Diaper Bag Essential Items

My lessons on the diaper bag don't end here. While I was in India I created another small diaper bag that I would take with me everywhere, as I didn’t want to carry the backpack diaper bag. I filled the bag with items that I would need for a 1-3 hour outing:

·         Changing pad (that has a few diapers and wipes)

·         Food – I always carried homemade food for the little one, regardless of where we went. No matter what, don’t give any outside food! We were very strict about this.

·         Totseat Portable Highchair – this is a MUST!! I used it everywhere I went and it made feeding so much easier!

·         Extra pair of clothes – accidents do happen!

·         Wipes

·         Munchies

·         Books

·         Toys

Mini Diaper Bag

On my way into India I traveled alone with an 11.5 month old baby. Luckily for me he slept for 10 out of the 13 hours leg. However, a lesson I learned was to carry a small foldable bag with the most essential items from your ginormous diaper bag that you can hang in front of your seat and within arm’s reach. I tried to stuff everything into the seat pocket in front of me and it was very hard, I dropped my glasses and broke them. Plus, if you put things under the seat in front of you, it’s impossible to reach there without disturbing the baby in your lap!!
The backpack diaper bag had to go in the overhead bins. On my return flight back from India, I created a mini bag before I boarded the flight with things I would need immediately. List of most essential items to carry on a flight when traveling with an infant or toddler:

·         Changing pad (that has a few diapers and wipes)

·         Wipes

·         Munchies

·         Books

·         Toys

·         Blanket

What to Carry in Diaper Bag for International Travel

Since I was traveling alone with an 11.5 month old baby from Chicago to India, I was very anxious. In order to alleviate my anxiety, I made a checklist of items I would carry in my diaper bag. This made packing a whole lot easier and a lot less stressful. I just checked things off and my mind was at rest, instead of worrying about what I missed! In order to fit all the items listed below you will need a bigger bag, see my post on Best diaper bag for international travel for what worked best for me.

Here's what I packed for the trip:

·         Diapers – 10

·         Wipes –travel size

·         Kleenex Wet wipes –1 pack (to wipe the seat, hand rest and tray)

·         Hand sanitizer (travel size)          

·         Changing pad

·         Nursing cover, if you are breast feeding

·         Vaseline or some lotion

·         Clothes

o   Onesies – 2

o   PJ’s – 1

o   Sleeper – 2

o   Socks

o   Sun hat

o   Jacket

o   Spare shirt for mom

·         Medicines

o   Tylenol or any fever reducer medication

o   Snort sucker

o   Thermometer

·         Baby Food – (some international flights provide food, ask the service attendant. I got a banana on my fight into India and on our return flight they had some baby food)

o   Milk – either breast milk or formula

o   Dinner  (depends on the duration and timing of the flight)

o   Breakfast (depends on the duration and timing of the flight)

o   Lunch (depends on the duration and timing of the flight)

o   Banana

o   Cheerios

o   Fruit loops

o   Biscuits – to keep the child occupied

·         Sippy cup – fill this with water before you board the flight, so that you don’t have to wait for the flight attendant to come around.

·         Spoons  - 2

·         Disposable bibs

·         Burp cloths - 2

·         Books – favorite books (those that will keep him busy)

·         Toys – light
·         Blankets

o   Green

o   Muslin - thin

·         Little one’s immunization record

·         Small light foldable bag (to carry the most essential items on the flight that you can hang in front of you)

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Best Diaper Bag for International Travel

Samarth is 11.5 months old now and this is the first time he is going to India. The diaper bag I have at home is big enough for my domestic travels, however, for my 20 plus hours journey to India, I need something even bigger and with multiple sections. My solution was carrying a backpack. I picked the biggest one, with multiple compartments. My goal was to be uber organized! When traveling alone, you don’t have time to dig through things, it’s important to know where each of your items are. I had compartmentalized the following items:

1.       Books and Toys

2.       Changing pad, nursing cover, blanket, and clothes

3.       Wipes (always in the outside pocket, easy to get to)

4.       Medicines

5.       Food, bibs and spoons

6.       Sippy cup in the open side pocket

7.       Your small hand purse, travel papers, immunization record

8.       Tickets and passport

Now that you have picked the best diaper bag, let’s move onto what to “What to carry in your diaper bag for international travel”.

Post Pregnancy Remedies

I have mentioned in my prior post that when my mom came to take care of me post pregnancy, she bought along with her several desi nuska's (Indian remedies). At the time I wasn't aware of the benefits of all the ingredients and protested. In the day and age of google, I tried to find a website where I would get all the information, I thank Manjula for initiating such an informational site.  I have listed a few key ingredients and their benefits to a mother's body after pregnancy.

