Traveling with kids can be quite challenging. But it needn’t be stressful and with the right planning and preparation it can be fun too. Air travel, in particular with kids requires a good plan of action and the ability to think on your feet.

Having just done a 27 hour flight to Europe with an unscheduled 7 hour bus ride on top for good measure, I think I am in a good position to shed some light on kids travel. We traveled with our two young ones; Isa (5 months) and Deva (2 years).

In fact it only took two things to make our trip successful; a kids suitcase and a magnetic sketch board.

Kids Suitcases

Before the trip I purchased a kids rolling suitcase for Deva called Trunki. It’s luggage for little people and has a superb design and great colors too. It is very strong so that your child can sit and ride on it. But it’s not big and goes on the plane as hand luggage.Deva had hours of fun packing this in preparation for the trip. And during the trip it was a life saver, as whenever she was tired she would just sit on it and I could pull her along.
 
She was very proud to have her own suitcase and her own things, and I’m sure your child will love this too. Check out the short video below.

Click here to get your own Kids Trunki Ride-On Luggage

Other Things To Do Before Your Trip

Other things we did before the trip was to talk lots about where we were going. We were lucky enough that in the months proceeding our trip we had lots of visitors, which meant trips to the airport. In this way Deva got accustomed to the idea of flying.

Not forgetting Isa, but a 5 month old is pretty easy. We did the same trip with Deva when she was 6 months old and she slept most of the time. Isa did the same on this trip.

We also tried to give Deva a tangible idea of where she was going. We regularly Skype with Grandma and Grandpa and we explained to her that that was where we were going. She understood this quite clearly. On the phone in the weeks before the trip she would say to grandma ‘Deva coming’.

Then the most important planning aspect, what games to take for the trip?

Travel Games For Kids

We got Deva to pack some of her favorite toys in Trunki but we also bought a few new ones that we knew she would like. We kept these aside in our bags without her knowing, for when they might be needed. It’s a good idea not to pack things that are small and can easily fall and be lost under a seat. This concerned me as Deva loves to draw with her coloring pencils. Fortunately I found the perfect solution to this in the shop; a magnetic sketcher board.

Magnetic Sketcher

A what? I hear you ask, well here’s a photo of one. It can also be called a Doodle pro. It reminds me of an Etcher Sketcher when I was young but they only had round knobs to draw with, these have a pencil. Anyway, we gave this to Deva at the first sign that she may be getting bored on the plane. And she loved it. And the real beauty is that nothing can fall and be lost, the pencil is attached by a thread and you don’t need any paper.

Other Toys

We also bought a ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, as Deva likes toy trains. But this was still in my bag when we arrived in Europe.

The second most popular toy was the phone. She has this toy telephone that makes sounds and has flashing lights. She’s very good at imitating Mum and Dad on the phone! She used this throughout the trip to inform Grandma and Grandpa where we were.  It was very cute to see her pretend to call them and tell them we were late!

On The Plane

On the airplane I ensured that Deva had everything around her that she needed. I also allowed her to pack her own things into the little pockets around her seat. However, the most popular thing was the remote control for the television screen. She loved this, once I had eventually managed to show her how not to press the button for the stewardesses it was all good, and was able to leave her to play with it.

The other thing to remember was to ensure she constantly drank enough water and that we took regular walks around the plane.

Tips For The Parents Themselves

Undertaking such a long journey requires a lot of preparation for you too. I tried to get lots of sleep before traveling, but that didn’t really happen. I knew there was the possibility that I may not sleep much on this journey and just having that expectation made it somewhat easier during the trip.

But, I did sleep whenever the kids slept. Martine decided the choice of films was too good to waste on sleep. Something I think she probably regretted later!

I also made sure that we were prepared and there was no rushing or confusion. The most important thing I think was that it was an adventure for us too and we were both very relaxed. And I think as a result, both our children felt relaxed.

Travel With Kids

From my experience I can safely say that traveling with kids can be a pleasure. Knowing what your child likes and dislikes is all you need to know actually. Knowing how they react when they are tired or uncertain and seeing the signs early is the secret. Be aware that this is something they’ve never done before and although exciting, can be scary too. And most of all, always talk to them and explain what is happening. For instance; why trunki has to go in the x-ray machine!

Click here to get your own Kids Trunki Ride-On Luggage

Whether it’s your first or fifth (birth), being in that delivery room with your wife and watching her give birth, never gets easier. It’s said that nature ensures that mothers forget the birth process so that they’ll want to go through it again. I think it’s true for fathers too! However, there is a lot you can actually do to help during birth. In fact it is vitally important that you do so, both for your wife and your child.

