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.
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).
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.
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.
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.