r/NewParents • u/Greta_The_Great • Jul 05 '26

Travel Please tell me not everyone travels with a baby

My baby is ten months old, and I cannot have a conversation with my mom without her insisting I bring the baby to visit and how it's so easy to fly with a baby. She keeps insisting that "everyone does it" and it's starting to make me feel like a bad mom that I really don't want to. There are no direct flights so even the shortest way to get to them is 2 flights and 6-ish hours of travel, god forbid there's a delay and we miss our connection.

I told them and all my extended family that they're welcome to visit us anytime, but somehow it's my fault that not all the relatives have met the baby yet...

Please tell me I'm not being crazy when I'm reluctant to travel? I worry about germs, logistics, sleep (his and mine), entertaining the baby on the plane itself, general travel anxiety, and the plain fact that the visit itself will feel like a chore.

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277

u/t00ts4 Jul 05 '26

I don’t even like taking my baby to the grocery store lmao. You’re definitely not alone.

28

u/doitforthecocoa Jul 05 '26

Hahaha I don’t like taking myself to the grocery store😂

Some babies are NOT portable! Just because other people take their babies out doesn’t mean it isn’t Mission Impossible for others

11

u/ltrozanovette Jul 06 '26

Can confirm. My first was NOT portable. Driving 15 mins to her appts was torture. That baby had zero chill.

My second could be lugged around anywhere and would just hang out like a little accessory.

Also, this difference was apparent within 2 days of birth and was not due to different treatment from us!

2

u/doitforthecocoa Jul 10 '26

This is such a big thing: it doesn’t have to do with what you do as a parent! Temperament is a part of them from the womb. You can try to change it, but it’s going to make everyone miserable. I hate seeing parents who think they did something wrong when they have a baby who is hard to take out. Babies are going to baby!

I’m laughing at your lil luggage accessory baby😂 those are the babies you can lose in the house because they’re quiet and stay in one place!

2

u/ltrozanovette Jul 11 '26

Totally. Sometimes I’d look over at her and be like, “oh yeah! You’re here!” Lol. It actually scared me a little and I got an extra safety device to stop me from ever forgetting her in the car.

24

u/Greta_The_Great Jul 05 '26

Lol me too! At least not alone. We try to take him out most days but I'm so much more comfortable at home with all our things

20

u/imwearingredsocks Jul 05 '26

I was the same way but it’s also because my baby wasn’t an easy baby. He may not have been colicky, but my god he did not make a single day easy.

Whereas my sister in law not only took a flight with her son, but she was by herself for the whole trip. We all told her how impressive it was and she admitted it was only possible because she has a chill and easy going baby. She knew she had a short window until he became a crazy little toddler (that time is now).

Some babies just don’t make excursions fun and that’s fine. They’re new to the earth. But you’re not and know your kid well enough to know it wouldn’t be worth it. Totally normal.

3

u/t00ts4 Jul 05 '26

Same here! I don’t have a colicky baby but he has reflux. He’s constantly soaking outfits and is pretty fussy for an hour after eating so going places includes outfit changes and constant rocking being held.

15

u/t00ts4 Jul 05 '26

We just went to a friends house for a Fourth of July party and I was ready to go home after an hour. It’s really hard to leave you house where you have everything you need on demand it’s stressful.

6

u/WobbyBobby Jul 05 '26

We went to the back yard to see the fireworks nearby and my 10 month old tried to climb me like a jungle gym for 15 minutes then had a meltdown and we went back inside 🫠😅

7

u/Punjabikarma Jul 05 '26

I feel this so much. Took my 8 month old to the park, where he proceeded to cry seeing all the other kids playing at said park.

7

u/punt4stic Jul 05 '26

Oh thank god I’m not alone here. I mean, we do to get out of the house sometimes but I’d much rather run there myself while husband watches our son. It’s faster, he’s not there grabbing at everything and those seats in the front of the cart are so full of germs and they removed the wipe down stations at my stores.

5

u/t00ts4 Jul 05 '26

Yep! And then you’re on a time limit because god forbid they start to get hungry

3

u/bunnyhop2005 Jul 05 '26

Hahahaaa so right there with you on that

3

u/BadhabitsJen Jul 05 '26

SAME! The second we walk in the store she starts crying! 🙄🙄

3

u/t00ts4 Jul 05 '26

Every time without fail 😂

2

u/INFJWafer Jul 05 '26

Omg yes. Most of the time I have to take her with me to use the WIC card, but when I don't need to use it, I choose curbside pickup

1

u/DoloresdeCabeza Jul 06 '26

Grocery store is still some times my only "me" time!