Ikea!

There's a great song about Ikea from Jonathan Coulton (you can find it here, just search for "Ikea"). Seriously, this song runs through my mind every time I'm at Ikea, and sometimes upon noticing that people are giving me strange looks I realize that I'm singing the song.

Anyway the point of this post is not to plug Jonathan Coulton (who also does a great cover of Baby Got Back, found via the same link posted above), but to discuss Ikea. Ikea is incredibly baby-friendly, which is surprising, given Sweden's low birth rates.

The Ikea in Palo Alto, CA has these great baby care rooms. There's one on the lower level when you first enter the store, and another on the top floor near the cafeteria. These baby care rooms are stocked with baby wipes and even diapers (size 3 only, but still...)! There's a changing table, a sink, and an Ektorp chair for nursing. They also have these strategically placed speakers next to the door so that the music that they pipe in covers up most of the sound outside. It really helps when you're nursing so that Baby doesn't get distracted by loud and sudden noises outside. My only complaint is that they should put another chair (even a simple wooden chair) in the bathroom, in case husbands, partners, family members, or friends are in the baby care room while Mom is feeding Baby.

The cafeteria also has bottle warmers in case you need to warm a bottle. I tried it once, and I couldn't seem to get it to work - it took a looooong time for the water in the bottle warmer to heat up. Either the bottle warmer sucked or it was broken. I just ended up filling a cup with hot water from the hot water dispenser attached to the coffee machine and warming up the bottle that way. (Caution: that water is HOT - you might want to mix it with some cold water so you don't melt the baby bottle.)

I believe all Ikea stores have these great amenities.

Nursing in Hong Kong?

We'll be going to Hong Kong at the end of October, and I'm excited... though anxious. I've been to Hong Kong many times before, but never with a baby. One of my big concerns is nursing Baby. Is nursing in public common? Encouraged? Taboo? I had read an article from a while back stating that nursing isn't very popular in Hong Kong, although the government is taking steps to encourage mothers to breastfeed babies. If breastfeeding isn't common in public, are there stores/malls/restaurants that are more or less nursing-friendly?

While doing some research on this issue, I stumbled across this article that gives a list of places in Hong Kong with nursing rooms and changing rooms. It's quite helpful.

To encourage nursing, the HK government has also provided baby care facilities in some government offices/premises. They've published a list of these facilities here.

Gate-checking car seats and strollers

On the few times that we've flown with Baby, he still fit his Graco Snugride car seat. Since we were renting a car and driving at our destination, we took the car seat along. We have three strollers at home, and the stroller we chose to bring with us was the Snap n Go stroller - it folds easily, has a metal frame that isn't likely to get crushed or damaged easily, and is easy to use with the Graco Snugride.

At the airport, we simply took the carseat and the stroller all the way to the gate with us. (You'll have to take the baby out of the carseat, put the car seat and stroller through the x-ray machine, and carry your child with you through the scanner machine thing.) At the gate, we told the employee that we were gate checking the stroller and the car seat, and they printed up Gate-Check tags for us. Upon boarding the plane, we simply left the car seat and the stroller at the end of the runway, and then picked them back up at the same place when we arrived at our final destination. All in all, it was quite convenient.

I highly recommend gate-checking any car seat you might bring - there's a greater likelihood that it'll make it on to the same plane as you do, and you don't want to arrive at your final destination without your car seat if you have somewhere to go immediately. If you've gone through the trouble of lugging your car seat along, I don't think you'll be very happy if you have to use a loaner car seat from the airline or from the car rental company.

Now, I've seen big glorified red bags out there that claim to protect your gate-check items. Sure, they might work, but rather than spend the money, we simply asked for a couple of the airline's complimentary large plastic bags when we checked in at the ticket counter. These plastic bags were large enough to hold a car seat or a stroller, and they were sturdy enough to survive a round trip flight.

Note: these comments are based on my experiences flying with Southwest Airlines so far. Policies and procedures with other airlines may vary.

Southwest Airlines

I used to hate Southwest Airlines. Okay, maybe hate is a little too strong. But I wasn't a fan of their boarding procedures - I always felt like the passengers were cattle, being rounded up into a small pen. But I must admit, now that airlines are charging fees for everything (even for using the bathroom!!!), Southwest is looking better and better. Not only are the first two checked bags free, but if you wish, you can check in two baby items (such as a pack n play) in place of one of those free checked bags. (See the policy here.) This is great for parents, since babies require lots of gear.

