Shelly Rivoli's Travels with Baby Tips Archive 50

On Friday, I was a guest on ABC San Francisco's The View From the Bay, where I discussed more ways you can help ensure healthy travels with babies and young children -- certainly a topic of concern this season -- and what you can do in case they get sick during your trip. Click here to watch the segment.

Here are some additional tips to help as you gear up for your family's next trip.

What can you do to help before you even leave home?

Ask about an advice line or email address. If you don't already know of one, ask your doctor's office if there is an advice number you can call or an email address you can use for questions in case your child becomes ill while you're traveling. Your health insurance provider might also have a number you can use to reach an advice nurse 24 hours a day. Since the service isn't always widely advertised, it can be worth a call to your health insurance company to find out.

Create an iHealth Record (now a.k.a. Google Health). An iHealth Record stores each family member's health information in one convenient, secure place. Prescriptions, allergies, vaccinations, blood type, and insurance information can be instantly accessed by a medical professional if and when needed anywhere in the world where internet access is available. Ask your doctor or find out more at www.iHealthRecord.org.

Pack your child's "Travel Kit." More than what simply goes in the diaper bag or carry-on, your child's travel kit has basic products and items that can help your child through a wide range of difficulties that might crop up in your travels-but could be hard to come by while en route, on a day trip, late at night, or in faraway destinations. Recommendations for your child's travel kit-and a modified version that is approved for carry-on can be found in my book Travels with Baby.

Stay healthy! Make sure everyone in your household is getting reasonable amounts of rest and drinking plenty of fluids--especially children who have had runny noses or congestion in the week or two prior to travel. Drinking extra water helps the body stay healthy and cope with the stresses of travel in many ways. If you'll be flying or driving through mountain passes, the extra fluids will also help thin any mucus that might block the ears and make it difficult to adjust to changes in pressure.

So what happens if your child still gets sick while you're away from home?

Don't panic! Monitor the symptoms the same as you would at home. Encourage rest and fluids, much as you would at home. Take advantage of the helpful items you have in your child's travel kit, and try to all put your feet up if you can.

If your child gets a high fever, a fever that persists, or you need advice on over-the-counter remedies you haven't used for your child before, contact your doctor's office or advice line.

If you need to find a doctor away from home, in Canada or in the U.S., you can visit the American Academy of Pediatrics online and find referrals throughout North America. Website: www.aap.org/referral.

If you'll be traveling overseas to a remote or less developed region, consider registering with www.IAMAT.org, the organization that can help you find English-speaking and Western-trained medical help should you need it.

You'll find many more tips and advice for healthy travels with children in Travels with Baby, including information on vaccinations and travel shots for babies and breastfeeding mothers, treating common ailments on-the-go, the carsickness survival guide, food and water safety for wee travelers, and more.

Safe journey,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby
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Here we are, strolling along the winding narrow streets of Antibes in the South of France. After a visit to the bustling outdoor market, the vibrations from cobblestones send Angelina off into a deep slumber. I revisit this scene in my mind's eye often, and the feeling of being so fortunate to simply be present somewhere extraordinary with the people you love most at your side.

One helpful lesson we learned on this trip was that, while you can buy Pampers virtually anywhere in the world nowadays (really), you have to know WHERE to find them first. We weren't finding Pampers in the usual grocery and sundries stores where we expected to see them--right along side the baby food and related items we did see. It became a great diaper mystery: everyone seemed to be out and our supply was running low.

I finally asked a local mom-in-the know in this small town. It seems the French, who rightly take such pride in their cooking and cuisine, take to heart the sentiment that you shouldn't doodle--or sell doodle-related products--where you eat. So for diapers in France, as in many other European countries we learned, head to the pharmacy.

For more tips from our travels with baby in France, check out my tips that ran in this feature "Paris Avec le Bebe."

