Traveling by plane over the summer? These are our top tips for flying with your baby.

Plan and pack wisely. Bring extra diapers, wipes, snacks, toys, three changes of clothes for your baby and a clean shirt for yourself. Extra zip-top bags come in handy. If traveling with your partner, send him/her on for pre-boarding while you and your baby have a final restroom visit, diaper change and feeding – only get on the plane with your baby at the final boarding call – you’ll save 30 minutes of waiting while everyone else boards and gets settled.

If possible, purchase a seat for your baby. Children under age 2 can fly as “lap babies” but they are safest when buckled in a car seat. If the flight is not fully booked, you may request an empty seat next to you. Bring your child’s car seat to the gate – if there are no empty seats available, it will be gate checked or checked through with luggage. The gogo Kidz Travelmate adds a set of wheels to a convertible car seat so you can roll it through the airport with ease. If bringing the car seat is not an option, the FAA-approved CARES aviation restraint is a great option for toddlers and preschoolers.

Wear your baby in the airport. Wear baby in a sling, frontpack or backpack, and use your stroller to tote your diaper bag and carry-on luggage. Bring the stroller right up to the gate and check it there – it will be immediately available when you deplane at your destination.

Understand security requirements. This prevents unnecessary delays. Remove your shoes and place all bags (including diaper bags, breastpumps, car seats and folded strollers) on the belt for x-ray, have your baby out of their carrier and carry them in your arms through the metal detector. Current TSA regulations allow you to carry breastmilk, formula, juice or water “in reasonable quantities” when traveling with a young child. Aside from the baby’s milk, you may only pack one quart-sized plastic bag of liquids and gels such as diaper cream and hand sanitizer so find sample sized versions of these items that are 3 ounces or less. See TSA guidelines for more info when traveling with children.

Young babies enjoy being held, fed and talked to, and their ears are not usually bothered by the pressure changes so don’t stress about timing feedings to coincide with take off and landings if your baby is under 9 months. Older babies and toddlers might react to the “pop” of their ears, so offer them something to eat or drink to help equalize their ear pressure, and have some new toys and books to entertain them with. Our center associates have recommendations for quiet toys to keep children of all ages busy and engaged during travel, so stop in and ask for suggestions.

“Like” our Facebook Page to read the recent discussion about which airlines are the most baby-friendly. (It’s on our Wall.)

Frequent flyer? What are your tips and tricks for flying with a baby?

Is someone in your house getting ready to graduate out of diapers? Make the transition easier by purchasing a well-made potty chair or potty seat for your toilet (or both).

A well-designed potty seat or chair should:

1. Be simple. Bells and whistles are fun, but they can be distracting. Keep your child focused on the task at hand by choosing a potty that is simply designed.

2. Be comfortable. They may be sitting on the potty for long periods as they start training. A potty chair should be stable and supportive, and a potty seat needs to fit the toilet properly so they don’t slip.

3. Be easy to clean. Naturally, you’ll want a potty that’s easy to empty and keep clean.

At Isis, we love the Baby Bjorn potty products, which get high marks in all three categories– simply designed, comfortable and easy to empty and keep clean. Back in February I brought a video camera right into my own bathroom to show my collection of Baby Bjorn potty products. See them in action here:

1. Get the best double pump you can. Quality equipment with special features will help you collect more milk in less time. I suggest the Medela Freestyle (enter to win one below!) or Pump in Style Advanced for moms returning to work for best efficiency, discrete portability and easy access to extra pieces and spare parts.

2. Make the time to pump. If you’re working five full days each week, plan to pump three times during the workday. Pump early in the morning, midday and once again in the afternoon or before you leave. Become an opportunistic pumper if your schedule isn’t predictable. Use a conference call as an opportunity to pump at your desk. The Bebe au Lait nursing cover works perfectly to provide pumping privacy in some settings.

3. Find places to express. Think outside the box (and definitely outside the bathroom!) An empty office, storage room or even your car may become your personal “lactation lounge”. All you need really is privacy, a power source or battery and hand sanitizer. The new Health Care Reform Act supports expressing milk at work which may be helpful to mention to your HR department if time/space negotiations are needed.

4. Multitask. Don’t just sit there… Do something! Get a pumping bustier to keep your hands free. Relax, update your Facebook page, eat lunch or flip through People Magazine. Or, you could even get some real work done.

5. Streamline the process. Double-pumping typically takes about 10 – 14 minutes. Refrigerate your pump parts between uses at work, then do a solid cleaning at home in the evening. Medela’s Quick Clean Wipes are perfect if you don’t have a sink handy in the workplace. Microwave Steam Clean Bags are another good choice for cleaning at work—they’re fast and easy to use.

Want more tips for pumping milk? Whether you’re just getting started expressing for an occasional bottle, or are preparing to return to work, our Pump Talk class shares helpful suggestions to help with milk production, storage, feeding and logistics for pumping moms, and it’s FREE when you rent or purchase a pump at Isis.

Nancy Holtzman RN BSN IBCLC

We’re giving away a Medela Freestyle breast pump! This innovative pump fits in the palm of your hand and includes thoughtful features that provide true mobility, freedom and flexibility.

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Eliza K. of Newton!

My son had a scooter already. It was a hand-me-down from a friend, and it looked like most other scooters for kids his age—three wheels, two in back and one in front, with a steering bar that turns the front wheel. So why did I buy him a new one?