Now some may grumble at Southwest's boarding policy for families with small children - if you have small children, you don't get priority and don't get to board first. Apparently there was too much complaint from Southwest's frequent fliers. So the policy is that families with children under 4 board between boarding groups A and B. If you're assigned boarding group A, then of course you board the plane during your assigned time. If you're in boarding group B or lower, then you would board between groups A and B. Because I'm the anal-retentive paranoid person that I am, I'm always afraid that if I board between groups A and B I won't be able to get a seat next to the window for privacy during nursing. So I always make sure to set my alarm for 24 hours before flight time so I can be assigned the first boarding group.

Something to remember: if you're not purchasing a seat for your baby and he'll be a lap child, remember to bring a copy of his birth certificate. I know it may be obvious that the child is under 2 years of age, but the check-in people may request to see a birth certificate anyway. I've read horror stories about parents who have had to buy a last-minute seat for their baby because they didn't bring the birth certificate. You can find more information about Southwest's baby on board policy here.

I never had to make use of the changing table on board the plane, but the flight attendants informed me that the lavatory at the front of the plane has a changing table. And I also asked them if they had any recommendations on the best place to sit with the baby. Responses varied, ranging from "near the front bathroom" to "in the middle near the engine" so the vibration might lull the baby to sleep. So I haven't heard any consensus on the best place to sit if you have a baby with you on board. If you have any advice otherwise, please comment!

But seriously, if RyanAir implements that rubbish about charging for toilet use, that would make them a seriously baby-unfriendly airline.

Hotel Max - Seattle, WA

While in Seattle, we also spent one night at the Hotel Max. It's located in Seattle's downtown area, in the midst of lots of great shopping and dining. It's also within walking distance of Pike Place Market.

The Hotel Max is a great modern hotel with hip decor, boasting modern art from artists and photographers from Seattle. If I didn't have a baby and were a lot cooler, this would have been a great place to stay (attached to the hotel was the Red Fin Restaurant, which looked like it had an interesting menu and boasted an intriguing happy hour which I never got to try).

One of the first things I noticed was that the elevator and the hallways leading to the hotel rooms were very small and narrow. If you have lots of baby gear, you might have to take a few trips up and down the elevator. And my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I'm not sure that a double stroller could fit down one of those hallways.

The hotel room wasn't particularly baby-friendly either. The rooms were a little cramped, so if you have lots of baby gear, you might struggle for space. Also, the bathroom sink had one of those modern flat bowls (...so would it be called a plate?) on which it would be utterly impossible to bathe a baby. The "refrigerator" was a beverage cooler that was filled with mini-bar goodies. We had to take a few mini bar items out of the cooler in order to make room for bottles of milk. Also, the beverage cooler didn't seem to be that cool, which is another negative.

Like I said, if I didn't have a baby and were a lot cooler, the Hotel Max would be the place for me. But I do have a baby and am decidedly uncool, so I wouldn't recommend the Hotel Max for families with babies or small children. So why did we stay there? They had a great package deal for my stay date - $99 for one night, including valet parking. And if you've looked at prices for downtown Seattle hotels, you'll find that parking is outrageously expensive.

Hotel Max

620 Stewart Street

Seattle, WA 98101

Reservations 866-986-8087

www.hotelmaxseattle.com

Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel - Seattle, WA

In May, we took a family vacation to Seattle, and stayed in the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel. The hotel is in the perfect location if you're in Seattle to catch a cruise, since it's located right across from the cruise terminal.

Our room had two double beds, and even with the double beds, there was plenty of room for Baby's Pack n Play. There was also a refrigerator for baby food/breastmilk storage.

We didn't give Baby a bath in the sink, so I can't comment on how (in)convenient that is.

The lobby of the hotel has plenty of comfortable seats in case you need to nurse while waiting for somebody. They also have a huge pitcher of ice water to keep you hydrated!

Within walking distance of the hotel, there are plenty of family-friendly restaurants. Sure, you're not going to find any 3 Michelin star restaurants, but those places probably wouldn't welcome your baby anyway. So loosen up a bit and be resigned to the fact that you'll eat at chain restaurants more often than you'd really like. Also, there are wide sidewalks up and down the waterfront, so strollers of all shapes and sizes can be accommodated. The hotel is located within walking distance of several famous sites, such as Olympic Park and the Space Needle, so you can take a leisurely walk with Baby if he gets fussy. Also, there's a free shuttle (with a stop right in front of the hotel) that will take you to surrounding areas such as Seattle's Chinatown.