While it wasn't our first trip overseas with a baby, visiting France with our first travel baby was a still a fantasy come true for me. After traveling with Tim for years, crossing through our beloved France every chance we got with both of us assuming that it would have to end after we became parents, we were back at some of our favorite, and even most romantic haunts in Paris--with this tiny little co-traveler drawing our attention to the smallest details we might never have appreciated otherwise, and reminding us of our greatest accomplishment yet: her.

As I march through the final half of this pregnancy, I've set a goal for myself to revisit some of our favorite travel photos and tips we've learned along the way with our first two travel babies each Friday, participating at the same time in Debbie Dubrow's Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Of course, I'll still have other tips and photos to share along the way... and a couple of free signed books you can win for yourself or have shipped as a gift to a friend, so stay tuned.

And speaking of tuning in: If you happen to be near your TV or computer this afternoon, watch for my on ABC 7 San Francisco's The View from the Bay. More details at www.travelswithbaby.com.

However, the thought--and reality--of buckling your 2-year-old into an airplane seat with nothing but the lap belt may feel a bit risky. And many spirited toddlers simply won't last long with the easy-lift seatbelt buckle alone. The alternative is the new CARES safety harness the FAA has approved for toddlers 1 year and 22 lbs. or more to use on airplanes in place of car seats. With an average price of $75, however, it's hard for most families to justify the cost for the simple set of nylon straps that attach to the seat back and lap belt. Especially if they may use it just a couple of times before their child reaches the 40 lbs. / 40" tall the FAA considers safe for flying with the airplane's seatbelt alone. And remember, CARES can only be used on airplanes, not in motor vehicles.

Good news. I recently learned about Sweet Pea Baby Rentals, a baby gear rental agency based in Phoenix, Arizona, that is making it very easy to rent CARES by mail. You can rent a CARES harness just for your trip, regardless of where you live in the U.S. or Canada, and it will arrive at your door packaged with the instructional DVD, a flight information brochure, and the CARES carrying pouch.

You can rent your CARES from Sweet Pea Baby Rentals for $5 a day or a full week for $20, plus $8 priority shipping to have it delivered to your door. To Canada, the shipping rate is $15 priority. Families with twins or two children close in age will get an extra break for renting a second CARES harness (and priority shipping for the pair goes to $10). Click here for more details about renting CARES by mail. Understandably, the CARES rentals book up quickly, so contact Sweet Pea Baby Rentals right away to reserve yours for holiday travel: www.sweetpeababyrentals.com or call (602) 549-9918.

Families that live in the Phoenix metro area and Scottsdale can simply pick up their CARES in person if they like and save any shipping or delivery fee. Or they might also be interested in the other items Sweet Pea Baby Rentals offers for air travel, which include the Gogo Kidz Travelmate and Safeguard Go folding hybrid booster seat (see them here).

If your planning a trip to the Phoenix area (or Scottsdale, Sedona, Surprise, etc.), take a look at Sweet Pea Baby Rental's great package deals and a la carte items that include high-end car seats like the Britax Marathon (not one you want to lug through the airport!) and strollers like the the Phil & Ted single and double. As with the CARES rentals, Sweet Pea offers a discount for any second like item (rent two car seats, cribs, etc.). What's more, they'll even meet you at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (rental car center or cell phone waiting lots) with your rented car seat and any other items you need for a great stay.

Thanks to Sweet Pea Baby Rentals, I will indeed be leaving my children's car seats in their places at SFO parking next month. I look forward to test-flying CARES and traveling a whole lot lighter than usual--well, if you don't count the pregnancy bulge. Stay tuned for my detailed product review of CARES in early December.

For more information about CARES, visit www.kidsflysafe.com. For more information about CARES and other safe alternatives to car seats (and solutions for travel), click here.

Southern California makes for a great family vacation destination virtually any time of year. And while it's easy to feel the pressure to visit the numerous theme parks and attractions in the area during your stay, there is plenty to see and do for free or little money while you're in the area and still have a great time with your children.

