Hello readers! I’m happy and confident enough to use the word “readers” now because every so often I check my stats and it’s good to see numbers are picking up. It’s nice to know I’m reaching out to more people. On this note, I would like to extend a warm welcome to my first two followers (for now!), world traveller Jovvana Manzano and fellow Muscat-based blogger wantedbeforeyouwereborn who shares her thoughts as she takes a very special journey of her own. Be sure to check out their posts! I’ve started following a few more blogs of others who live or have lived in Muscat at some point in their lives. I find it really interesting to read about their adventures and what they make of it all. But I digress, let’s get onto the main topic of this post…
It’s been a while since my last post because I have been busy with multiple trips during the summer. In June we travelled to the UK, my home country, and stayed for just over 3 weeks. It was quite hectic afterwards returning to Muscat and preparing to leave again within 2 weeks. We left behind a beautiful summer heatwave in London, came back to [the usual] 40-50 degrees in Muscat, swapped over Cutie Baby’s summer clothes for winter ones and arrived in my husband’s hometown in Australia, towards the end of July. The first trip to the UK I managed on my own and I can gladly say that everything went smoothly. I had travelled long haul with Cutie Baby before at 6 weeks (and twice more if you count the times during my pregnancy) but this was the first time I would handle things completely on my own with her outside of me so I had been feeling somewhat nervous. It definitely helped knowing it was a direct flight and I wouldn’t have to deal with a whole other airport, but looking back it might have been nice for both of us to have a stretch in between. I flew with British Airways on board the direct flight that operates between MCT and LHR five times a week. If you are an expat mum chances are at some point you will travel with your little one(s) by yourself. From my experiences, I would like to offer some advice and share what I think made our journeys a lot easier:
The sling is your best friend
Otherwise known as the baby carrier, this ingenious invention can make your life a whole lot easier when travelling on your own, especially if you have a baby that loves to be carried (which baby doesn’t?!). Yes, your back will most likely ache afterwards but it’s also very likely you will end up carrying your baby and pushing an empty pram at the same time, so why not just go with something that will secure a wriggly baby to your body, keep your hands free and check in the excess item! In terms of which sling to go for I cannot comment because I know this is one of those mumma topics up for debate, all I can advise is use one! Seriously, ditch the pushchair, if you feel you need one during a transit then spare pushchairs are usually readily available for use in most major airports, just make sure you reach the collection point before they are all gone. For those who don’t know, when travelling with an infant/child most airlines allow you to check in a pushchair or car seat outside of the normal baggage allowance. With some airlines you may also secure your car seat onto your child’s seat if you wish to do so.
Before I travelled using the sling I read on a lot of forums that mums with slings are never asked to remove the sling, and in turn the baby too, whilst going through airport security checks. It really came as no surprise to me that I bypassed this expectation and was “randomly” selected for a full body scan. There has never been a time that I have not been chosen for one. I suppose it has something to do with my appearance, as when I glanced back after going in for the scan there was a long line of ladies also chosen who were all dressed very similarly to me. But hey, if it is for the sake of all of our safety, I shouldn’t complain! I was really worried Cutie Baby would go into meltdown mode when I took off the sling and passed her onto a member of security staff during the scan. Thankfully, she remained calm and just watched quietly, probably wondering what was going on.
Only carry what you need
As well as leaving the pushchair as a check in item, have a think about what else you can save for the suitcases or even do without during your trip. If it will just be you and your little one(s) you really should try to stay lightweight and stick to only carrying the necessities. Gone are the days us mummas need to carry makeup, perfume and the like. Come on, you know that space is now reserved for nappies, wipes, toys and the rest.
Having said all of that, I would like to let you in on what I think is a well-kept secret. British Airways offers a very generous hand baggage allowance with 1 cabin bag max. 23kg as well as 1 handbag/laptop bag max. 23kg. Infants are also permitted 1 cabin bag max. 23kg. That’s a lot more than the standard 7kg! Of course it all has to fit within the cabin bag size dimensions but it is handy if you have heavy small items (like baby food). That means if you are travelling on economy class as an adult, you have a total of 69kg to work with. Not bad huh?! Find out more details here.
Pack toys for the journey…and other forms of entertainment
I selected five small toys to take with us on the flight and packed them in a small zipped bag to fit nicely in my handbag. I tried to choose the less-noisy kind so as to disturb other passengers as little as possible. However, if your baby is anything like mine, you need to think outside the box when it comes to packing entertainment. For some reason, my baby sometimes seems more interested in inspecting oddly-shaped, obscure and unconventional objects rather than playing with regular toys. Usually I can make do with things from my bag such as Vaseline tins, spoons and scrunched up pieces of paper. Before becoming a parent I had made so many assumptions about what I would not do with my child. “I won’t offer unsuitable things to play with, I won’t co-sleep, I won’t introduce television until later on” and so on…oh, how silly of me. Of course, I still keep my eye on her when she conducts her research into these non-traditional playthings. On the plane, I soon discovered that the remote was a particular interesting choice for her, what with all the shiny buttons and attached tether. I just had to keep her from pressing the flight attendant call button!
