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It’s wedding season! We just got back from back-to-back out-of-town weddings with our four month old.
It was great to see two of my closest friends tie the knot, but traveling with a baby has its challenges.
Based on my experience this past weekend, here are a few suggestions of things to remember if you are bringing your little one to a wedding this summer:
Hat, sunscreen and proper clothes
Since many summer weddings are outdoors, don’t forget a hat and proper clothing to keep your baby protected from the UV rays.
Unfortunately my little guy is too young still to put on sunscreen, so I had to make sure he was covered up most of the time when he was outside in the sun.
As much as I wanted to take some photos of him in his mini fancy suit, we ended up not putting it on because he would have been too hot. Instead we put on a light onesie on him for the events.
Baby carrier and ear muffs
Most weddings are at least several hours long, which is not conducive to a baby’s nap schedule.
I packed all three of my baby carriers to try and get him to nap during a part of the ceremonies – my backpack, my ring sling, and my wrap carrier.
I didn’t think about the loud clapping, music and speeches at weddings. Although he eventually did fall asleep in the carrier, it was a bit tough trying to keep him asleep.
I covered his ears with my hands, but you might want to invest in some baby ear muffs to help keep the noise down while they try and nap.
I have learned the hard way to make sure to get some noise cancelling ear muffs before we go to our next wedding.
Soothers and toys
To assist with preventing meltdowns, I made sure to always have a toy and a soother handy to help distract him.
Chances are your baby will get more stimulation than what they are used to with all of the new faces and noises.
Change pad and bottles
Unless you’re feeding solid foods already, you might want to bring formula if you’re not comfortable breastfeeding in front of a lot of people, or if your baby will only eat with little distractions.
Both wedding venues – one was a golf and country club, and the other venue was a rented hall – did not have anywhere quiet where I could feed so I had to nurse in the car.
There were also no change tables at either of the venues so I was glad that we brought a thicker change pad in my diaper bag since my husband had to change him on the counter in the washroom.
Staying overnight? Here are a few things that you might want to bring as well:
Baby bath
We stayed at two different Airbnbs. One of them only had a stall shower so I was glad that I brought my baby bath as trying to bathe a baby in a standup shower would have been difficult.
Otherwise, make sure you have enough wipes! You might also want to remember to bring baby soap if your child has sensitive skin.
Bassinet, sound machine and other sleep props
Since it’s hard to predict what the bed situation will be like when travelling, we brought a travel bassinet with us.
To try and keep some things consistent for his sleep, I made sure I packed some of his usual sleep props – his sound machine (which is actually my old iPhone with a baby sound app), his stuffed elephant, and his musical seahorse.
I also packed his baby monitor but didn’t end up using it.
Travelling with children can be stressful, but fellow parents will be at the wedding and they understand exactly what you’re going through so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
And remember to try and have fun too!
Got a baby story idea? Reach out if you have topic suggestions for this column on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (my social media platforms are all under @weslawong), or email us at KelownaNow.
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