Here are a few tips for stretching your family's vacation dollars on a trip to San Diego.

You could easily spend a solid week visiting the major parks and attractions in the area, and if you plan to do so, by all means consider getting a multi-park pass. Otherwise, think hard before you commit too many vacation dollars and days to these more costly activities. For children 3 years and older, a mere one-day admission will run you as follows: Legoland $49.95 ages 3 to 12, Seaworld $51 ages 3 to 11, San Diego Zoo $24 ages 3 to 11, Wild Animal Park $24 ages 3 to 11, to name a few. And then there are the adult tickets to buy.

Rather than spending all of your vacation time and dollars in the big parks, I recommend picking ONE of the more expensive attractions in the area and hang your hat on that. There are plenty of other enjoyable activities to fill your vacation in San Diego, especially if you'll be vacationing with a toddler or preschooler who may grow weary from the long lines and crowds far before you've finished you're day at Legoland, for example.

We chose the San Diego Zoo as our "main event" for this visit, first because it seemed the most age-appropriate for our daughters at this time (2.5 and 4.5 years), and also offered many changes of pace and interesting transportation throughout, including an aerial tram and buses (a.k.a. chances to get me off my feet since I’m pregnant). When I found out all children were free for the month of October, that was even better.

If you’re interested in Sea World, but your children are still fairly young, you might consider Birch Aquarium as an alternative. For many toddlers and preschoolers, it may hard to put in the long day it takes to get the $51 dollar value out of the child’s ticket (ages 3 to 11), and it may be equally enjoyable, or even more so for some small children, to spend a partial day at Birch Aquarium ($7.50 ages 3 to 17) followed by a picnic and playtime on La Jolla’s beautiful nearby beaches. Or if you’re heading northward or staying on the north side of San Diego, consider a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach.

Don't miss your chance to hang out on San Diego's great free beaches, stroll through its scenic walking districts, and simply soak up that SoCal vibe while you're in the area. Some of my favorite moments from this trip were absolutely free: watching a mom roll along on a skateboard with her toddler on her hip, watching my family insist on staying in the sand at Mission Beach until well after the sun had set, and of course watching a glorious sun set into the Pacific with my own toes in the sand.

We also surprised ourselves by passing many pleasant hours just meandering through pedestrian-friendly Old Town, where guided tours are free, horse-drawn carriage rides are $3, ice cream is delicious, and anyone who loves great Mexican food is sure to enjoy her lunch.

A good hotel can also be part of a great San Diego family vacation, but for one with great family amenities and a primo location, you’ll generally have to pay through the nose. Using Hotwire.com, however, we really were able to get a 4 star hotel at the going rate for 2 star hotels in town just as they advertise.

Watch for a “Hotwire Limited Rate” for the best deals. You can also try Priceline.com for exceptional last-minute deals. I overheard another last-minute traveler boast that he got his room for $39 per night -- I admit, we didn't do THAT well, but given our lovely pool-view room for the four of us, I have no complaints.

Instead of having “just a place to sleep” while we were in town, we had a great place to just "be on vacation" and unwind. Most any hotel with a pool would have been a plus for our kids, but the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay took it a couple steps further than that. We took full advantage of the three heated outdoor swimming pools with waterslides—one that even our toddler could slide down and into Daddy’s arms, and a Jacuzzi scene that buzzed with friendly families (see my review for more details). No additional admission fees to be there, no burning extra gas to get there, and thank heaven's no getting lost along the way. What's more, I could actually spend part of the "outing" sleeping in the sun on a cushy chaise lounge--just what I wanted from my "new-additionmoon."

Plus, being right on the Mission Bay Marina made for nice strolls with the children to pick up coffee and bagels in the morning, and just enjoy the nice scenery and atmosphere of being in such a special place—pelicans, sea lions, sailboats and all. Use the Hotwire icons to help determine what special features and amenities a hotel offers (even if they haven’t yet revealed which hotel it is, as in the case of the Hotwire Limited Rates). For San Diego, Hotwire will also tell you which neighborhoods the hotels are in.

