Travel Planning and Preparation - Go Anyway Travel Blog

Traveling with a Newborn: Our Family’s First Trip

Starting small worked for our family of three

In 2022, as the leaves began to brighten and curl, we started planning our first trip as a family of three. My husband and I took plenty of adventures together as a couple: Paris, Chamonix, Key West, the Pacific Northwest, the Appalachians, the Rockies, and many more. But with our newborn daughter, we knew we needed to rewind back to the basics.

So, we started close to home. Very close to home. Pella, Iowa, is located just 45 minutes east of our hometown, Urbandale. It features a small-but-charming downtown square and a nearby lake — the largest in Iowa — to hike along. We were familiar with the hike, and both the outdoor and downtown legs would be bite-sized experiences to make a manageable overnight.

Hiking is almost always on our trip itineraries. This was true before our daughter was born, and it’s still true as a family of three. We encountered this lovely scene on a hike in Lake Red Rock State Park in October of 2022.

At this point in the story, you might expect a turn: the moment when I reveal that our simple trip wasn’t as simple as it seemed (especially after my last post about our antics on the way to Duluth). But that’s not the case this time. In fact, our plan of starting small and working our way up to more elaborate trips has been mostly successful — which isn’t to say we haven’t encountered comical and highly preventable errors along the way.

Starting small gave us the opportunity to ease into our new family travel style close to home. We learned what worked for us and translated that learning into longer trips down the road. Here’s a rundown of our first trip, and what we learned on the way:

What We Learned in Pella

Breastfeed in the car before hotel check-in
Feed and pump on the go to avoid frequent hotel stops
Book a hotel with a full-size fridge, sink, and couch

Breastfeeding was the name of the game back in October of 2022. It was the thread that ran through our lives no matter our location or activity. When we planned our trip to Pella, our top consideration wasn’t the proximity of interesting restaurants or how many stars the hotel had earned. It was accommodating our breastfeeding schedule.

The first obstacle came soon enough. As a couple, we never spent too much time fretting over our check-in time. But while breastfeeding, the gap between arrival and check-in matters. Our hotel, GrandStay Hotel & Suites Pella (now Links Bos Landen Hotel & Spa of Pella) had a typical check-in time of 3 p.m. But we wanted to make the most of the day, so we hit the road early, right after a morning feeding. This wouldn’t be a matter of calling and asking to check in an hour early (which we’ve done under other circumstances), so we knew we needed a creative spot to feed.

Our solution was actually quite simple. We took a pause right in the parking lot of the hotel and fed our daughter in the car. Since check-in was still hours off, there was no one around. I would be lying if I said I have crystal clear memories of this particular feeding, but in this case, that can only be a good thing. Unmemorable means no disasters.

We ended up doing multiple feedings in the car over the next several months, and the set-up was always pretty straight forward:

Nurse in the passenger seat with a cover
Diaper change in the backseat with our portable changing station
Pump in the passenger seat, using the armrest as a surface
Store pumped milk in the cooler bag that came with our pump

During our trip to Pella, I also ended up pumping in a cramped coffee shop restroom (my husband bottle fed our daughter at our table). Pumping in a restroom is never ideal, but it was also unavoidable in this situation. Pumping on the go allowed us to explore more than an hour-ish at a time without driving back to our hotel. I cover more details about pumping in restrooms, when necessary, in my series about traveling to Las Vegas. I have a lot of mixed feelings about the topic that deserve a post of their own.

After pumping, we had a great time taking photos with the windmill in Pella’s town square, perusing novelty shops, and trying sweets at Jaarsma bakery (don’t leave without a Dutch letter).

A friendly passerby took this photo of our family of three in Pella, Iowa, in October of 2022.

That night, we checked into our hotel and found everything we needed in our room. The room wasn’t especially luxurious (at least before the hotel changed hands), but we weren’t looking for anything fancy. We were less focused on the vibe and more focused on our necessities: a full refrigerator, a kitchen sink, and a couch.

