Houston, We Are Ready For Take Off

Tomorrow is a big day for RJ. We're taking him to Singapore for ten days to spend some time with his grandparents and, specifically, for his grandfather's sixtieth birthday. Ordinarily, the Hubs and I are dab hands at trips to Singapore. He goes pretty much every month for his EMBA, and I go as often as I can to indulge and hang out with the family. This trip though, has been tricky.

1. Booking the flight
Do I need a bassinet seat? I hate the bulkhead seats. The lack of a footrest is so much worse than the advantage of not having a seat tilt back on my knees. For a three hour flight, I think I'll just have him on my lap , though it would be amazing if I could use RJ as a reason to get the exit seats.

2. Checking the details
The airline I'm flying will let me gate-check my pram. My pram is a tank. In Hong Kong, it doesn't fit through MTR turnstiles (but then, neither do a lot of people, since the locals are shrivelled midgets). With the bassinet attached, it is approximately the same size as a jet ski. I assume that's still alright to check, but, wait... how do I keep it clean?

Two days before we're scheduled to leave, I attempt to pack the car seat, which is far more necessary than the bassinet. Sadly, it doesn't fit into anything. Change of plan. I hate changes of plan. The bassinet is no longer getting a stamp in its passport. Instead, the car seat will. Wait .. how will I keep that clean? There's so much more exposed fabric, and he chews on it all the time. I actually don't know.

3. Considering take-off
All the websites say that breastfeeding (ouch) is the best way to help babies cope with the changing pressure in the cabin. However, the airline advises that they discourage breastfeeding at take off and landing since the baby has to be restrained and secure. Hmm. I will take that under advisement and ignore it.

Having said that, RJ is on bottles now. I'll have to pack a couple of bottles to keep him going, I suppose. I wonder how that will get through airport security. Will they make us taste it? If so, I think it's Hubs' moment, since he hasn't tried it yet. Seriously, who doesn't try breastmilk when it's all over their home? Literally. There are drops of milk everywhere. This keyboard, the floor, every conceivable surface.

4. Milking it
Hmm... so if I bring a couple of bottles, what does he do the next day? Right, I'll have to pack the frozen spares. Ugh.

Hang on, then. If I pack frozen milk, and have two bottles. How do I prevent my breasts from exploding while on the flight? I'd best pack the breast pump. Perhaps some muslins to cover up with too. Jeez, that sounds like extra hand luggage.

Arg, and if I bring the pump, I'll need to bring bottles to store the milk in too. That means I'll have to sterilise just before I travel. Right. Reminder on calendar set.

Welcome to my world. All this just to get to the plane. I wonder what it'll be like on the other side.