The Balboa Park carousel ($2/ride) and miniature train (also $2/ride) near the Zoo are great for kids 2 to 6 years old.

The Reuben H.Fleet Science Center has really fun, interactive exhibits. For ages 2-6 they also have a Kids' City and Little Learners Lab where they can build blocks, bang, make things wiggle, jiggle etc. They also have an iMax planetarium theater with daily presentations.. $10 adults, $8.75 kids 3 to 12.

The 15-min ferry ride to Coronado (from San Diego, near the Star of India on Harbor Drive) is fun. There are some nice beaches there and nice casual bayside restaurants. Walk toward the Coronado bridge and you'll also find a great park for kids. $3.50.

If you're visiting during the holiday season, don't overlook How the Grinch Stole Christmas, performed annually at the Old Globe Theater and a tradition for many San Diego families. Ticket prices vary.

Got another great tip for outings with your family in San Diego? Add your suggestions for families below.

On our recent flight out of Oakland International Airport, I was delighted to enter the green lane at security dedicated to "families and special assistance"--primarily because some of my most unpleasant security screenings with babies and children have taken place at OAK (the Moby Wrap debacle included). I’ve actually favored SFO in recent years for flying with my small children.

The much-debated 3-lane system that lets passengers decide for themselves if they are "expert travelers," "casual travelers," or those more obviously in our camp, debuted earlier this year at Denver and Salt Lake City. It has been in place at Oakland since late spring, and can now be found at more than 20 airports nationwide.

Happily, the times appear to be changing for oft-scorned travelers with bottles and strollers. Even at Oakland. The 3-lane system, which includes the green “family and special assistance lane,” is appearing at an increasing number of airports. If you haven't passed through one already, you may get the option of using one traveling soon with your family, and if you have a baby or small children in tow, I hope that you will.

While many frequent fliers have remained skeptical and even critical of airports letting people decide for themselves if they should fall into the black diamond “expert traveler” or blue square “casual traveler” lanes, even "expert family travelers" will likely prefer going for the green circle lane. During peak travel times, the line may actually be shorter, and it's refreshing to deal with security officers who are familiar and efficient with fitting car seats through the X-ray scanner, not to mention encouraging small children to walk solo through the metal detector.

Best of all, you won't have to endure the grumbles of a laptop-toting business contingent breathing down your neck as you collapse your stroller or present your baby's bottles to security. Anyone who opts for the green lane knows exactly what she's getting into, and chances are whoever waits behind you in line will be sympathetic to your plight.

The "family and special assistance" lane may get its real test, however, during the upcoming peak holiday travel days. Nevertheless, I think it comes as a relief to most everyone that travelers with babies and small children are finally finding a welcome place at airport security.

If you're gearing up to fly with a baby or toddler in particular, you may want to revisit these tips for getting through security as smoothly as possible:

On that final point (the topic of some debate recently as you'll see in the comments to the post), I have to add that it was also this trip through security where I watched a mother wear her infant right through the walk-through metal detector in a good old-fashioned Baby Bjorn. She didn't beep and thankfully no one stopped her to insist she take off the carrier and run it through the X-ray. So I asked a different officer before I left, "Is it okay to wear baby carriers or slings through the X-ray now?" and for good measure, I also asked the Homeland Security representative stationed near the screening lines. They both assured me it is okay, and to just be sure I've emptied any pockets on the carrier before I walk through. "Great!" I thanked them and said nothing of the TSA policy. Even I would have to say Oakland airport is feeling family-friendlier than ever.

If you haven't already, check out Part V of Travels with Baby for more help on clearing security with babies and young children, planning your flights, packing carry-on bags, choosing flights for your family, using car seats and bassinets on aircraft, dealing with diapers, gate-checking gear, and more.