Preparation is the key and you should make sure you are well aware of what your wife wants once she goes into labor. This is something you should both discuss well in advance and review regularly throughout the nine months.  Cover what kind of birth you want, the use of drugs and what to do if things don’t go to plan.

Aside from the practical things (bags packed, car full of petrol, emergency phone numbers, stopwatch), you need to prepare for taking charge and making decisions once labor starts. Your wife does not want to deal with anything else apart from concentrating solely on giving birth.

I’m in labor!

Once your wife tells you she thinks she is in labor start timing those contractions. For this get a stopwatch that gives you split timing. This will mean you’ll see instantly how long the last contraction was, as it gives you a list of all the timings you’ve done. I used this for our second daughter and it was great. For our first, I used a normal watch and tried to write down the times, don’t do it!

Talk to your wife as much as she lets you. It’s hard as she is in a zone where she’ll start to ‘go inside’ but you need to know where you’re at. You have to make the decision at some point to talk to your midwife  to determine whether labor has actually started.

For our first baby we spent four hours at home as my wife considered the contractions ‘mild’ and wasn’t sure whether they were real contractions at all. Once we contacted our midwife and headed for the maternity unit we discovered that labor was actually well on the way, we just made it to the maternity unit on time!  

For our second we left as soon as a regular contraction had started, my wife was already 8cm dilated when we arrived!  I made the decision to go on this occasion as I remembered what happened the first time and was aware that my wife obviously had a high tolerance to pain. I suggested we leave straight away as I couldn’t stand the stress of another Formula 1 drive.

Make sure you listen to your wife and watch her to see how she is reacting to the contractions. Most of all, talk to her, ask her how she is feeling and what she is feeling.

Breathing Techniques

Ensure that she is breathing properly. Sounds strange, but proper breathing is crucial for her. Tensing up and not breathing properly will not help her or the baby. You should have practiced techniques for this already.

Practice any positions that may help your wife and the baby too. She will feel very awkward as the baby begins the movement down and depending on many factors you can ease the passage down.

Once you’re in the birthing room then things get exciting and you have to move along pretty quickly. We chose for a water birth and my job was to hold my wife from behind and talk into her ear. I constantly reminded her to breathe through the pain, relax and suggested she be aware of her position. In the pool she was easily able to adjust her position when she felt the need. I also kept her hydrated with water and applied ice cold cloths to her forehead.

I could tell when she was getting “close” and persisted with talking into her ear with words of encouragement and telling her that our little baby was almost out. Your wife needs to hear you at this stage, even if you think she’s not listening, continue to talk, encourage and advise.

Be Prepared

There are a lot of things for you to think about during this whole process and that’s why preparation is so important.

I was fortunate that my wife was using The Pink Kit to help HER prepare for birth. It’s a Book/DVD/CD information pack. It’s an amazing kit which is not only for the mother. It has a wealth of information for the father too. We used this kit and I learnt everything from positions that your partner can use to breathing techniques. 

The Pink Kit shows the mother how to assess what type and shape of pelvis she has. This is really important as it will determine exactly how the baby will birth. Everyone’s pelvis is not the same and hence every mother needs a different birth position in order to help the baby down and out easily. I found this section fascinating as it was something I had never heard of before but it made perfect sense.

If you use The Pink Kit you will be aware what you’re wife is going through at every stage of labor. Plus, you’ll both practice some of the exercises which will enable your wife to ease the pain and help the baby move down.

As I said already, breathing is a crucial part of the process and The Pink Kit gives you guidance on breathing techniques. Techniques which you practice with your wife and then you can guide her during the birth.

I can safely say that I felt I contributed hugely to both births of our children and that was purely down to having prepared through The Pink Kit. So, check it out and most of all cherish that moment of birth, it is such a special moment and experience, one you won’t remember completely but will be touched by forever.

Visit The Pink Kit website via the banner  below and you’ll find specific CD’s for fathers. If your wife has not heard of The Pink Kit then maybe suggest she check it out. Would also be a great present to give her.

As an expectant father you will be focusing all your attention on the upcoming birth of your child and the changes occurring within your wife/partner. But there is one thing that is actually more important, that is the state of YOUR health and fitness.

How you will maintain this not only in the run up to the birth but through the first few months after birth will effect the quality of all of your lives. If you can achieve a high level of fitness, not just physically but emotionally too, then you will be that much more available for the needs of your wife and child.

