 Yeah, hello, hello, and welcome to another video. Video of me plus you is? Us, my name is Kwame. I'm Elaine. And we're here with another, yeah, we just said that already. Episodes. We, maybe for people who don't know us, we talk about things in our life as an interracial married couple in Ghana, Accra. And we just got a baby. Yeah. So we're a Dutch Ghanaian couple who just had a baby and we just share our experiences. Oh, yeah. And just a little bit context. We got the baby, or we delivered the baby in Netherlands because I wanted to be close to family and friends in the Netherlands. And we just got back to Ghana into our own house, which you see in the background, boop, boop. Yeah, so we know this is our house. I don't think they thought we're recording at the studio. We wish. You want to get a studio? But yeah, so in this video, we're going to share how it was like for us to fly with our baby to Ghana. And he was six weeks at a time. Six weeks. And we have to fly with him to Ghana. So we're walking you through the process. If you're watching this, you just had a baby. You're about to have a baby. Maybe you're also in our position. You have to fly to another country. Maybe you want to go on holiday with your baby. Good idea. Yeah. I salute you. Yeah, big time. OK, the first thing is prep all the paperwork. Yeah, the paperwork is very, very, very, very, very important that you have it all beforehand. And depending on the country, you're in a lot. Or the more the better. Yeah, so for us, it meant because we knew we were traveling quite soon after giving birth. So six weeks after the baby needs a passport. Otherwise, you cannot take the baby anywhere else. So before the baby was born, I had to plan an appointment at the municipality in the Netherlands to apply for the passport, which felt really weird to plan an appointment for a baby that's not even there yet. It feels almost like jinxing it. But I mean, just make sure you prepare ahead of time. And we also, in the end, applied. So we got the Dutch passport quite quickly, within three working days, which was great. But it was an experience on the cell because you have to make a passport picture with a baby. By the time the baby was two weeks old. Yeah. And we had to take the baby to the photo store. And I mean, it's a requirement that the baby's eyes must be open. They must not be crying. They must not be sleepy. And yeah. So you tried that with a two-week old. In the end, we managed. So they had like a pillow. So you had to put the baby on the pillow and then they would retouch the pillow. So it was on Kramis lab. And luckily in three times, three shots, the third shot was the right one. Yeah, it was OK. But it was really great that the photographer was very patient. Yeah, you could tell that he's been like, he'd been doing it for years because the level of patience he had was something we new parents were like, we wish we had that level of patience. Yeah, it was really like, OK. Very kind. Very calm as well. Then we were also calm because we were like, OK, he's not rushing us into anything. Yeah, then we got a shot. Yeah. So then we got the passport picture. And then if you apply for a passport in an ambulance, you need to bring the individual you're applying for. So we had to bring the baby. We had to go to another city. That was a thing, like to travel with a two-week old, pack him in the car, pack the food. So we lived about 45 minutes to an hour from. Where we had to apply. Where we had to apply. So we were in Haute and we had to go to The Hague. And yeah, we had to drive with a two-week old. Luckily for us, he travels very well. He likes that car motion thing. And we even got the opportunity to even spend a little time doing something like self-care for ourselves in the city after we applied. And that was pretty cool. But yeah, if you don't live close to where you have to apply for the passport, then you also have to now, for the first time, travel with your baby. Which means that everything takes twice as long. And your prep is also twice as detailed. Because if you miss one thing, like the pacifier, if you're going to be using that, how many diapers? Extra food. Extra clothes. For him, for you. So yeah, it's a lot. But it's good practice. Because in the end, I was more confident because we had stepped out a few times before we were going heading to the airport. So it also helps you to already get into that flow of, okay, we're stepping out. This is what we need. And also it helps you know how your baby is when they're outside, how your baby travels, how your baby is in public, the noise. Are they fussy? Do they sleep? So yeah, it helps us. Nothing is in vain. So it will also help you. And we even had to, so what we did in the end was also apply for the Ghanaian passport. That one was a bit tricky. Tricky because the process wasn't as smooth. Yes. And it would take longer. They weren't sure when it would be ready. So in the end, we applied for and the visa and the passport, which was a bit stressing because it was like, if we don't get it, then if we don't