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Traveling to new and exotic destinations is always an adventure, but it becomes even more special when you get to share it with your little ones. As a first-time mom, I was nervous about taking my infant on a vacation to the Caribbean paradise. But with careful planning and preparation, we had an incredible experience filled with sun, sand, and sea. In this blog post, I’ll share our journey and some essential tips on how to travel with an infant, from what to pack to what to expect. Join me as we embark on an unforgettable adventure with our little one! Before I begin, I want to clarify that this is not a sponsored post. The opinions expressed here are my own, based on personal experience and travel journal. Caribbean Island – Turks and CaicosAirlines – UnitedStay – Beaches resortDuration – 5 nights Uber/ Airport transfer If you’re planning a vacation, one of the most important things to consider is how you’ll get to and from the airport. Although we could have asked our friends to give us a ride, due to the odd hours and days, we decided to take an Uber. It was our first time taking an Uber with our little one, and we had some concerns about how it would go. Our flight was at 9:30 AM, and we knew we had to be at the airport early to check-in, get through security, and make it to our gate on time and squeeze in a diaper change before boarding since it much easier to do it in the airport restrooms than within the flight. We didn’t want to risk not being able to find a ride, or wait for a long time to find our ride. So we scheduled our Uber ride the previous night. We wanted to make sure we had a reliable and stress-free ride to the airport. One thing we were worried about was how we were going to transport our car seat. Our car seat did not require a base to be installed, so opted not to bring it and instead secured it with the car seat belt. Our resort package included airport transfer at Turks and Caicos. Our return flight was at 2.30pm and coincided with his nap time. We hoped that he would sleep well in the flight. PARENT-TIP: 1. Prior to your flight, learn how to secure infant car seat with a car seat belt without base (if applicable). Uber drivers may or may not know it, and this will save a lot of hassle at the nth minute.2. Parents with children are given an opportunity to pre-board. However this means that you’ll have to spend longer time within the aircraft as other passengers board. This can be daunting when you have a toddler who can get restless. In such cases, it is a good idea for others to board while at least one adult stays out with the child and board when it is time or the child is tired. Airport To ensure a smooth travel experience, we made sure to allocate sufficient time for the airport, particularly for security, as we were carrying frozen and liquid breastmilk. Due to the nature of our international flight, United Airlines required us to complete our check-in at the airport instead of doing it at home. However, we were not able to use the self-check-in KIOSK since we were traveling with a lap child, which meant that we had to be checked in by an agent, causing some delay before we could proceed to security. PARENT-TIP: Pick seats next to the window as it may give you additional privacy in case you need to fed your little one during the flight. More on this later Baggage United allowed us to carry one check-in, a carry-on and a personal item each. In addition to this, we were allowed to carry a Diaper bag for the baby. PARENT-TIP:While traveling with a baby, packing early and weighing your bags at home is imperative. However, there may be items that needs to packed at the last minute. These may include breast pump and parts, milk bottles, pacifiers, and of course, breastmilk, if you are bringing it along. To avoid being overwhelmed or worse, forgetting items, it’s best to plan ahead and create a list of “Last Minute Items.” Because with a baby, prediction game is very hard. Also, it is important to pack your bags thoughtfully. For example, if you plan to bring battery-operated toys in your checked luggage, remember to separate the batteries and pack them in your carry on ahead of time. We decided to carry light for the flight with a diaper bag, a carry-on suitcase and a tote bag since we also had a stroller and a breastmilk bag to maneuver through the airport. Our tote bag included a mini diaper pouch, a blanket, a few toys, empty bottle, snacks for Vedanth and Us, burp cloth. PARENT-TIP:You can get a tote bag that can double as a fashion-accessory-beach-bag or vice versa. Security with Breastmilk and baby food We were well aware that carrying frozen and liquid breastmilk through security would take up a significant amount of our time at the airport. Therefore, prior to our travel, I conducted extensive research to ensure that we were well prepared. As a breastfeeding mother who was also pumping, I knew that carrying an adequate amount of milk was crucial for the trip. Even though I was still breastfeeding and pumping, I wasn’t producing enough for five days, hence, I had to bring along my frozen stashes. In total, we carried around 50 oz of both frozen and liquid breastmilk, and to keep it well-preserved, we had to pack it with plenty of ice and gel packs in a Yeti cooler bag. Carrying more milk than we needed was a smart move as it’s better to be safe than sorry. Read on for more details on the process of carrying breastmilk through security. PARENT-TIP