Reserve a bassinet
As I was travelling with an infant I had the option of selecting the family seats which are located in the front row of each section. Yay for more leg room too! We had also reserved a bassinet/cot as soon as we had booked our tickets. A few days before our flight, I received an email notifying me that all British Airways flights this summer would be operated by Qatar Airways due to aircraft issues. I didn’t mind since I had travelled with Qatar Airways before and I had been really pleased with their service in the past. However, when I attempted to reconfirm my bassinet reservation, this became a problem and the customer service agents didn’t seem to have much information for me, most kept telling me it depended on availability on the plane. In the end, after my husband and I had spoken to several different staff members from both airlines, we finally managed to confirm that they would have a bassinet ready for us. Just so you know, this is not at all because Cutie Baby sleeps in a cot, we have co-slept from the beginning and all my attempts at placing a [what appears to be] baby in deep sleep in a cot have failed miserably. That’s ok though, because my husband and I love to cuddle with Cutie Baby! So why did I request one? For storage of course! Even though I have advised you to travel light, I am sure you will end up with baby bits and bobs everywhere once seated on the plane. So even if your baby does not sleep in there, it is great for getting yourself organised.
Due to some passengers being unaware of the change in aircraft, there was some shuffling of seats once we boarded the plane. Apparently, as I understand it, some airlines follow a rule of not placing two bassinets, i.e. two infants side by side due to a limit in the number of infant airbags. I’m not really sure why this is the case. I ended up swapping my original seat so that an Omani couple could sit together with their baby. It worked out for me though because I ended up with a seat free next to me!
Change nappies where you and your baby feel comfortable
I personally prefer to do nappy changes on the floor rather than at a height, because changing Cutie Baby’s nappy is a mission for the both of us quite literally, with her impressions of Mission Impossible rolls and me struggling to keep her in one position. Since I had the seat free next to me on the Qatar Airways flight, I decided to use the floor space in front and managed to change her nappy quite smoothly with her content; I was actually quite proud of myself for doing so. I might be making this up but I seem to remember the flight attendant offering to help. So it hit me quite hard when I attempted to do the same on the Emirates flight and was met with quite the opposite response. I was told by the attendant there, in an annoyed tone, something along the lines of ‘I can’t make you but it would be better if you used the changing facilities in toilets, as other passengers may complain about the smell of the nappy’. Seriously?! This comment was made with a scowl and I just didn’t know how to respond. I probably was rude myself and commented that it was not such a big problem. I mean, I am always quite particular with changes and I always use a mat and scented bag, as most mothers do. It was not a potty change, and I would have maintained a certain degree of hygiene and privacy and been as swift as possible and I am quite sure no other passenger would have complained. I was using the area in front of our seats so I was not blocking the path nor was I in the way of anyone. Of course if it is a safety issue that the airline has to follow, then I completely understand, but safety was not the reason I was given. To be honest, I think I was just irritated at the tone and wording that was used when advising me to use the toilets instead. In the end, I gave in and did what was suggested and my husband helped me use the changing counter in the toilets. I know some mums will do this quite happily without complaint but I don’t think we should feel obliged to if we feel uncomfortable.
Feed during take-off and landing
If your baby has something to suck on when the plane ascends and descends, I am told that it will prevent his or her ears from hurting. I am given this advice from other mummas time and time again so there must be some truth in it! I have always done so, unless Cutie Baby has been asleep, and have had no problems, thankfully.
For mealtimes, I sat Cutie Baby in the seat free next to me, keeping her occupied with her toys and the various odd objects mentioned above. I took Ella’s Kitchen food pouches with me, but keep in mind if you need a back up supply some airlines offer a baby essentials pack and this can include nappies, wipes, bags, spoons and bibs as well as food jars.
Be prepared for…
Dealing with time differences, weather changes and extra clinginess from your baby both during your trip and upon return. Also be aware that sometimes you will feel the need to ask dumb questions, or rather, necessary questions. Here’s just another quick comparison of my experiences with Qatar Airways and Emirates. On board Qatar Airways I was given the infant life jacket soon after I had taken my seat. On the Emirates aircraft, I was not given this at any point nor was I notified by a flight attendant where this was placed. I didn’t ask because I felt a bit self-conscious and thought I would seem like a crazy person, but in hindsight I should have really because it would have been for the safety of my child. I don’t know, perhaps the information was there in the flight safety card somewhere, but to me it seems like an important thing that I should have been told about in person. I also had to ask for the baby seat-belt attachment as the plane was almost taking off and I still had not been provided with this. In contrast, the Qatar flight attendant handed it to me early on and kept asking if I needed any help putting it on. I guess Emirates staff were preoccupied with other things, maybe more important things, if that’s the case then fair enough.
All in all we had two great trips, it was a good experience of the new Muscat International Airport (although waiting times seem to be the same), an excellent experience with Qatar Airways, and I was really happy to have also made my first Omani friend on the journey to London, another mumma. I know, it’s shocking that I have lived in the country for over two years and have not made any native friends! I’m looking forward to meeting up with her once we are both done with our travels. We’re off again in a few weeks, more adventures to come…
Mumma in Muscat 