Traveling to India with an 11 month old

[Anonymous]

My husband is indian and we'll be taking our 11 month there to meet his family. I am beyond nervous about everything from washing her bottles/sippy cups to food safety and sleeping arrangements. Has anyone else done a trip like this? Here are some things I am concerned about...
1. Travel - we will get her a separate seat on the plan, I hear that bringing a car seat will help her sleep because she will be used to it (and keep her buckled in one spot in case we fall asleep, too) - has anyone done this and how'd it work?
2. Time change - I think its a 10.5 hour difference, any advice?
3. Water - water is not drinkable, what do i use to wash her bottles/cups, if I bring my own dish soap, will that kill any bacteria so i can use normal tap water for that purpose?
4. Food - the food is spicy and different than what she will be used to, how did you handle that? We might be renting a house so i will have access to a kitchen but am a little nervous about grocery shopping, food prep, etc. Should I just bring a million puree pouches with us in case?
5. Sleeping - Indians bedshare with their kids and I am not comfortable doing that, I worry that after 10 days of bed sharing she'll never want to sleep in her crib again when we get home. Cribs don't seem to be available at hotels.... I saw some popup tent like things for kids, should I just bring one of those? I'm thinking it might be good because it'll keep the mosquitos away, too, but wasn't sure....

Ahhh, sorry, just a million questions, I am SO nervous! Knock on wood, I haven't gotten sick when traveling there, yet, but I cannot imagine my baby getting sick because the medical facilities are so poor in the areas we'll be.

[Anonymous]

Our neighbors just went with their 6 yo and 3 yo. every single one of them caught whatever disease is so common over there (raging diarrhea and vomiting w/fever) and and to fly home in that state. All of them. The whole way home. Bottled water ONLY!!! Bring your own food for the baby.

[Anonymous]

Car seat on plane works great.

If you wash using regular water, make sure that all items are 100% dry before using them again. If you are staying with family, you can boil the bottles and cups. Do bring your own dish soap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our neighbors just went with their 6 yo and 3 yo. every single one of them caught whatever disease is so common over there (raging diarrhea and vomiting w/fever) and and to fly home in that state. All of them. The whole way home. Bottled water ONLY!!! Bring your own food for the baby.

Disagree with this. You can't always guarantee the safety of bottled water in India (or the US for that matter, bacterial counts are not regulated here). I would amend to boiled water only. Pretty much anywhere that caters to foreign travelers will have a reverse-RO filter. Boil that water daily.

[Anonymous]

Go to the pediatrician before you leave and get prescription meds for the baby--a broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-diarretics. You may or may not need them, but you'll be happy to have them if you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our neighbors just went with their 6 yo and 3 yo. every single one of them caught whatever disease is so common over there (raging diarrhea and vomiting w/fever) and and to fly home in that state. All of them. The whole way home. Bottled water ONLY!!! Bring your own food for the baby.

Disagree with this. You can't always guarantee the safety of bottled water in India (or the US for that matter, bacterial counts are not regulated here). I would amend to boiled water only. Pretty much anywhere that caters to foreign travelers will have a reverse-RO filter. Boil that water daily.

Ah, OK. I stand corrected. Thanks PP!

[Anonymous]

i would not feel comfortable doing this, but that is just me. heck, my kid is 2, and i still want to wait. that said, make sure your baby has all the necessary shots ahead of time; sometimes peds will fast forward on the vaccine schedule as well. avoid raw fruits and veggies while there. take pre- made formula with you, as i imagine your baby is still too young for milk. formula is great anyways for added nutrition when overseas in a country where you have limited choices ( for health reasons). oatmeal, granola bars, cereal etc are life savers and provide vitamins and such too.

i can't help with the bed sharing. it is a fact of life there and you will likely have an adjustment period when you return.

as for washing dishes, i know this is overkill, but ask to use boiled water for washing dishes.

if your family has a newer model car, i would think a car seat would install just fine. you will be walking a lot, so make sure you bring an ergo or carrier.

[Anonymous]

Ack! I'm in India right now and there is no way I'd bring my kids. The bottled water in my hotel has some fda certification on it. Bring as many pouches as you can fit, and maybe a pack and play? You can eat peeled veggies and fruit and you can soak the produce in a bleach water solution to make them safe(r) to eat. Do some serious Internet research. Depending on where you are, you may need anti-malarials. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

How fun! We went to India when our kids were 3 and 5 and nobody got sick in our party of 8--was with another family. We lived in Asia at the time and much of the same applied. This should be pretty easy for you given that you have family there to help.