get the visa or the passport, how are we gonna get our child into the country? It's hot. Yeah, it was more, it was a very time-sensitive. I'm looking for the words. Urgent? No, the feeling, like nerve-wracking, I don't know how to, yeah. It's like, you know, we were really like sitting on the edge. You know, we hope this thing pulls through so that we can travel with the baby. And when we went to apply for the Ghanaian passport as well, we thought that because we had passport pictures and they already looked okay, they also wanted to take their own passport picture at the passport's office. But with the Dutch one, you take it somewhere so long as the dimensions match. They are okay with it. So they have the background and dimensions. And the Ghanaian passport, so this is for those who have like Ghanaian partners. Or even if you have a different, if you are also an interracial couple, make sure if you want to get two passports, you know exactly how the other person's process is. So if maybe your country or, for example, her country process took only three days and we literally had to go physically to fill the forms and leave. But with the Ghana one, for example, we filled the forms online, printed them out and went to verify them. So it was a two-step process, went to verify them at the Ghanaian embassy and then also had to take the picture again. And we're not given a finite or definite date that you're gonna pick it up on this day. So do find out what the process is for either of you, if you wanna get a two. If you don't wanna get the two like we did, we pushed ourselves to get the two just cause when we bring him and we are traveling, maybe somewhere or for the next time, we don't want to do it again cause at least it lasts five years for when they're younger. So if you don't wanna do the two, then you know that, okay, fine, you're getting the quickest one and then applying for a visa with the other one if you're gonna be traveling. But still look into the process. Yeah, look into the process. Otherwise the papers are not correct and then you have a problem. Yeah, if it's by birth, they're allowed to have both. I don't know which countries don't allow dual citizenship and passports, but if it's by birth, your child is allowed to have both and it's good to have that advantage. Yeah. So second thing, check with the airline because there are certain baby arrangements that can be arranged. So for example, our airline had like the baby busing net. Busing net. That you can hang on the wall so that you don't have to hold your baby the whole time. So our flight was six hours, which is still doable. But yeah, it was good to know that that's what they can offer and then you had to make a reservation because it was at the special baby aisle where there's a bit more space for your legs as well so you can easily get up and down. So check out the airline, what they can offer and also not if you need to change your baby as the arrow says like, where can I change my baby? Because not every washroom has like a folded table. So we had to ask like, where can we do that? Well, luckily we had very sweet air hostesses. They really liked the baby and... They liked our vibe. They literally came to like, we were just, because you have a baby or a small child, you can go first into the aircraft. So we were just literally sitting down as one of the first people and they came running, checking out the baby and asking how old they see, where are you going, like all these things. And how cute he is. Everybody was like, yeah, he's very cute. Swearing up with how beautiful he looks. Yeah, it was very sweet. And it was also nice because Kami was first behind me because I was in the baby aisle because I had made the reservation for the baby. So he was on my ticket kind of and then Kami was behind me because we weren't able to check in together. But then luckily, I explained to the air hostess, like, great, this is my husband, he's sitting there. And then she's like, okay, we'll try to move you around so you guys are next to each other. So that was really great because then you can just kind of take turns with holding him or feeding him or changing him. So it was nice that we were next to each other, I think, especially for the first flight. So ask if you can or, yeah, ask if it's possible because for us, they moved a few people around and then suddenly they looked around and realized that, okay, not all the seats were filled and then they just moved some people around. We just politely asked and moved some people around. The thing I wanted to draw your attention to for you to remember if you're flying as well is with a bassinet, for example, depending on the flight. So please ask because even when you request for the bassinet and the baby aisle and everything, if you're not the only new mother or only mother traveling on the craft, then it means that you have to be at the airport very early because it's now becomes a first come, first serve thing and as well how young your baby is. So the younger the baby, that will require the bassinet versus