1) Turmeric helps heal internal wounds and acts like an antiseptic – Take a half-teaspoon turmeric powder every day with lukewarm milk at night before bed. Turmeric has several other health benefits as well.

2) Fenugreek seeds are great to help prevent and ease back and joint pain. Fenugreek seeds or fresh fenugreek are also taken to help nursing mothers increase their breast milk supply. Fenugreek seeds are available at many health food stores (GNC or Amazon). You can also soak them in water overnight and eat them twice a day.

3) Ajwain (carom seeds) helps soothe pain due to gas or indigestion. Every morning boil four glasses of water with two tablespoon of carom seeds (ajwain). Here is a link to Dill and Carmon water recipe that I posted a few weeks ago.  You can also add ajwain as an ingredient when making roti or cooking vegetables.

4) Dry ginger powder also known as sauth or ginger root; take with food. Ginger offers health benefits, including anti-inflammation effects, and can also be found in grocery stores. Replace red chili powder in your food with ginger, this will add a nice spicy kick. Remember; spicy food is not good for your infant as their digestive system is vulnerable and my belief is that what we eat transfers into the milk which is ultimately consumed by the baby.

5) Gaund (or Gond) is an edible gum resin that is extracted from the bark of the tree. Gaund provides heat to our body and is usually eaten in cold winter months. Gaund and whole wheat ka ladoo is normally prepared for the nursing mother to help with lactation and provide nutrients for the baby. The main ingredients are whole-wheat flour, butter, nuts, gaund, poppy seeds, and sugar.

6) Ghee (Clarified Butter) gives strength; it is high in calcium content and it goes well with a lot of indian food preparations. According to a 16th c. Ayrvedic text,  “Ghee is sweet in taste and cooling in energy, rejuvenating, good for the eyes and vision, kindles digestion, bestows luster and beauty, enhances memory and stamina, increases intellect, promotes longevity, is an aphrodisiac and protects the body from various diseases” (quoted from here). Nevertheless, one should take it in moderation and should not overdo it.

Suva Nu Pani (Dill Water)

Post pregnancy water:

After I gave birth to Samarth, my mother made this water for me to drink. She asked me to replace water with dill seed water, at the time I had no idea what the benefits were for me or Samarth and I resisted, however I soon realized that it was helping me. My mother combined dill seeds with other highly beneficial natural ingredients.  Some of the benefits include easy digestion for the mom and the baby, sleeping aid, increased milk production and improved blood flow.

Here is the recipe:

• 4 cups of water
• Ginger powder - 1 tsp
• Dill seeds - 2 tbs
• Fennel seeds - 2 tbs
• Carom or Ajwain - 2 tbs

You can find all these items at a local grocery store or on Amazon. Add all the above ingredients and bring it to a boil. Strain the water into a bottle and carry it around wherever you go. The more water you drink the better, this is particularly important if you are breastfeeding.  

Nutritious Food for Babies - Vegetable Khichdi (Lentils and Rice)

Almost everyone in India has tasted "Khichdi" at least once in their life. As a child I didn't even like the name and would think of eating it as a punishment. Now as a mom I have started to give my son Vegetable Khichdi for lunch. This meal is rich in proteins and other nutrients. As an adult, I love to eat this, I made some for Samarth and myself (just add bit of spice). A little bit of background on khichdi from wikipedia:

Khichadi (also Khichdi, khichdee, khichuri, khichari and many other variants) is an Indian dish that contains a combination of rice and lentils. Khichadi is commonly considered to be India's comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish of kedgeree.

As a simple way of providing a reasonably balanced diet, it is probably very ancient. Khichadi is identifiable from the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century.

Rice and lentils are simmered till mushy, seasoned with turmeric and salt and fed to infants to introduce them to "adult" food.

Age Group (8 months and beyond)
I waited until Samarth had adjusted to single vegetable and fruit purees before introducing him to Khichdi. Always watch your babies cues on when he is ready to start new foods. I was slow in introducing blended food to Samarth and likely should've have started sooner.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of yellow moong daal
• 1tbsp of masoor daal
• 1 tbsps rice
• A pinch of turmeric (haldi)
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 tea spoon of ghee (pasteurized butter)
• 1- cup water
• Vegetables - like to load my khichdi with vegetables and I usually do 1/2 and 1/2 proportion of vegetables and daal + rice
• carrots
• beans
• tomato
• zucchini
• squash

Method:
Wash the rice and daal well and put in a pressure cooker. Now add water, all the vegetables, turmeric, salt and ghee into the pressure cooker. Cook for about 2-3 whistles. If you don't have a pressure cooker, soak the rice and daal for a while and let them boil and simmer for about 20-30 minutes so they are appropriately cooked. Mash well or blend in a blender and serve.

TIP: I would double the ingredients and cook extra, which I froze in individual boxes. I would have boxes ready for Samarth's lunch at daycare.