Traveling with a 9 Month Old: Staying Healthy

IMG_5275One of the things that make me most nervous about traveling with a baby is staying healthy. Being packed onto a plane with recycled air and tons of people for more than 12 hours seems like a sure fire way to catch something if you ask me. So, I like to pull out all the stops and do whatever I can to stay healthy while traveling. This time I want to be even more cautious and prepared since I am traveling with my precious baby.

Here is my strategy for staying healthy while flying transatlantic flights:

  • Make sure you are well rested before your trip begins.
  • Stay hydrated! Planes can be very dry and dehydrating, so make sure you drink plenty of liquid and that your baby is also drinking often. Side note: having your baby drink can help with the pressure in their ears when flying as well.
  • Wash your hands frequently. And if necessary use an Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer (I usually avoid using anti-bacterial stuff, but I think a long flight like this is one time when a little anti-bacterial sanitizer might be a good idea).
  • Use natural wipes to wipe down surfaces (like the tray table in front of your baby on the airplane).
  • Take your probiotics. Whether it’s a pill form or just drinking lots of Kefir making sure that you are filling your body with good bacteria can go a long way to helping you stay healthy while traveling and fighting off little bugs you may come into contact with. Breastfeeding your baby can provide them with good probiotics, as can giving them a little bit of yogurt (if they are old enough and tolerate milk alright).
  • Eat well. Don’t succumb to the allure of fast food and junk food just because you are on vacation or traveling. Make good healthy choices. Enjoy your food. Have dessert - but keep things in moderation and don’t go overboard. Make sure you are still getting lots of vegetables and fruits and good healthy fats.
  • Have an emergency care kit handy with some things to help you if you do get sick. Mine includes Echinacea, Zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, and Super Silver.
  • Spend some time outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Sunshine can help readjust your body’s clock if you are dealing with jet lag, it can also provide your body with vitamin D which supports your immune system. And who knows what good things are in fresh air. I recently read a report of a study that showed that there are beneficial bacteria on trees and plants that make people feel good.

Well, those are the things that we do when we travel. Here is a wonderful and thorough post about natural remedies for staying healthy while traveling. It’s another great resource that I know I will keep in mind and reverence while traveling this summer.

What do you do to stay healthy while traveling? How do you keep your children healthy while traveling? Do you have any additional bits of advice?

Rejoicing in the journey - Bethany Stedman

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