Arguably, my number one tip for traveling with a baby while pumping is to book a hotel with a full refrigerator, instead of just a minifridge. A minifridge might be adequate to keep breastmilk cold, but it won’t re-freeze an icepack. If you’re planning to travel with breastmilk on hand, you’ll need the right tools to keep that milk cold. Of course, if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, the full fridge matters less.

The kitchen sink isn’t a requirement, but it’s nice to have a separate area to sanitize your pump parts, bottles, etc. Most hotels with a full fridge will also offer this perk. Finally, the couch allows you to set up a spacious feeding/pumping station. I had terrible luck whenever I tried to pump or feed in bed, and couches offer more space and surface than an armchair.

We ended our night at El Charro Mexican Grill. I wasn’t impressed by the food, but as a vegetarian, I can only speak to a sliver of the menu. Although the meal was mediocre, we enjoyed the atmosphere and, above all else, we basked in the rare night out. Our daughter came with us, and we set her carrier in the booth, where she happily napped while we ate. Afterwards, all went well overnight, as we rested up for day number two.

What We Learned at Red Rock State Park

Don’t forget the wearable baby carrier for hiking
Paved trails can be an alternative
Baby-wearing hikes are slower and shorter but still worth it and a great workout

I left out one detour in my description of our day in Pella: the panicked trip to Wal-Mart. We realized when we got to Pella that we forgot to pack our wearable baby carrier. It was a hand-me-down gift from my sister-in-law, and we were excited to give it a try.

I love hiking, and the experience is only improved by baby snuggles. We tried our carrier out for the first time at Red Rock State Park in October of 2022.

During past trips as a couple, hiking was always on the itinerary. We never worried much about whether the trail was paved or rugged. We took it as it came.

As new parents, hiking definitely wasn’t impossible, but it was more complicated. Rugged trails are usually a no-go for strollers, and long trails with elevation change can be tough while baby-wearing for the non-athletic outdoors enthusiast. In this case, we weren’t sure if we would find a paved trail, but we knew we wanted to hike.

We’re not in the habit of replacing everything we forget while traveling (that would be an expensive habit), but we made an exception in Pella. The Wal-Mart in town had our carrier (the Infantino Flip 4-In-1 Convertible Baby Carrier) in stock at a reasonable price, and we hadn’t paid for the original in the first place. So, we swung by to pick one up.

(A quick note to acknowledge that we’re now boycotting Wal-Mart, after they rolled back their diversity and inclusion policies late last year, before Trump took office. It’s not always possible to boycott every company that misbehaves, but this one seemed pretty clearcut.)

The replacement carrier worked wonders for our hike. In our travels during the first 18 months of our daughter’s life, we alternated between hiking paved trails and baby-wearing on more rugged terrain. I came to prefer the latter, particularly when we switched our daughter into a forward facing position. Baby-wearing allowed her to see the sights along with us. But paved trails can also be a great option, particularly as a way to stay active during naptime.

At Red Rock, I wore our daughter on the first leg, and we switched places for the hike back. For those who have never hiked while baby-wearing, note that you will get exhausted more quickly. In my experience, baby-wearing never made any hikes impossible, just a bit slower and sometimes a bit shorter. But I got a great workout. Otherwise, we enjoyed the fall leaves, and we even encountered a snake on the path — a premonition of our daughter’s future favorite animal.

Our daughter loves snakes! We encountered our first snake together (from a safe distance) at Lake Red Rock State Park in October of 2022.

When we made it home with our second carrier, we decided to keep one adjusted to fit my husband and the other adjusted to my size. Certainly not necessary, but a nice perk of having two.

After Pella, we worked our way up the travel ladder. A 3-night stay in Minneapolis came next followed by a similar stay in St. Louis. After that, we graduated to flying trips, including Clearwater, Las Vegas, and Disney World. Between the larger trips, we’ve also woven in plenty of short ones.

You might be wondering if we’re planning to take the next big leap: an international trip. It’s something we’re considering, should the powers at be in the realms of infertility and our bank account eventually find some amenable alignment. As we approach that step, I’ll definitely keep sharing my thoughts.

