by Brandi Riley posted in Pregnancy

I'm used to doing things on my own. I started my first job when I was 12 years old, put myself through college, and was a single mom for a few years. There isn't a problem in my world that I believe doesn't have a solution. That being said, I recently traveled with my 2-month-old son from San Francisco to Orlando on a red-eye, and it nearly broke me. Apparently I've found my kryptonite.

Sure, people travel with infants all the time. We see the photos on social media of jet-setting parents with a wee one strapped to their chest. Mama looks well-rested, well-traveled, and well...they ain't me.
Things started off well. I took time to plan for our trip well in advance. I surveyed friends about the best stroller to bring with me, and planned out his outfits. I made a list so I wouldn't forget things like his medicine, plenty of diapers, and gripe water. I did everything I needed to do to make sure I was set up for success. Then the actual day for travel arrived, and things quickly started to fall apart. First, the minor wrist pain that I had been experiencing (Google "postpartum tendinitis") turned into major wrist pain, and it became clear that I'd have to rethink my packing plan. With only one strong hand, I had to leave my stroller and rely solely on wearing him.
Usually my son loves to be held, but while we were waiting in the security line, he decided that the carrier was offensive and started howling and trying to escape. I t...