maybe an older one that you can maybe handle on your laps the whole flight. So depending on the flight you're using, make sure you have the airport on time. And again, like I said, everything you plan doubles in time. So if you would go an hour before, now you have to do two hours before because you're putting all the possibilities of what if into your planning. Yeah, for your own sanity. Yeah, for your own sanity, which means that if you're gonna go before as well, it means you're gonna spend longer at the airport and you need to pack more as well. So everything is everything in that sense. Yeah, and I think it's also important to check out the airports. Yeah, I was going to say that, oh, I don't know, go on. So Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam has a baby lounge. So there are these small pods kind of with curtains around it where that you can close and then you can feed your baby there, change your baby. They have a whole station with running water, warm water, cold water, microwave, even a bathtub if you need to wash your baby if you had an accident or you have a very long travel, I don't know. So it was really nice because it was a quiet part of the airport, you could just really sit down, catch your breath. Grandma was able to get me a coffee. We ate, I think it was a croissant or something. Yeah, we ate croissants. Like just like to wind down a little bit before we went to the gates. And our own snacks that were packed. Yeah, so that was really good. I enjoyed the Rocha. Yeah, and I would also recommend that somebody's bringing you to the airport if possible, like a friend or family because it's quite stressful already to travel with kids. And it's nice that you don't have to think of parking or like how I'm gonna move all the bags or how this, how that. So that's, yeah, and also somebody who picks you up would also be nice. So you don't have to like now request a bolt or a new wear or like hustle with, because yeah, that's too much. You have to arrange both. Yeah, and what I didn't know was at Schiphol, what they do is you can either bring your stroller or your moxie cozy, like the car seat. So we had a car seat like the moxie cozy. And then what they do is when you get to the gates, that's where you give the moxie cozy. To the air hostess or the stroller. Or the stroller. And then when you get out, it will be, it's not in the normal luggage, but in like special luggage. So they put it on the side for you. On the side, yeah. Depending on the airport you're going to or arriving to, they will pack it on the side and then you just go and pick it and then you go to the car itself for your bags. Yeah, so it's good to also verify that how that works because so our baby was still small. So it was easy to carry him from the aircraft to wherever we were picking up the car seat. But I kind of imagine if you have a bigger child than maybe the stroller, you really need it. So prepare also for that from the aircraft to so you get your stroller or your car seat back. Because if your baby's heavy or something, it might be a bit of a struggle. Yeah. And the third thing, is it third or fourth? Yeah, third or fourth. Yeah. We lost count. We lost count. Also, one thing that I realized after we arrived, dressed for where you were going. Yes. I was wearing the wrong clothes or I wore the wrong attire. And I was like, I mean, we're traveling from a cold place to a warm place. And I didn't want to wear, you know, even though we were dropped off at the airport and I could have left the jacket with Elaine's sister who brought us to the airport, I decided to dress lighter by wearing a thermal shirt underneath my shirt and then wear a t-shirt in there, just very light sweater so that I am just small lights. And then we arrived in Ghana and I was baking. Hot. I was literally like drenched, like the sweat was just like, you know, I was baking underneath. So dress appropriately. If you'd have somebody you go to the airport with and you're wearing your warm clothes, as long as you enter the airport and you can just dress lighter and give it out to the person to go, you know, then do that. And coming to the other airport as well, you have to prepare for a longer, you know, immigration. Yeah. So for us, it took a little bit longer on the airport. So once we landed, we just waited till the whole plane had left because we were like, we're not gonna hustle with the baby in between all these other people. That was the first time I've ever. Yeah. So we waited till everybody was out, then walked out and I know we discussed like, should I make another bottle? And we're like, no, within two hours we'll be out. Huh. We were not out by two hours. Yeah. And what happened was that it was very warm at the airport. Like it was humid. Like a heavy blanket. And of course the baby has not experienced that yet. So what happened? The baby started crying or at least fasting a lot. Yeah. And Carmen was able to utilize the moment. I used my baby. I used my baby. I was like, hey, okay. Since the baby's crying. We're in this queue. I, because