All Things Messy: Disasters and Joy on the Road to Duluth

All I wanted was some gooey, mountain cheese

I think it’s only fitting that I return to my travel blog in a new year with a transformed voice. I’m not quite the same person I was just a few short months ago. After an unannounced hiatus to focus on progressive organizing and IVF, I’m exhausted and contemplative. I’m less concerned with creating perfectly curated content. There’s so much weighing on all of our minds, and I find myself inclined to forgive rawness. That should include my own. That said, I still care very much about building a space focused on the messy intersection of travel, parenting, and infertility (oh, and finances — they’ll definitely be part of our mess this year).

So, it makes sense to re-enter my “Go Anyway” space with the imperfect and chaotic story of our family trip to Duluth, Minnesota. If this trip were a board game, it would be littered with “lose a turn” squares, along with extra points, just when you least expect them.

The short version is that it probably wasn’t wise to plan a family trip up north in snowy December, just days after an IVF cycle. Pitfalls and emotions were abundant. As always, we learned a bit more about ourselves and who we are while traveling. This adventure was poorly timed, but it meandered its way into some great memories. Let’s dive into the plot twists and insights:

Nervous Planning (my special talent)

This trip was a long time in the making. I took a job as a campaign manager in my home state of Iowa this summer, which meant putting my travel plans on pause. As I knocked door after door and planned fundraisers with my candidate (who was amazing), I knew there was light at the end of the electoral tunnel. I hoped election-night success would be part of that light (it wasn’t), but I was sure there would be a grand adventure.

Of course, IVF has no regard for elections or travel plans. This election spat me out in a heap of grief and progesterone shots. Our next embryo transfer was just weeks away, and the task was to process the election results while accessing enough peace to become pregnant (good luck, me!). That left little time for my oft-daydreamed trip. But I’ve mentioned in the past that traveling helps us process both good and bad IVF news. We knew this trip would serve dual purposes: healing our political wounds and helping us transition into post-transfer life, whatever that might look like.

Our first plan involved a tour of “Christmas towns” across the Midwest. I considered Bardstown, Kentucky, along with Santa Claus, Indiana. Ultimately, this came out a little over budget. And, to be perfectly honest, we weren’t jazzed about traveling out of one bright red state and into a couple of others so soon after the election. Cue our second and final draft.

Bentleyville, in Duluth, MN, was visually stunning, but our two-year old wasn’t quite up to the cold temperatures while we visited during December of 2024.

This plan was a nod to Tim Walz fueled by my love for giant waves, an unfortunate passion for someone in the center of the U.S., but perhaps not a surprising one. When the ocean is too far off, Lake Superior is a first-place second choice. It’s mammoth and mind-blowing. On this trip, I was hoping to catch the end of November’s mighty gales. They would certainly fit my mood.

So, Duluth was our answer. We would stay at Fitger’s Inn (I have so many good things to say about them), explore Canal Park, and visit the Bentleyville Tour of Lights and the Great Lakes Aquarium.

Travel as Distraction

We booked our (refundable) room just days before our pregnancy test. When we got the call from our fertility clinic, it was hard to register a reaction. My emotions were stuck in an agonizing gridlock. HCG was present in my blood. That meant we weren’t not pregnant. But there wasn’t enough in my system to say with confidence that we were pregnant. And it was a Friday, which meant we couldn’t retest until Monday. Cue an absolute anxiety spiral over the next 72 hours. We were prepared to cancel our trip, but we hoped the cancelling would result from good news: a pregnancy requiring a bit of extra monitoring near home.

We got the news late that Monday morning that this outcome wasn’t ours. I had experienced a chemical pregnancy. My HCG level had dropped to nearly nothing, and the pregnancy was no longer progressing.