So, how do you go about this? There are many ways to ensure your body, mind and spirit are tuned and running correctly. To name a few; physical exercise, proper nutrition, meditation, yoga, good sleep, massage and hiking. The idea is to work on the complete package not just on the physical. You can be a very active sportsman but that doesn’t mean your emotional state is fit and healthy too.

Exercise

Any form of exercise will be good for you. Done on a regular basis it will ensure you not only give your heart a workout but that you produce endorphins that will help you feel happy and sleep better. Be aware that once your baby is born you will be doing a lot of bending over and picking up. This may sound a bit petty to focus on at this point but be assured if you’re not in shape you can easily pull a muscle or slip something. Then you’ll be no good to anyone. So, strengthening and flexibility should also be a consideration.

For me personally I found yoga to be the best thing. At the time I was an active squash and soccer player,  very fit. But I always had issues with lower back problems, my hamstrings were so tight. So, I decided to take up yoga. Now, I’m sure a lot of people have this idea that yoga is about sitting around and humming and that it is for women only. But that is so far from the truth.

There are many different types of yoga but I chose Bikram yoga. There seems to be an explosion of Bikram studios opening up around the world so you should be able to find one near you. Check out their website. The reason I chose Bikram yoga was that it gave me a full workout as well as working on my flexibility and giving me mental and emotional focus.  Also, it is one that is more popular with men.

Bikram yoga is unique in that it is performed in a room heated to 40 degrees Celsius. The class duration is 90 minutes and you are dripping sweat from the start. You get an unbelievable cardio and strength workout and your flexibility improves in no time. I found it to be the perfect all round exercise for me.  You will sleep like a baby after every class! It’s not for everyone, you either love it or hate it. If not go for another type of, gentler yoga.

Nutrition

I could write a whole book on nutrition but will only touch on it here. However, this is one of the most important factors in ensuring we are healthy. If you exercise but eat badly how much good are you actually doing for yourself? Not much, you are what you eat as they say. This is what I mean about looking at the whole package. So, how do you ensure you are eating healthy. There are a myriad of books and DVD’s out there telling us what we should or should not eat and drink. And probably people get put off trying anything even before they finish one of these.

One book will tell you one thing and another something else. So, a lot of it is the author’s personal opinion. You don’t want a complicated guide here, so I’ll keep it simple.

• Ensure there are lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, I mean lots!
• Meat & Fish are ok, but not every day. Try for Organic and limit the amount in a week
• Take it easy with coffee and alcohol, definitely not every day.
• Avoid sugary products as much as possible and especially processed foods. I believe sugar to be one of the worst ingredients in our food today.
• Make your food from scratch, fresh.
• Limit bread and pasta in the week.
• Drink lots of water and fresh juices. I personally recommend a shot of fresh wheatgrass juice everyday. It will cleanse you and give you energy like you’ve never known.
• Avoid all fast foods

Following this simple guide will ensure you generally are eating healthily. There is no need to go for drastic measures and cut out everything, besides if you try that you will undoubtedly fail.

Meditation

Physical exercise, yoga and good nutrition work on all three important factors – body, mind and spirit. However, to really get into mind and spirit I would recommend meditation. Meditation will quieten your mind and bring you in contact with your true self.

Again, the subject of meditation requires a whole book and indeed there are many out there. It is a simple thing by definition but very difficult to achieve. Your mind will constantly interrupt you and start you thinking about what you have to do at work or similar useless things. Practice is the key. Do not set your targets too high, just try to achieve some sort of peace and relaxation with it.

Here’s a simple breathing meditation ;

Choose a comfortable spot to sit, a chair is a good one. Make sure you are warm and will not be disturbed. The idea is to ensure your back is straight that’s why a chair is good. With your eyes half open and half closed concentrate on your breathing, preferably through your nose. The focus is on the breath coming in and then leaving through your nostrils. Your mind will be very busy, let all those thoughts come but let them just pass through. Do not attach to any of those thoughts and go into ‘conversation’. Always return to the breath, keep doing this until your mind settles on the breath.

At first this will be very hard, it will take practice. It can take a long time. But even doing this you are progressing, you cannot fail in this. Although this is only a small fraction of what meditation is all about this breathing meditation is very powerful.

Ensuring you are fit in body, mind and spirit will not only make you feel great it will make you a better father and husband. You will feel strong enough and motivated enough to take on the pressures of parenthood. You will be a pleasure to be around and your energy will be addictive. The time that your child is born is a very physically and emotionally challenging one. You need to not only make sure you’re ok but also that your wife and child are ok.

