If you read my post last week, you would know that the twins
recently went on their first out of town trip via air and land travel. You must be
thinking "Aren't we done with this yet?" Well, I really hope you will
bear with me on this topic because that first trip was a huge milestone for
Joey and me. I mean, just going out to lunch with the twins takes us hours to
get ready. Imagine preparing for a trip! It was like an experiment that could
either be really successful or blow up in our faces.
The one-hour airplane ride alone got me really worried. I
had this fear that Audrey and Antonino would cry inconsolably the whole flight
and everyone would be annoyed at us. I also had a number of other thoughts
like:
- Please don't poop in the plane.
- What if the twins poop when the fasten seatbelt sign is on?
- Maybe people will go easy on us. I mean, they're toddlers.
- Please sit still.
- What if the twins throw up and stink up the whole plane?
- Everybody's looking at us.
- Should we have given out headphones like George Clooney? Nah... too expensive. Maybe earplugs? Too late now.
The flight to Laoag went well. It was during the flight back
to Manila where things got exciting because Audrey decided to poop 40 minutes
into the flight. Yup, just when I was beginning to think how lucky we were the
twins didn't require any in-flight diaper changes. I guess I celebrated too soon. To make
matters worse, the restroom near our row was occupied so I had to walk all the
way to the back of the plane where the restroom was empty.
My mom came along to help me and we were shocked at how tiny
the changing table was! I don't think babies older than 6 months will be able
to lie across it. It was a good thing I brought our diaper changing clutch with
us instead of our entire diaper bag because there simply was not enough room
inside the airplane lavatory! We did the best standing diaper change we could
while the plane was already starting to descend. Guess I earned another
parenting merit badge.
Kidding aside, when you're traveling with a baby or toddler
who is yet to be potty trained, you really have to be prepared to deal with the
reality of an in-flight diaper change. So, based on what I experienced, here
are 3 tips for surviving a diaper change in the sky:
Pack a diaper changing kit.
As I mentioned above, there really isn't much room in the
airplane lavatory so it's good to have a small changing kit that you can bring
with you. You can use a changing clutch or even a small resealable bag. What's
important is that you pack these:
- 2 Diapers
- Travel-sized wipes
- Fresh set of clothes
- 2 Resealable bags (For disposing diapers and storing soiled clothing if needed)
Change right before boarding.
A quick change right before boarding will lessen the number
of times you have to do an in-flight diaper change. It can also help you avoid
an in-flight blowout. I'm glad Joey and I did this for both flights. Imagine
the mess we would have created if Audrey did her business while wearing a heavy
diaper.
Ask for help.
At first, I told my mom I could handle cleaning Audrey on
my own but she insisted on coming with us. Thank God she did. She really made
things easier by handing me what I needed (Wipes, wipes and more wipes!) while I cleaned and supported Audrey
who was standing (and wiggling) on the changing table. An extra pair of hands
would be really helpful especially if the plane experiences turbulence.
What was your first in-flight diaper changing experience
like? Do you have any tips to make it easier? I'd love to here them in the
comments below.
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