we were traveling for a long time and we would also create content every now and then. I always travel with a gear bag, which is usually my carry on most of the time. And it's heavy. And then the baby was also strapped in front of me because Elaine wasn't as strong to have the baby strapped on her on the baby carrier all the time. So I had the baby in front and my bag behind, wearing thermal underneath. And then we're standing in this queue. That wouldn't move at all. For such a long time. And then we go to a certain point. I realized that there's an immigration woman who was doing the directing. Like, you go, you go, there you go. And then the baby started fussing just a little, little, little. And I had the pacifier on. Just took the pacifier out. And I just whispered to him, cry louder. Cry louder. So he's had a crying, like really loud. Because now the pacifier is out. The baby is really uncomfortable. And an immigration lady just saw it and was like, oh, oh, come, come, come. I was like, yes. But that was fine. Spartylai. Yes. Yeah, so if you have the opportunity, you can do that. You can use it. Yeah, and always make extra food. So we should have made that bottle formula. Always have food on hand. I think it's always good to, unless you're very comfortable breastfeeding in the airplane. So they tell you to let your baby or your child latch when you fly up and when you land. With ours, he slept when we flew away. So we didn't have to do anything. But then at some point, he had to feed, of course. And I tried to breastfeed. But the chairs are very small. And you need some space. At least I need to put your elbow. And I also wanted to cover myself a little. So I had like a scarf. But then it was very hot for him because we're like super close to each other, of course. And then the scarf. So he started fussing. So yeah, it worked half. So it was not enough. So luckily we had like two or three formulas with us. You can always ask for hot water. And it's better to have more ready than to not have it at all on you because we didn't have that when we landed. And then he became very fussy at immigration. It was hot. He was hungry. And then in the end, I had to breastfeed in the back of the car, which was quite challenging because, of course, I also had a long day. And then with our crab potholes and with the bumps. And he latched. But it was difficult to keep him latched because of how the roads are. And it was a whole other thing. So it was too much. So don't try not to stress yourself and have enough food on you. Because that was a big lesson. Like we shouldn't do that next time. If you doubt, just make the bottle. Make the damn bottle. Always have. You don't know, especially with a newborn. It's better to have a bit more than not enough. So that was a big one. Let me see my notes. You talk about everything? I think so, yeah. Yeah, so that's our pointers for traveling with. And depending on how old your baby is, you may or may not need your headphones, but the flight headphones for babies get one. It's better to have it and not need it. Oh yeah, if they don't like the noise. Yeah, than to need it and not have one with you. So always get it. Luckily for us, when we got into the plane there, the aerosas were like, nah, this plane is not as loud and he's been on six weeks at a time, so he'll be fine. Yeah, and I think what was also nice was one of the aerosas really wanted to make a picture was. So we have a picture. And that's our thumbnail. Of us in the plane, because she's like, yeah, you can show him when he's 18, which I thought was very cute. You see it on YouTube as well. Yes. It's our thumbnail, that's what you've seen. So, but it was nice. It was nice as she thought of that because of course we were not in a headspace to like, oh, let's make memories. But really we're just practical, like, oh, let's get through this flight. But it was nice. And yeah, like ask for help if you can. Yeah, get help. People are generally very helpful because they see you have a small child and they want to support. And yeah, you have people coming up to you as well. Like, oh, like how old? And is that a boy or a girl? And it's a whole other experience in a nice way. Yeah. And also when you see other parents at the airport, you're like, whoa, I see you. You know, you're doing great. Especially those who are traveling with like multiple kids. Yeah, I don't know how to do it. Two even, and yeah, like one is a toddler and one is a baby, and like, whoa. Yeah, and all the stuff and all the entertaining, yeah, you're doing well. So give yourself some grace as well during the travel, especially we were traveling together, but if you were alone, I can imagine it's quite a lot, so. Let me do harder yourself. Yeah. It makes it worse. Yes, and ask for help. I mean, people are generally happy to help. Yeah. Yeah. OK, we hope this was insightful. Enough. And so we'll catch you in the next video. This is me plus you is. Us. And my name is Squammy. His name is Squammy. I'm Elaine. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching. Bye. Bye.