If you start early enough then come the time you’ll know that you are in perfect shape for this event and then you can focus on the other two without having to worry about yourself. Plus, you’ll feel good and you’ll enjoy it more. So, start today and implement a health regime solely focusing on what you need to achieve in order to be there for your family. Ready for when the life you have created comes into this world.

So, your wife/partner has broken the wonderful news and you are expecting a baby. Do you have any idea what is going to happen in the next nine months? It is a time of big changes and challenges, especially for the mother to be. You have just started this journey together and you need to be prepared for what is up ahead. It is a wonderful time of learning and discovery. The wonder of human nature and creating a new life will all be revealed to you.

Pregnancy itself is divided up into three distinct periods, called trimesters. Basically the first three months, the second and then the last three months. The first trimester already started on the first day of your wife/partners last menstrual period. This is a bit strange as the due date of your baby is also calculated from this, regardless of when you think you actually conceived. Never mind, it seems to work and we don’t need to get into that too much. The main thing is to know what is happening in each of those periods and what you can do to help.

1st Trimester

It is truly amazing what occurs to the embryo in this stage. All major body organs and systems are formed during this time. That means arms, hands, heart, lungs, brain, spinal cord, ears, eyelids etc. It’s pretty busy in there. The heart starts to beat by day 25. By the end of the first trimester your baby has gone from the size of a pinhead to about 10cm long and weighs about 30g. Between the 10 and 12 week mark you will be able to hear the babies heartbeat using a ‘doptone’ instrument. When you hear this for the first time as a father, your life will change. You suddenly realize there is a real being in there and it is your child!

The mother to be is the carrier and experiences much more than you do of course. The first trimester is normally the period of morning sickness for her. Her body is also creating hormones in order to grow this baby and she suddenly has more blood in her body.

The mothers that do experience morning sickness all experience it in different ways. Some will have it all day and not just in the morning. Others in the night. Some will actually be sick whilst others will just feel bouts of nausea. All you can really do is give your support and help out with chores as much as you can. My wife experienced it mostly overnight and I was awoken on more than one occasion to the sound of her munching into crackers in the middle of the night.

2nd Trimester

The baby is now what is technically known as a fetus and is in a phase of rapid growth. He actually starts to move and turn and generally become very active. It’s at around 18 weeks that the mother begins to feel these first movements, and it’s a momentous occasion! He now sleeps and wakes at regular intervals too and can hear your voice. Even the fingernails have grown by this stage. By the end of this trimester the fetus is 28cm – 36cm long and weighs anything between 450g – 700g.

For the mother hopefully the morning sickness starts to disappear and she becomes more energetic. She will start to feel the baby move and her body starts to change shape. She may need more sleep overnight and also naps during the day. All in all you should have a much happier mother now as the morning sickness would have been very tedious for her. She will start to get aches and pains in her body simply from the fact that the baby is growing and getting heavier.

I found that during this stage my wife felt the best and had an amazing amount of energy. Plus, she had that famous ‘glow’ that everyone talks about. She was radiating motherhood!

3rd Trimester

Baby continues its growth in this stage. He begins to open and close his eyes, suck its thumb and even cry. Our first baby experienced lots of hiccups! The baby towards the end of this stage will move into a head down position, ready for birth. He will not have much room in there now and will find it difficult  to move.

Mother will be growing too and that bump will be an amazing site. You will also become more emotionally involved as reality is around the corner. You should be talking regularly to your baby and touching and feeling the bump. This is a great time for bonding as the baby responds to sound and touch now. 

Mother will become pretty uncomfortable during this stage, particularly towards the end. Sleeping may become difficult just because getting comfortable is hard. She cannot turn and lie in every position for obvious reasons. Baby will be getting stronger and he can kick!

The next stage is birth and I will cover that in another article.

By knowing what is happening during these first 9 months of pregnancy you are better prepared. You will recognize the different phases both in your babies development and with what is happening to your wife/partner. Above all remain supportive, read more articles on this site and enjoy the process.

This time is gone before you know it and suddenly you have a baby in your arms that you both made together. Remember most of all that the mother to be will go through many changes not just physical, but emotional too. She has a lot of extra hormones flowing through her and she is creating a new life. Her reactions may not be what you normally expect but she can be forgiven for that. Find ways to be supportive and to understand. Most of all enjoy the process and each other. You still have a lot of time for each other, make the most of it.