be as well?!? One more question. . .how did you attach the buckets without the bases? I've only seen them attached once with the belts and I thought there were bases. But, that would be much easier if we could bring our seats (providing we go soon as DS has almost outgrown his bucket).

Thanks again for all the advice!!!


I have Graco SnugRides and there are instructions in the manual. I don't know what kind of seat you have, but I assume they are all similar (check your manual though). You put the seat belt through the little notches on either side of the seat. Some seatbelts lock if you pull them all the way out and then let them go back in. Others have a little button on the latch part for child safety seats (which I think locks them). We use our seats without the bases when we use our truck's backseat (not often, but occasionally) and it works fine. GL with your travels!

 

There is a great post Tips for Traveling with Twins in the read-only Travel Forum. Check it out when you have a chance.

 

we drove a 6 hour trip when they were about 4.5 months and they slept most of the time. Maybe you can leave at night and we had the babies sleep with us. There was a crib at the hotel but it looked unusable to me. It was the twins and my two older kids and we made it... 17 hours is a long time so maybe think about splitting the day up?

 

So ive been reading everyone post and i have the same problem myself going to florida from alaska and was just wondering if i bring the carseats wit their stroller will they check in their carseat at the gate or at the luggage check itself?? im pretty much gotta everything else down but was alil iffy on the carseat part...thanks for letting me post on her myself ... :icon_biggrin:

 

Stephanie,

From the responses, I think what we're going to do is just rent everything once we get to Florida. You can't use the carseats on the plane, so we'll be having "lap babies" no matter what. I think it will be easiest for us to bring as little as possible. What are you planning to do?

Jenny

 

We took our 10 month olds to FL from PA. With a lot of planning, it was really pretty smooth. I'm not sure about the rules with infant seats but we decided to buy seats for our twins (we had our 4yo with us too and needed free hands). The convertible carseats fit fine and the babies slept comfortably for much of the 3 hour flight. DH and I did have to sit in rows across from each other as the seat needs to be by the window for safety.

We used "packbacks" to carry the seats through the airport - I highly recommend them although expensive for 2. Took the double umbrella stroller and left it at the gate. It was waiting for us when we got off the plane. We also packed our baby carriers in case we needed to be hands free.

Direct flights are good if you can get one. TSA was great getting us through security quickly.

Rented or bought what we needed on the other end. We stayed at hotels and they were very helpful in tracking down what we needed - even babysitters at Disney.

It can be done - bon voyage!

 

One thing to remember is that there are going to be a few of you there who are going to be able to hold the babies. You probably won't need the extra gear like the swing and bouncy. Going on a trip is different than being at home and you'll have more time to keep the babies occupied rather than be needing to get things done. I usually only traveled with my two pack-n-plays (checked as luggage), stroller (gate-checked), hook-on highchairs (put in suitcase and used for houses and restaurants), carseats (we used them on the plane), and some small toys/books. Even when we drove we didn't take much more than this. Have a great trip!