We had gone through failed embryo transfers before, but not in this particularly harrowing manner. I don’t have too many words for this pain, but I can say that anxiety somehow outweighed grief, even after we got the news. With just one embryo left, and insufficient money or time to try again, the pressure became overwhelming. We kept our travel plans as a way to decompress. Unfortunately, even our simple trip to Duluth was poised to come apart at the seams.

A Series of Pitfalls

We were set to head out of town on Saturday, December 7. So, naturally, the universe sent us an ice storm (Pitfall 1). The worst was due the morning we planned to leave. We agonized over rescheduling — we’re a bit desensitized to Iowa’s winters — and finally decided to postpone by a day. Fitger’s Inn had no qualms about moving our reservation, and they actually charged us less, since Sunday had a less expensive rate. We were off to a great start with them.

On Sunday, we woke up on time, packed the car, and got our toddler ready, all without much delay. We were in good shape. We spent the first four hours of the drive aimlessly rehashing the battle of “Friends” vs. “Seinfeld” (I’m not the world’s most ardent “Friends” defender, but I do loathe “Seinfeld”).

Our first stop would be a late lunch in Minneapolis. We were excited to visit the Minneapolis Christkindl Market. I’ve always enjoyed Christkindlmarket Des Moines, and this event promised to be even more expansive and grand. Plus, there would be raclette. This was actually the main reason I wanted to stop. I didn’t get the chance to truly be pregnant, but I still wound up with cravings.

With cheese in mind, I helped my husband navigate to the correct exit. We peeled off, and BAM: the deepest and most cavernous pothole I’ve ever encountered. It swallowed our passenger-side tires and sunk its teeth in immediately. When it was finished with us, we were left with an utterly undriveable car (Pitfall 2, in case you were wondering).

We hobbled to the nearest gas station, and I spotted someone who seemed to be a police officer (spoiler alert: he wasn’t). I regaled him with the Tale of the Dangerous Potholes That Shouldn’t Exist, and he stared back with ambiguous concern. Later on, my husband clued me in that he was probably an off-duty security guard, not a cop. Let’s call this panic-fueled embarrassment Pitfall 2.5, which we can couple with Pitfall 3: the compressed air wasn’t working. This doesn’t count as a full pitfall, because it wouldn’t have helped, anyway. Our tires were toast.

My husband had the presence of mind to take this photo of our completely obliterated tire during our pit stop in Minneapolis, MN, in December of 2024.

Not-an-officer gave us directions to a nearby tire store, and we made our way over. Quick backstory: My husband’s dream car is a Prius Prime, and we finally acquired one recently, after much to-do. The car is sleek and eco-friendly, as promised, but it’s not the best family-travel vehicle. Putting our daughter in her carseat requires too much awkward bending and kneeling, and room for luggage is scarce. The RAV4 Prime might have been a better choice. On this fateful afternoon in Minneapolis, tire size was the problem. The Prius Prime has extra large tires that Firestone would have to special order (Pitfall 4).

So, we spent our first night in a hotel fortuitously located right across from the tire store (in my imagined conspiracy, the intentional pothole leads to the nearby tire store that drums up business for the neighboring hotel). We did not make it to the Christmas market in time, even though it was walkable. Instead, I soothed my cheese craving with chips and queso, along with a black bean burger, at The Bulldog Downtown. Then, we settled in to wait.

Duluth, at Last

Fast forward to lunchtime the next day, and we were back on the road. The tire arrived overnight, and Firestone managed to squeeze us in as our daughter scattered Cheerios throughout their lobby. We had an amazing brunch at Eggy’s Diner, where I ordered — get ready for this — French toast stuffed with Nutella and peanut butter. Then, we headed north.

This Nutella and peanut butter French toast at Eggy’s Diner in Minneapolis helped soothe our frayed nerves. I ordered it without bananas during our visit in December of 2024.

I’m thrilled to report that a majority of the trip to follow was filled with joy. Our savior, Fitger’s Inn, casually upgraded us to a presidential suite at no extra charge when we arrived. Lakeside wind and gentle, playful snow swept us into our top-floor room with a fireplace, jacuzzi, and kitchen table. Major win.

