A little about me and my daughter:
At Black Infant Health (BIH), I serve as a Family Health Advocate/Group Facilitator. I chose this role due to my passion for improving the health and well-being of Black mothers during the antepartum period and especially during their postpartum period. I have a background in public health and have done research on maternal mortality, infant mortality, and the associated health inequities within the African American community.
Additionally, I completed research in Ghana where I was able to get a global perspective of maternal and child health amongst African women. This experience led me to think how the BIH program can be beneficial to not only Black women but African women as well. I understand there are a lot of cultural and social differences, so working for this program helps me help women that come from different backgrounds within the Black & African Diaspora.
I’m also a first-time mother who experienced hardships during her pregnancy AND severe postpartum. I know that having a support system and being educated is especially important! I just pray that my experiences, skill work, and resources that I can provide will be helpful to every mother I encounter.
My daughter Solei is 11 months and will be 1 year old on July 28th! Here are some fun facts about Solei.
Solei loves Little Bellies Cracker Puffs, chicken, rice, beans, and fruit!
Solei LOVES Ms. Rachel and Elmo! Her favorite songs from these two are “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – Ms. Rachel and “Happy Happy Dance Dance” – Elmo. Every time these songs play, she lights up and begins to dance. In general, though, she loves beats and music.
Solei is full of life and loves to laugh at everything. She laughs when playing peek-a-boo and when myself (or my partner) plays with her feet and toes.
Travel advice:
The best advice I can give parents is to pack very light. When you’re traveling with your infant and maybe another partner, it may be challenging to carry so many items such as: the baby’s diaper bag, luggage, purses, etc. If you pack light, you will not have to worry about the physical challenges when you are navigating the airport. This is especially important when you land in an airport you may not have visited before.
Secondly, items that I think are very important for parents to bring for their infant/child to help relieve stress are:
Toys that can stick to the plane’s window (i.e. Suction Cup Spinners).
These will be helpful in keeping the infant/child entertained
Snacks that align with the infant/child’s age range and if Mom is breastfeeding (not pumping)
I suggest that they bring a breastfeeding cover up for their own privacy and to allow the infant to have some kind of peace where they aren’t distracted by everything that may be going on around them.
IF mom is pumping, then I think it’s important for her to bring a cooler bag with frozen milk that can be thawed so her child can drink it throughout the flight
If possible, noise reduction ear muffs
My daughter dislikes them but we try our best to keep them on to protect her ears
Additionally, if Mom is breastfeeding I highly recommend her to breastfeed the baby during take-off and prior to the plane landing to reduce their child’s ears from popping. If mom is not breastfeeding, then provide baby with a pacifier
The golden ticket when traveling will be the baby carrier!
This has helped relieve a lot of stress on me because I can maneuver around without my child hanging from my side
Pack extra diapers, wipes, and clothes just in case the baby has a blow out
Lastly, if you can buy a car seat cover up for when you check in the car seat to the airport.
After my first experience, I was horrified to see how dirty my daughter’s car seat got. I’ve also seen how the airport employees throw the car seats around. Just be mindful of that.
Moreover, traveling will not be easy with an infant, but when you bring all the essentials it can relieve stress for mom and their partner. Also, make sure you eat a meal and drink enough water before your flight. Sometimes flying can be very draining, so when you are keeping your body nourished you can be sure to overcome the airport challenges. Also, make sure that you and your partner that’s traveling with you get enough rest prior to your flights.
My final words of advice are to make sure to pack at least a week ahead of time so you can stay organized and not forget anything behind.
Lastly, here is a nice travel hack for parents I found as well: 15 Best Activities for Toddlers on a Plane – Three Kids and A Car