Seattle Marriott Waterfront

2100 Alaskan Way

Seattle, WA 98121

(206)443-5000

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/seawf-seattle-marriott-waterfront/

The Ivy Court Inn and Suites - South Bend, IN

Back in March, we traveled to the University of Notre Dame for a week and stayed at the Ivy Court Inn and Suites, located next to the University's baseball field. Sure, if you're there to visit the campus and are there mainly to hang out around the University, then it would probably be a lot more convenient just to stay at The Morris Inn. But most people with babies are pretty price-conscious, and let's just say that the Ivy Court Inn and Suites is much more economical. If I recall correctly, I believe the rate we were quoted was something like $69 per night in a king suite (granted, we were staying during the low season, that is, not during football season). Still, it would have cost us three times as much to stay at The Morris Inn.

What did the rate get us? Amenities included high-speed wireless Internet in our 2-room suite and daily breakfast buffet. And they had coffee and cookies available in the hotel lobby throughout the day. The hot breakfast buffet was decent enough - scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, in addition to the usual continental breakfast fare. They advertised that you could request eggs made to offer, but we never tested that out.

But on to the important stuff: how baby friendly was the hotel? We brought our own pack n play, so I can't comment on whether or not they provided cribs and if so, what condition they were in. But the 2-room suites are fairly baby friendly. Upon entering the room, you stand inside the sitting area, which is closed off from the bedroom area by a set of double doors. So, for naps and at night, we put Baby in the Pack n Play in the sitting area. When we closed off the double doors to the bedroom, it got really dark in the sitting room area, perfect for bedtime. Having a separate sitting area was great so that Husband and I could work in the main bedroom area or watch TV or whatever without bothering Baby. The only downside was that the doors (both the entrance to the hotel room and the door separating the sitting room from the bedroom) were a bit thin. So we had to be a bit careful to not turn the TV up too much or talk too loudly. Also, since the walls and doors were thin, we could hear people outside in the hallways walking around and talking. Our room was right near the elevator, so we heard the elevator go up and down. Luckily, none of this disturbed Baby while he slept. Our room was located on the 2nd floor, but we didn't hear anyone above or below us - and supposedly the hotel was full while we were there.

The bathroom was quite convenient - the vanity area is located outside of the bathroom where the tub/shower combo and the toilet are located. The sink was large enough to wash pump parts if necessary and also to bathe our son, who was 3 1/2 months old at the time. However, our son was small for his age, and if he were any bigger, I don't know how well he would have fit in that sink.

Lastly, there is a refrigerator in the sitting area, should you need to store baby food or breastmilk.

Overall, the hotel was remarkably baby friendly. Now, if you're staying there in the winter and need to get to campus often without a car, note that there's no shuttle to take you to and from campus. Although it's a relatively short walk, it's important to plan ahead if you'll be walking with your baby - as you probably know, it gets deathfully cold and snowy at Notre Dame. Make sure you bundle up baby and be careful that the sidewalks can get icy. We were there in late March, and it was chilly. We carted Liam around campus in his Snugride carseat and the Snap n Go stroller. We found that an infant car seat cover (we had the Baby's Cozy World Microfiber and Fleece Cover from Target) worked wonders.

Ivy Court Inn and Suites

1404 Ivy Court

South Bend, IN 46637

574-277-6500

http://www.dorahotels.com/IvyCourt/IvyCourt.htm

Welcome!

I love to travel. Growing up, my dad worked for United Airlines, and boy did we take advantage of those flight benefits. The frequency of my travels has decreased in the past couple of years, mostly because I no longer have those flight benefits (damn you, 25th birthday!). Further, my husband and I just had a baby, and traveling with a baby is difficult - not only because of the obvious logistical hassles associated with a baby's feeding/changing/sleeping demands, but because of the lack of readily-compiled information on the Internet. There's a noticeable lack of information about traveling specifically with babies and infants, whereas there are plenty of sources for information about traveling with kids and teenagers. Really, I'd love to find out information about how practical a large Inglesina stroller is in a busy city like New York, or where to buy good and cheap diapers in Malaysia, or whether or not it's taboo to nurse in public in South Korea.

My aim in creating this blog is to compile useful information about traveling with babies to local and international destinations in the form of links to other sites or articles and also personal experiences. I'm also hoping that readers will post their own tips about traveling with kids and comments about particular locations/hotels/cities that are or are not baby friendly.

My son just turned 8 months, and in those 8 months, he's done quite a bit of traveling - he's been on multiple plane trips, long and short road trips, camping, numerous hotel stays, etc. In the near-ish future, we're planning trips to Hong Kong, Rome, and a European cruise. I'm hoping that my chronicles of our travels with Baby will prove useful and, dare I say, even entertaining.