Gear when traveling?

[weech]

We're flying to FL in a few weeks with DS who is 6 months old. He's not sitting up on his own yet (at least not reliably). So, having never done this for an entire week before, I have questions!

1) Do we need something for DS to sit in? I guess we can sit him on the couch in the room? Or should we bring a blanket and put him on the floor with couch cushions/pillows?
2) Will we need a high chair? We'll be feeding him in the room sometimes and at restaurants. He won't be able to sit in those A-frame wooden high chairs at restaurants yet b/c he can't sit up well enough. What do we do?

A couple days has been doable without all our "stuff"... but I'm a little nervous about a whole week! Do any of you have experience with companies that rent baby stuff?

TIA!

[SnuggleBuggles]

2. If you have space for it, I would get a travel booster seat. It'll make things easier, imo.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2306580

You'll be fine without a lot of gear at that age. :)

eta- 1. something to sit in just around the house, not when eating? You don't need that at all anytime. :) I am of the school of thought that if they aren't able to sit on their own then they shouldn't be sitting (bits here and there but not much more). Tummy time and time to roll around are all good. So, a blanket to spread out. Were you thinking like a swing or booster seat or a Bumbo type thing?

etaa- I would take a pack n play. doubles as sleep area and safe place to hang out. It can be very helpful to know there is a totally baby proofed area!

Beth

[WatchingThemGrow]

Where are you staying? My mom borrows stuff from her grandma friends, but she could have bought a booster seat (like this http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Healthy-Care-Deluxe-Booster/dp/B0000DEW8N) for feeding. For hanging out, tummy time is best, and having something to spread on the floor can be great too. We use a PnP and bring our stroller and carseat.

We've never rented, but we have people to borrow from.

[weech]

2. If you have space for it, I would get a travel booster seat. It'll make things easier, imo.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2306580

You'll be fine without a lot of gear at that age. :)

eta- 1. something to sit in just around the house, not when eating? You don't need that at all anytime. :) I am of the school of thought that if they aren't able to sit on their own then they shouldn't be sitting (bits here and there but not much more). Tummy time and time to roll around are all good. So, a blanket to spread out. Were you thinking like a swing or booster seat or a Bumbo type thing?

etaa- I would take a pack n play. doubles as sleep area and safe place to hang out. It can be very helpful to know there is a totally baby proofed area!

Beth

hah, I know it sounds silly - something for a baby to sit in when not eating. My DS absolutely HATES lying down, though, unless he's tired. He screams bloody murder on his tummy. He either wants to stand (assisted), sit (assisted or propped) or jump in his jumperoo. We have an infant to toddler rocker that he plays in and also a bumbo. I think I'm just being paranoid :D

Are the cribs that hotels provide unsafe? Using their crib would be easier than bringing the PnP but if it's not safe, I'll bring ours.

[weech]

Where are you staying? My mom borrows stuff from her grandma friends, but she could have bought a booster seat (like this http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Healthy-Care-Deluxe-Booster/dp/B0000DEW8N) for feeding. For hanging out, tummy time is best, and having something to spread on the floor can be great too. We use a PnP and bring our stroller and carseat.

We've never rented, but we have people to borrow from.

We actually have that booster seat... but I was thinking it was too bulky to fly with. Maybe I can make it work?

We're staying in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (flying into Ft. Lauderdale). My best friend lives about 45 minutes away, but it's too long a drive to go there to pick things up and then have to take them back.

[edurnemk]

hah, I know it sounds silly - something for a baby to sit in when not eating. My DS absolutely HATES lying down, though, unless he's tired. He screams bloody murder on his tummy. He either wants to stand (assisted), sit (assisted or propped) or jump in his jumperoo. We have an infant to toddler rocker that he plays in and also a bumbo. I think I'm just being paranoid :D

Are the cribs that hotels provide unsafe? Using their crib would be easier than bringing the PnP but if it's not safe, I'll bring ours.

At that age, or even a little younger we just sat DS on the stroller or on a couch with pillows on the sides or even for short periods (10 min) in his infant car seat. I'd never dream of flying with stroller, car seat, booster, PnP and a rocker or other kind of seat.

The cribs we've used at hotels have been very nice. But I always call and ask what they're cribs are like before deciding. BTW for the next baby I'm getting rid of our heavy, bulky PnP and getting a Baby Bjorn Travel Crib, since it's so light and compact.

At 6 months I flew with DS to Cancun and used this instead of a highchair:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Go-Booster-Seat/dp/B00005N9X5 since it's inflatable it doesn't take up much space in a suitcase.

[Momto1]

We travelled to Florida when DD was 8 months old. The only "big" baby gear we brought was the stroller and carseat. I would hate to travel with a P&P - we've always just co-slept when we're traveling, but I can see how some folks wouldn't be ok with that. We actually made DD a floor bed and let her nap there.

DD was just starting to get good at sitting and not yet crawling when we went, so we'd just lay out a blanket for her and let her play on the floor. If she needed to sit somewhere, then one of us would hold her.

We were staying at MIL's house and she went to a consignment baby store and borrowed a super old school high chair. Worked great for our needs. I'd look into some kind of travel booster or even just use the stroller as a high chair.

The amount of gear that you have to bring along really adds up quickly - so try to take as little as you can!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

when ds was 6months (barely sitting up, could not use highchair) we spent a week in Toronto bc DH had a conference. we didn't really know anyone there, we had to fly there, and we didnt' have a car there so our options for bringing/lugging aruond babygear were *extremely* limited. i had to watch DS all day while DH was in conference, so i thot it would be superhard to entertain him without all his baby gear (exersaucer etc) that we were used to at home. plus we had to eat out for every single meal. however, it wasn't bad at all, it was actually fun. we just brought a small umbrella stroller (mac volo), some small toys, our Pikkolo carrier, and BabyBjorn Travel Crib. that's it (we didnt' even bring a carseat, as we were staying downtown and relied on public transportation). in the hotel room he played around in the travel crib and slept in it at night. sometimes i'd prop him up with pillows which was fine. when he was bored i'd take him swimming in the hotel pool or take him for a walk in the stroller. for baths we had the Munchkin inflatable duck that we just inflated once we got to our hotel room and then deflated to put in suitcase. at restaurants, one of us just held him to feed him (he could not sit yet in restaurant high chairs). worked out fine. it was totally doable. actually for long hotel stays IMO 6months is easier than 8months bc they aren't as mobile and getting into to everything (since hotels aren't babyproofed and all that).