Let’s break down Fitger’s. I absolutely love this destination. During summer, one of my favorite travel experiences is to traipse down a sunny, cobbled road, exploring the main-street coffee shops, book stores, pubs, and novelty shops. At Fitger’s, you’ll find all of this indoors, on the same campus as your hotel. The inn is located in a historic brewery, and the building houses an entire mall, complete with a taproom, coffee shop, bookstore, specialty grocery store, Mexican restaurant, and several other adorable shops. The whole place was decked out in vintage decorations for Christmas, and the vibe was very easygoing and classic.

This photo captures the magic I felt as we finally arrived at Fitger’s Inn in Duluth, MN, during our trip in December of 2024.

Of course, our room was impeccable. Clean, spacious, and utterly cozy. We’ve stayed at several hotels with jacuzzis over the years, and they can be hit or miss. Sometimes, the water won’t heat up to temperature, or the bubbles don’t work. This one filled up quickly, bubbled perfectly, and it was “just right”.

Canal Park, Bentleyville, Lake, Aquarium

To close out this lengthy but cathartic post, here are some highlights from our time in Duluth:

Canal District: A shopping area with a mood, beside the lake and the scenic Aerial Lift Bridge. At places of extremity, I always pick up a pleasantly suspenseful, chilling vibe, and this was no exception. We enjoyed the DeWitt–Seitz Marketplace, Father Time Antiques, and mozzarella sticks at Green Mill. If you’re exploring DeWitt–Seitz with a baby or toddler, note that the changing stations can be found in the restrooms on the ground floor.
Bentleyville: A sight to behold. However, our toddler was bothered by the cold temperature, even though we bundled up. She was wow-ed, but she was also crying as we left. The line for Santa was insane, so we didn’t wait. We did really appreciate the complementary popcorn, cocoa, and cookies. It’s nice to know families have access to the whole experience, regardless of income barriers, since entrances is also free. Parking does cost $10.00.
Lake Superior: We tried to hike in December with a stroller, and this was a weird choice on our part. We plan to revisit Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and try again when it’s warmer. Although Lake Superior was giving ripples instead of gales, we still got to see a couple breathtaking views at the park. And the hour-long drive up the coast was also enjoyable.
Great Lakes Aquarium: I’ll be sure to update my aquarium round-up post with more details, but in short, this was a lovely stop. We spent about two hours exploring. There was a very active octopus that put on a show, along with a spooky lamprey and an interesting exhibit about Lake Baikal (any Spooky Lake Month fans out there?).
Restaurants: I will be craving Pizza Luce every day of my life until we go back. They’re very vegetarian-friendly, and now, they’re the reason I can say I like pineapple on pizza. I ordered The Rustler, which also features BBQ sauce, banana peppers, and mock duck. My husband and I also adored Fitger’s Brewhouse, which offers its own wide variety of veggie options, including Minnesota’s famous wild rice burger.

As we head into 2025, I can’t promise the year won’t pummel me back into a second hiatus. We’re looking ahead at our final(?) IVF cycle, along with some financial hurdles and a mountain of political woes. That said, I’m currently excited about diving back in and (maybe) building an audience who will follow along with me. We’re tentatively planning to keep traveling on a budget, and I’ve got plenty of backlogged learning to post about. With finances in mind, I’m still hopeful about recouping some small returns from this blog someday. But for now, I’m satisfied to simply share.

How to Fly with a Baby and Avoid the Mistakes I Made

The phrase “arrive early” has a whole new meaning.

It was a nightmare scenario. I was tucked away in a lactation space at the airport, a few minutes into pumping breastmilk for my daughter, when it happened. In the past, when I heard names called over the intercom, I would think: I’m sure glad that’s not me. This time, it was.

In this moment, I concentrated all my emotional energy to avoid dissolving into a puddle of pure anxiety. I knew I needed just a couple more minutes to finish up and avoid pumping again mid-flight. The plane wouldn’t leave without me that quickly, right? In my panic, I wasn’t so sure.