1. Yes, carseat.

2. Time change is hardest part of travel. I learned these rules the hard way. Never sleep for more than 2 hours during day. Always be outside in sun and walk around. When you are up in the evening, keep lights dim and only have light snacks. Show the baby the moon, and just keep saying shhhh. I had one kid who always adjusted immediately and the other would take 3 days like me.

3. We used bottled water for everything. I'm sure your apartment or relatives will have stand for a large bottle of water and delivery service. Just buy from a reputable source and if small bottles, make sure the seal isn't broken. We didn't boil anything in India for 8 days, as we were in hotels, and again we weren't sick.

4. I don't know how long you will be there, but I would never spend time cooking. I would limit to buying stuff for snacks and breakfast. Not all Indian food is spicy! Aren't you and your child familiar with it already with an Indian spouse? If not, start going out for Indian here. With a base of rice and nan you can put as much or as little of a dish, like lentils, on for your kid. You can also ask them to make it not spicy.

5. We either brought a pak-n-play when traveling (which is a PITA but I can't sleep with kid w/o becoming a monster) or just made a bed corner on the floor with quilts and pillows. The kids always loved it though hotel staff throughout Asia have been horrified since they don't understand. Ask the hotel or family for extras.

Have a great time!

[Anonymous]

I traveled to my brother's wedding in India with a 21 month old. We got her a separate seat and the plane journey definitely had its ups and downs but we made it. There were lots of people with small children on the plane (on the way there and on the way back). While we were there, I fed my daughter only home cooked food. If we went out, I took her food with me. I gave her milk that I bought in the store, there was no problem with that.
My daughter already eats home cooked Indian food, so she didn't have trouble adjusting. But if you are concerned you can always take your mac n cheese with you! I also took daipers, wipes and other essentials.

For water, I gave her filtered water from a home filtration system that my parents have. If they didn't have a filtration system, I'd probably boil the water. I washed her bottles and sippy cups in regular tap water and dried them with a paper towel. I was not paranoid about getting every drop, but I made sure it was not dripping wet.

The time difference was not a huge issue for me as kids adjust well. For sleeping, we took her pack n play with us.

Overall, my daughter really enjoyed being in India. She loved her grandparent's house and meeting her cousins. She did not get sick, although my husband did (from overeating).

Keep in mind that it is not customary to use car seats in cars in India. It's not ideal, but the traffic does not move as fast there, so not as dangerous as here.

It was a good experience for my daughter - and I know others who have taken children younger than yours. Just take precautions, but also go with the flow as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

We took our 10 month old to India and had a great time. I brought lots of pouches/cereal and ended up buying more cereal at a Western store. Only used bottled water and/or water I boiled or my relatives had boiled. I didn't bring a car seat so no help there. He adjusted well to the time change but it's easier if you're there for a while. Definitely ask your pediatrician for the anti-malarials and prophylactic antibiotics.

[Anonymous]

Brush your teeth with boiled/bottled water.

[Anonymous]

What part will you be staying in?

A lot depends on if you'll be in a city or if you'll be in rural area. In cities, there is no problem finding grocery stores with plenty of snacks such as biscuits (tea cookies) for your child to snack on. I never worried about the washed dishes, your best bet would be to just dry it off with a towel. Take a couple rolls of paper towels, it will be easier. I think washing in boiled water is overkill, most homes have water filters. Bottled water is fine. Just make sure the bottle is sealed.

A mattress on the floor will work if you're absolutely opposed to co-sleeping. The beds are low to the ground anyway, so your child would be arm's distance.

I always take anti-malarials before going and while there.

If your eating at your in-law's just ask them to make a small amount without chili's for the child. Rice, naan, roti, daal, yogurt, veggies are all aplenty there. Does your child not eat any of that here?
When out order things like plain dosa or plain rice with ghee. Stick to hotel restaurants since this is your first time there with your kid.

We never had many issues with the time change beyond the first day. After that the kids are so busy meeting relatives and doing activities that they stay up late and their body got used to it quickly. Coming back has usually been harder. Here our day's are more routine and the time change effects our normal routine more.

It's not really very hard, it's just a matter of adjustment.

[Anonymous]

Agree that you definitely want to ask your ped for some anti-malarials and antibiotics before you go.

I'm Indian and still haven't taken my 2 year old because *I* get sick every.single.time. I go. My parents went last year and even they got sick. Granted, we stay with family though, so they are probably not nearly as good about boiling water or filtering water as they would be in a hotel.

Agree that I'd bring lots of pouches of foods.

I don't really think the time change would be a huge issue.

[Anonymous]

Make sure to bring enough supplies (food/water/meds/clothes) for the plane rides. A friend's 1 year old developed diarrhea on the plane ride there.