I Survived New York City with a 2.5 Month Old

We're taking the afternoon train to NYC for his interview. Just a 2 days (actually 1.5 days only) and 1 night trip, there's so much to think about.

Here's what we were worried about, and how we got around / managed most of them

Concern #1: Getting onto Amtrak with the stroller
So we did not have any issues at all. Amtrak has a red cap service that took us to the elevators where we could access the train tracks easily. The trains had an area for passengers with disabilities (and could be used for strollers as well). Usually people will give their seat up if they see a stroller & baby.

Concern #2: Getting around NYC with a 2.5 month old stroller

From Penn Station to the Grand Hyatt (which is about 25 mins walk), I saw a total of 5 strollers only. Clearly no one takes their baby out in a stroller. Funnily, I did not see any babies on carriers as well. Anyhow, it was a little tough navigating through the millions of people on the streets. And people don't really care if you have a stroller. They will not step aside for your stroller. So best to not take the stroller, especially smaller streets and construction zones. Larger avenues are not too bad.

Concern #3: Diaper Changing Facilities
Well, Shane loves spraying all over any changing area, be it a changing station or the chair or the floor. Yup, he did it too at the Grand Hyatt.

NYC has the tightest toilets around and it's way too difficult to change him. So in the end, we just used an area against a wall or the stroller bassinet to change his diapers. It was hard to give him a thorough clean, so a bath in the evening was definitely a must!

Nappy Change @ Grand Central

Nappy change in the bassinet which was a lot easier

Alternative toy stores or baby stores like FAO Schwarz have diaper rooms! I heard there's one at babies r us & destination maternity too.

Concern #4: What happen if it rains?
Use a carrier and an umbrella! Or just brave the rain. I took Shane out in the carrier and used my waterproof jacket to cover him and his head (by wearing the jacket the other way around). We'll it wasn't pouring so I could still do that. The light drizzle meant I was wet after a 15 mins walk. But my baby was nice warm and dry cos he was shielded from the wind and rain.

Alternative was to chill out in the hotel - which we did because he had to have his morning nap, and is figured he'll sleep better in the bed.

In the afternoon, when it was pouring, we just used the carrier & umbrella. Shane slept all the way in the carrier. Bliss.

Concern #5: Dining with a baby??

So I thought I could breast feed in the restaurant. But I realized NYC restaurants are mostly tight and small. Chairs are not large enough for me to bf without Shane's legs sticking out and potentially kicking / tripping someone. He also struggles a little when under the nursing covers. Also, space is tight and tough to burp the baby. So I decided to pump a bottle in advance and feed him instead.

We met up with friends at Oysteria on 42nd St, and Zengo on 3rd Ave. Stroller friendly. Ask for the booth table at Zengo. Food was good. And Shane was well behaved!

Concern #6: Bathing the baby

Initially I thought we could skip a bath for the baby since it was only a day... But because I couldn't really give him a proper clean during diaper change, skipping the bath for a day was not an option we felt we could take. So the Grand Hyatt had a miserable looking shallow tub that looked dirty and had a rusty/greasy sink hole and there's no way I'll fill up the tub with water to bathe Shane.

So I scrubbed the back of the tub, and made it as clean as possible for sitting down (and I sat on a hand towel in the tub). Since the shower head was fixed to the wall, we turned on the shower and ran baby's body through the water , using one hand to shield water from his face. Then using a hand towel, we cleaned up his face and head.

Yup… I think i could do this again!