As I took those extra minutes, I could hear the buzz of constant new texts from my husband, but I didn’t have a spare hand, or spare time, to read them. Then, they called my name again. Around that time, I decided to call it good. I pulled my shirt over my head and dashed to my gate. I made it just in time, but we had the honor of being the very last passengers to board, carrying our bulky bags all the way to the back.

In this scenario, a variety of things went wrong, but the biggest factors were bad memory and timing. This was the first time my husband and I had flown in more than three years, thanks to Covid-19. I had simply forgotten an important detail: boarding happens about a half hour before departure. This was also the first time we had flown with a baby, and the first time we had flown while I was pumping breastmilk. These factors combined to create a whirlwind of chaos.

To add insult to injury, I had proven my husband right, at least in one regard. He initially thought flying with a baby had “bad idea” written all over it. He didn’t want us to be the conspicuous family creating trouble for the other passengers. Whoops.

My husband’s fear was certainly valid, but I also felt strongly about ensuring our daughter had the opportunity travel far and wide. Afterall, among brains of all ages, babies’ stand perhaps the greatest chance of benefiting profoundly from travel. Babies’ brains are highly flexible and receptive to novelty, and their interactions with other people and the world are the building blocks that shape their continued brain growth. From that perspective, babies are among the most important passengers, developing by leaps and bounds with every new trip — even if they get a bit fussy and noisy.

To work through our anxieties ahead of time, we considered a litany of nerve-racking questions. What if she cries the entire time? What if we need to change her diaper? What if she refuses to eat? What if our stroller gets lost or damaged? Should we buy her a seat? And if we do, how can we be sure our carrier will fit? These answers came eventually, through research and experience, including the one at the nexus of it all: will it be worth it? Even as I scrambled to my gate, pumping supplies in hand, I knew my answer was “yes”. My husband came around on this, too.

Now, as we prepare for our daughter’s first trip to Disney World, I’m revisiting our previous learning. I’ve summarized this learning in a convenient list of travel tips to help you fly with a baby and reduce your planning stress. After Disney, I’ll have a new set of learning when it comes to flying with a toddler. For now, here’s what we learned flying as a family from Des Moines, Iowa, to Clearwater Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Don’t Disregard Advice to Leave Early

Given my track record, it seems appropriate to start here. Looking back on my mistakes, I think a good rule of thumb is to consider how early you would arrive at the airport before kids and add at least 45 minutes. At some airports, this might mean arriving almost 3 hours early. For us, in Iowa, that looks more like 2 or 2.5 hours before departure. This extra time allows you to breastfeed or pump in peace, change a diaper, and handle extra shenanigans while going through security (more on that below).

Buy Baby or Toddler a Seat

This may be an unpopular opinion, but we opted to buy a seat for our daughter on both trips we took during her first year. Why? Because the FAA recommends it as the safest option. Her seat also came with the benefit of an extra personal item and carry-on luggage, space we needed to pack breastfeeding supplies, diapers, and other necessities. Financially, it definitely wasn’t easy to see our travel cost increase by a third. But the safety factor outweighed our wallet. Be sure to locate the sticker that certifies your seat is approved for use on an aircraft. Airline personnel will check for this when you board.

Pay Extra for Seats Together

I wish this advice wasn’t necessary, but it’s often the only way to guarantee side-by-side seats. Based on my research, most airlines will prioritize seating children and parents in the same row together. But only four provide a guarantee, according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s dashboard. These airlines are Alaska, American, Frontier, and Jet Blue. The Biden Administration has urged Congress to take action on this issue, but Congress hasn’t acted so far. To save money, we usually fly with Allegiant, and we pay the fee to avoid uncertainty and anxiety. Allegiant is usually the most cost-effective option, even with the fee factored in. But it’s always worth comparing with the four airlines listed above.

