Travelling with Multiples

A special note for parents travelling with multiples: There are only 4 oxygen masks on a row of 3 seats. If you plan on having lap infants, you will not be able to sit in the same row as your partner unless the other seat in the row is empty (3 people in 3 seats plus 2 babies=someone doesn't get an oxygen mask). Book seats that are aisle seats across from each other so you can still share the diaper bag and support each other. If you are travelling with car seats on the plane, the best is to put both car seats in one row next to each other by the window and the adults on the two aisles. You can trade off baby duty and they can share a DVD player. The car seats are not allowed to block anyone's path to get out of the plane, so a parent cannot sit between them.  It actually works out fine.

When I take my car seats on the plane with me, especially when I'm alone, I attach all necessary baby paraphernalia to the car seat.  I have a strap for each for the sippie cup, pacifier, and blanket.  Imagine if I lost one of those for one baby...yikes! Security, of course, will have you remove the sippie cup for scanning, but they are fine if you leave the rest attached.  You may want to remove the pacifier just to keep it sanitary or put a cover on it.  There are lots of products on the market for tethering items to your car seat, but a simple ribbon works as well.  But remember to remove any choking hazards before putting them in a car.  In the plane you will be attentively sitting next to them, so I don't worry about attaching strings to the car seat.  In a car where you just get an occasional glance back at them may be dangerous.  Use your head.

When travelling with my boy/girl twins, we have small tents with sleeping bags that we started using at about 6 months old (about the time they couldn't sleep next to each other in a portacrib any more).  I wasn't going to try to haul two portacribs around.  We received Peapod tents as a gift.  I can fit both in a large suitcase with enough room for most of the baby clothes and diapers.  They have been fantastic!  Now that the twins are 2 and have figured out how to undo the zippers, I sometimes have to safety pin the zippers closed until they fall asleep so they don't try to wander.  They work wonderfully everywhere we have traveled as well as if you will be at Grandma's over nap time.  I highly recommend them.