Both of my kids, then ages 3 and 4, loved the scooter we had, but neither could ride it very well. The ride wasn’t too smooth, and when they turned the steering bar, the scooter would tip and dump them right off. It ended up in the back of our garage. Then I saw the KickboardUSA Mini Kick scooter at Isis and I could tell it was special. So I bought one for my kids. Now it’s a favorite at our house, and I can’t stop talking about it. The thoughtful design of the Mini Kick makes it the perfect scooter for little kids. Here’s why:

1. It’s stable. Unlike most other three-wheeled scooters on the market, the Mini Kick has two wheels in front and one in back, and has a fixed handle. This adds extra stability and makes tip-overs a rarity.

2. It steers like a two-wheeled scooter. This was the clincher for me. When I took a close look at the Mini Kick design, I realized that it’s made to handle much like a two-wheel scooter. To steer left and right, your child needs to lean left and right. The steering bar does not turn (just as it doesn’t in a big kid scooter.) So as your child learns to ride the Mini Kick, they are also learning skills they’ll use later when they get a two-wheeled “big kid” scooter.

3. It teaches balance. In order to properly steer the Mini Kick, your child needs to learn to shift their balance left and right. The wheels are specially designed to respond to the balance shifts, so your child learns to tilt his/her body to make turns. These are the same skills they will use to ride a two-wheel scooter. These are also balancing skills that will help them learn to ride a two wheeled bicycle (and even someday a skateboard, if you let them).

4. It will last for years. I’m a sucker for a long term investment– something that will last through more than one child. The Mini Kick is a quality product that will stand up to lots of wear and tear. And its 60lb weight limit means your child can grow bigger without outgrowing it.

5. They’re just so much fun. Since we got the scooter a few weeks ago, my son has ridden it every day that the weather allows. I would say it rivals the bicycle in popularity in our driveway, and he’ll ride it all the way to a friend’s house several blocks away (with me chasing after him, of course). My daughter also loves it, and is begging for a pink one of her own. I can’t recommend this product highly enough—it’s such a wonderful way to get your child outside in the fresh air, moving, laughing and (unbeknownst to them) learning!

Cindy Meltzer

Isis Community Manager and Early Parenting Instructor

If you’ve ever had any doubts about the importance of selecting a top-rated car seat and having it installed correctly, you won’t after reading this. Sunshine Kids recently released this story of a terrible crash last winter involving a mini-van and a dump truck. Read on – I think you’ll be as amazed as I was to hear the children came out of the crash with just a few scratches.

SUMNER, Washington– What started out as a festive drive to a holiday gathering suddenly turned horrific for Leah Bechtol of and her two young children.

It was snowing lightly the afternoon of December 28th, 2009, when Leah set out from their home in Ashland, Ohio, in her new mini-van to exchange Christmas gifts with a friend approximately 23 miles away in Tiffin.  She was driving cautiously on State Route 603 with her son, Wyatt, 4 years, and daughter, Mira, 2-1/2 years, each strapped into their RadianXT car seats, facing forward in the back seat.

They had just completed the lower portion of an S-curve and were on a short straight stretch when Leah noticed a large truck approaching them in the oncoming lane. The fully loaded, 70,000 pound dump truck had crossed the centerline and was veering toward the van. Leah reacted instantly to evade a collision by steering the van toward to the right shoulder, but it was too late.

The dump truck struck the front corner and driver’s side door and continued along the length of the vehicle, pushing the van off the road into a ditch, and tearing off most of the left side of the van. The vehicle was so mangled that EMT crews had to use the Jaws of Life to free Leah, Wyatt and Mira. All were taken immediately to nearby MedCentral Hospital.

The children remained in their car seats until they had been examined by the ER doctor.  Leah suffered several broken bones on the left side of her body, air bag bruising and the loss of a tooth.   She went into emergency surgery that evening and has been in a cast and a wheelchair since being released from the hospital.

The children each had slight bruising from their car seat straps and tiny cuts from the window glass, but were otherwise unharmed.

Following the crash, Sunshine Kids, the manufacturer of the children’s RadianXT car seats, performed a thorough evaluation of both seats. Sunshine Kids’ Director of Engineering, David Clement, said that the seats came through the accident with “no significant damage to the seats or the key structural components.”

Brad Keller, President of Sunshine Kids said, “This was a frightening experience for Leah and her children, and we share the family’s relief that Wyatt and Mira had no serious injuries.  This kind of positive outcome validates the way we design and test our products. When it comes to protecting children in these kinds of accidents, you simply cannot compromise on engineering or quality.”
Leah is recovering from her injures and expects to be out of her cast and wheelchair by the end of March.  She expressed her appreciation to Sunshine Kids in a recent letter to the company:
“Despite the severity of the crash and of my injuries,” Leah wrote, “we are so very grateful and relieved that our children were unharmed.  We know that your excellent product (RadianXT) was a major factor in their safety and we want to thank you for making these high quality car seats.”
Even though the Bechtol’s car seats were structurally sound after the accident, Sunshine Kids’ provided the family with two new RadianXT car seats through the company’s Crashed Restraint Exchange Program.  For more information about this program, go to Crash Restraint Exchange.

The Radian XTSL car seat.

About Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products
Sunshine Kids manufactures, markets and sells travel solutions for the children of today’s families. With innovative product designs and unparalleled safety testing, Sunshine Kids conveniently secures and protects children through every stage of your journey. With more than a decade of experience, Sunshine Kids is recognized by consumer and trade organizations for its unique functionality and thoughtful design in 48 countries worldwide, while maintaining offices in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany. Isis Parenting proudly carries Sunshine Kids car seats in store and online.

©2010 Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products. All Rights Reserved.

We’re giving away a RadianXT SL car seat!

This giveaway is for US residents only. Car seat must be picked up in person at one of our Boston-area Isis centers. Sorry, Isis employees and their immediate families are not eligible to win. Limit one entry per family. Please include a valid email address so we can contact you if you win. Your email will not be published and will not be used for anything else.

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