Prepare for Scrutiny

When we first traveled with breastmilk, formula, and baby food pouches, I felt underprepared for the extra fuss I would face in security. These items are subject to scrutiny, and this will often take extra time. Security usually pulls me aside to scan the items, and they don’t always communicate well about what they’re doing. In one case, it looked like they planned to put something in one of my bottles. Of course, they didn’t. But communication would have helped assuage that fear. Hopefully, these notes will help you mentally prepare.

Pack Efficiently and Shop on Arrival

Consider buying diapers and baby food at your destination, rather than bringing them. You’d be amazed how much space diapers take up! This step will also cut down on the scrutiny at the airport. And it may go without saying, but your hands will be full. So much fuller than they were pre-baby. For us, moving from point A to point B with everyone’s carry-on bag, the stroller, the diaper bag, my pumping supplies, my purse and, of course, the baby, was a constant struggle. I recommend using either a backpack-style diaper bag (this is the one I have) or a backpack as a carry-on, so you’re able to haul at least one bag hands-free.

Scope out Lactation Spaces

When it comes to pumping on the go, Mamava Pods are a game changer. They provide a private space for either breastfeeding or pumping. Before you head to the airport, download the Mamava app and familiarize yourself with lactation spaces on-site. Mamava will list the location of their pods, which are convenient and wonderful, as well as other spaces. I was pumping in a Mamava Pod the very moment my name was called over the intercom. Luckily, the pod was located just a short stroll (or, in my case, dash) from my gate. Aside from Mamava pods, I’ve always found either a nursing room or a family restroom at the airports I’ve visited post-baby.

Change Diapers Before and After

This may go without saying, but if your flight is short enough, do your best to avoid an in-flight diaper change. So far, we’ve avoided them altogether. If this ever changes, you’ll be the first to know how it goes.

Bottle Feed During Takeoff

If you’re bottle feeding, offer a bottle during takeoff to help alleviate pressure in baby’s ears. The bottle might also help calm anxiety and keep crying to a minimum. And it’s one less thing to worry about in the scramble at the airport before you board. I went into each of our flights with low expectations about how much milk our baby might drink. She was a picky eater during her first year. But her appetite surprised me. Looking back, I think feeding her in her familiar car seat actually helped.

Bring a New Toy

This tip, which I picked up from the blog Baby Can Travel, worked for us, at least temporarily. Our daughter handled flying pretty well, but we did have a crying spell on our first flight out of Des Moines. The novelty of a new toy distracted her for awhile, although she did eventually lose interest. We opted for a toy cell phone, since she’s obsessed with trying to grab ours, and I think this helped prolong her fascination. When she started fussing again, scrolling through pictures on the real phone finally calmed her down.

Gate Check Your Stroller

With Allegiant, there’s no fee to check or gate check a stroller. And gate checking is faster than traditional checking. You’ll bring the stroller right up to the gate, ask them to gate check it, and pick it up right after you exit the plane. The downside is the risk of damage compared with properly checking. To avert this risk, we bought an extra sturdy gate check bag. Be warned that we did have a bit of trouble finding a bag that would fit our Evenflo Pivot Xpand Stroller. This one worked, just barely. For Disney, we’re traveling with just an umbrella stroller. This will help us pack lighter, but we’ll need to carry her car seat separately. We’ll see how it goes and report back!

How Las Vegas Taught Our Family to “Go Anyway”

“What happens in Vegas…? No really, I’m actually asking. I’m traveling with a baby, and I have no idea what to expect.”
If this sounds like you, read on!

Ten months into my first ecstatic and terrifying year as a parent, breast pumps in hand, I found myself tucked away in a Las Vegas casino restroom. Reflected in the long row of mirrors in front of me, a cluster of pink-feathered showgirls touched up their makeup and fixed their costumes, unaware or unconcerned as I stood off to the side, catching snippets of conversation. With only their gossip to distract me, I did my best to keep my nursing cover in place and watched the minutes tick by. I had pumped in a lot of strange places, but the casino was (fittingly) a new winner.

