Tips From the Pros

According to our agency, the youngest our baby could be at the time of referral is 3 months. It will take 2 to 3 months before we have all the paperwork ready to travel to Sri Lanka. We have to spend 4 to 6 weeks there before bringing him or her home.
So the youngest our cinnamon baby will be when we meet him or her is 5 months. In this case, we would take  him or her home at 6 months.

My sweet niece is 5-1/2 months old right now. Her visit was a great learning opportunity for us!
Here's what I've learned, both from her and from her Mommy (their flight from down under was long too!):

- With the help of a cushioned head support, an umbrella stroller should do the trick over in Sri Lanka. (YAYYYY!!! No gigantic Cadillac for us!)
- We won't need a bassinet, baby bath or infant car seat. Our cinnamon bun will be old enough for a crib, the big tub and, probably, an older baby car seat.
- We'll take a baby carrier or a sling over there. It'll be great for walking around town and, according to E., it's really convenient on the plane. If baby gets bored, you can just walk down the aisle with the carrier.
- A diaper bag filled with more disposable diapers than you think you'll need, a blanket, toys and clothes is a must on the plane.
- E. told us to take full advantage of the early boarding for people travelling with small children. It gives you time to take out all the stuff you'll need for the long flight.
- If you're travelling alone with a baby, you should get help from the flight attendant. They can hold your child while you use the lavatory, for an example.
- The bassinet that's attached to the front section of larger planes is only good for younger infants. Even then, flight attendants will wake you up everytime the seatbelt light turns on to pick up your child, which will also wake her up... It may be more comfortable to sleep with her in Dad or Mom's arms.
- According to E., you should take extra clothes for your baby, but also a change of clothes for yourself. She learned this the hard way: it's when you don't bring the extra pair of pants for yourself that baby will have an violent, explosive diaper overflow while sitting on your lap.
- E. took all the stuff she needed for little T.'s sleeping routine. She nursed, read her usual story book and then sang her usual lullaby (yes, she sang out loud in a full airplane cabin) before putting her to sleep. It's not home, but little things like this feel familiar and reassuring, ever 37,000 feet above the ground.

And one last tip, this one from little T:
- If you want the seat next to you to be left empty, just go onto a major crisis, crying at the top of your lungs, the very moment your neighbor is settling into his seat. If you're lucky, he may ask to be relocated somewhere quieter ;-)