Travel Memoirs | Flying Solo with a Baby

There is honestly nothing more debilitating as a new mother when your newborn starts to kick off and you are out in public, unable to find a place to stop and no one willing to assist you.

This has happened on many occasions and it never gets any easier as you start questioning your ability to parent.

As I look back on that day in the lounge, I cannot believe that no one offered to help me when it was evident I was travelling solo with a very young child.  Everyone with their self-righteous eyes, getting ready to board their Sunday evening flight to journey somewhere in the world for their business meetings.  As a platinum frequent flyer, I had every right to be in that lounge as they did, and surely many of them had children and grandchildren of their own.  Thankfully one of my former colleagues was on the same flight and was able to mind my bags whilst I disappeared to the disabled shower room to nurse my child, away from all of the staring eyes.  And being a gentleman and a new dad himself, he had a glass of champagne waiting for me on my return.  Sadly, I have found myself feeding my child multiple times on the floor of disabled bathrooms as there has been no where else to seek solace.

There were several more dramas on the journey home, like when I went through security at Dubai.  Here they let me walk through the scanner with my BabyBjorn still attached, as opposed to trying to wrangle the baby out of the carrier whilst also unloading laptops and liquids.  I foolishly thought it would be a cinch.  But my Valentino Rockstud Flats were not so security friendly and trying to take ones shoes off and put them on again ended in another complete meltdown from my newborn.  Flying solo with a baby is not easy, but at least I looked stylish.  Then there was trying to collect all my luggage at Manchester.  Whilst I asked for help from Emirates, this was not forthcoming.  Thankfully there was a kind elderly couple whom insisted on helping me.  There is no way I could have managed all of our luggage without their help.  And finally when I arrived at the Emirates desk for my chauffeur home I was advised that they did not have a baby seat so I would be required to hold said baby for the almost two hour journey home.  Neither safe or practical, but we survived!

My husband and I have been determined as we possibly can be to continue our pre-baby life as far as reasonably practical.  And I think we have done a pretty good job thus far.

The late-night cocktails at a hip bar have taken a leave of absence, although who am I kidding, we were never that cool anyway.  However in six months we have still taken two long haul flights with the baby, multiple train rides to London and continue to explore the Yorkshire pub scene on a weekly basis.  So, whilst we have evidenced that travelling with an infant is still totally possible, it takes an extra level of organisation and some yogic breathing to keep oneself calm.  Because inevitably the moment you become stressed, the baby replays it ten-fold and suddenly you need a rather large gin and tonic and some noise cancelling headphones!

Have you experienced flying solo with a baby? I would love to hear about your adventures and triumphs so please do leave me your comments below.  And whilst you are here at Wander & Luxe, might I suggest you take a look at ‘6 Reasons you should fly Business Class with your Baby‘ and ‘7 Travel Essentials for your Baby’.