Fast forward several months, and you’ll find me here at my keyboard, equipped with a wealth of information about making do when family-friendly amenities and breastfeeding accommodations are hard to find. Throughout my first year of motherhood, I pumped at casinos, airports, parks, and restaurants in Nevada, Missouri, Nebraska, Florida, Minnesota, and across my home state of Iowa. I deeply immersed myself in the pros and cons of traveling while breastfeeding, traveling while pumping, and, eventually, traveling while keeping a toddler safe and fed.

Before my daughter was born, I also racked up several years’ experience navigating safe travel during infertility treatment — and a global pandemic. Moving forward, the learning will only continue. My husband and I are busy planning new trips, even as we dive back into IVF and care for our energetic toddler.

Now, I’m ready to share the mistakes I’ve made, the strategies I’ve learned so far, and even a few things I’ve gotten right. I’m hoping others can benefit from the philosophy my husband and I developed over the years: Go anyway. Take the trip you’re on the fence about, even if you aren’t sure yet how you’ll breastfeed at the airport or pump on the road.

Go anyway, even if there’s another IVF cycle on the horizon. For me, it’s almost always worth it. With some careful balancing and planning, I’ve always found the solutions I need to successfully combine travel, parenting, and infertility treatment, even if those solutions weren’t obvious at the outset. While I certainly don’t mean to imply that travel is easy or accessible for everyone, I do hope this blog can chip away at a few, small barriers and help families become more confident and informed.

And Las Vegas feels like the best place to start. This trip put our “go anyway” outlook to the test. I found myself repeatedly vexed as I searched for public lactation spaces, family restrooms, diaper changing stations, and stroller routes that wouldn’t require half a dozen elevators. So. Many. Elevators.

Then, when I returned, I was vexed to learn how many amenities we actually missed as we ventured down the Las Vegas Strip. Although I spent weeks planning and checking maps beforehand, there were still several family restrooms and changing stations that eluded us along the way. This trip challenged my stubborn belief that enough advanced planning can quell the unexpected. But it also affirmed the notion that having a plan is worth it, as long as you’re able to adapt.

Red Rock Canyon State Park was one of my favorite stops on our family trip to Las Vegas.

In the end, I was able to identify three, key elements that helped us along the way: choosing the right hotel, planning an itinerary with relatively family-friendly stops, and exploring destinations beyond the Las Vegas Strip. What would I do differently? I would do much more thinking on my feet and ask for help more often.

So, if you’re looking for the TL;DR on Vegas with a baby, the takeaways are as follows:

Choose the right hotel. One with a family-friendly vibe and a refrigerator-freezer combo for storing breastmilk and re-freezing your icepack (which you’ll need in the heat).
Think ahead about where you’ll pause to breastfeed and/or pump, and create a flexible plan that involves at least one pit stop back at home base.
Venture off the Strip to see the mountains and desert. For us, these stops were the most family-friendly and enjoyable.
Think on your feet. Don’t assume an amenity isn’t there just because it’s hard to find, or it didn’t pop up in your research. It isn’t always easy to find someone who can help, but asking might be worth it.

When it comes to locating amenities, it’s also worth noting that Nevada passed a law in 2017 requiring most new buildings to be equipped with one or more diaper-changing stations in restrooms for men and women. I’m not sure how much this impacts the casinos along the Strip, since it focuses on new construction and has some exceptions. But it’s an encouraging sign. Overall, I would love to see Las Vegas and Nevada embracing more changes like this: More public lactation spaces, more family restrooms, and more guidance to help traveling parents find both.

As things stand now, this post covers the basics, as I see them. But if you’re looking for more details, I’ve got you covered! Below, you’ll find my ranked list of attractions, including our favorites, like Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon State Park, and Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart.

In these posts, I’ve done my best to review the highs and lows when it comes to baby-friendliness, taking into account the missing amenities we discovered after the fact. I cover pumping, breastfeeding, changing diapers, getting around with a stroller, and, of course, having fun together as a family. I was exclusively pumping for my daughter during this trip, so my research leans in that direction, but I’ve done my best to provide a broad range of helpful information. So, here we go: