Recovering from a Broken Ankle While Traveling with a Baby
I didn’t expect recovery to look like this.
Especially not with a baby.
What started as a family trip to Panama quickly turned into something very different when I broke my ankle on February 3. Within a few days, we were navigating flights home, surgery, and the reality of recovery—while still caring for our baby.
It wasn’t easy. But we figured it out as we went.
If you’re going through something similar, or just want to know what this season looked like for us, here’s our experience.
Road tripping the U.S. with a 6-month-old: what actually worked
We just finished a road trip across the U.S. with Parker at 6 months old — and I’ll say this upfront:
It was slower, messier, and more beautiful than we expected.
If you’re thinking about doing a road trip with a baby, this isn’t a “perfect itinerary” post. This is what actually worked for us — and what we’d do differently next time.
Flying with a baby: what we actually packed
Flying with a baby can feel overwhelming the first time.
There are so many packing lists online that it’s hard to know what actually matters – and what will end up staying in the diaper bag the entire flight.
This is the packing setup we used flying with Parker: what we brought, what we actually used, and what we probably wouldn’t pack again.
Parker was about five months old on this trip, and it was our second flight as a family. By that point we had a bit more confidence than the first time, but we were still figuring things out.
Like most things with a baby, we quickly realized that flying doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to be manageable.
Flying with a baby: what we actually packed
Flying with a baby can feel overwhelming the first time.
There are so many packing lists online that it’s hard to know what actually matters – and what will end up staying in the diaper bag the entire flight.
This is the packing setup we used flying with Parker: what we brought, what we actually used, and what we probably wouldn’t pack again.
Parker was about five months old on this trip, and it was our second flight as a family. By that point we had a bit more confidence than the first time, but we were still figuring things out.
Like most things with a baby, we quickly realized that flying doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to be manageable.
Staying away from home with a baby: what actually matters
Finding a place to stay with a baby can feel surprisingly stressful.
Before Parker, choosing accommodation was mostly about location, price, and maybe a nice view. Traveling with a baby changes that equation a little. Suddenly things like nap schedules, quiet evenings, and space to move around matter much more than fancy amenities.
After our first few trips, we realized something important: a place doesn’t just need to allow babies – it needs to actually work for traveling with a baby.
Here are the things that made the biggest difference for us.
Packing for a baby: what we actually bring
Packing for a trip with a baby can feel overwhelming at first.
Before Parker, packing was simple. A small suitcase, maybe a carry-on, and we were ready to go.
Traveling with a baby changes that equation a little. Suddenly there are diapers, sleep setups, feeding supplies, and a few extra layers “just in case.”
But after a few trips, we realized something helpful: you don’t need to pack everything.
You just need to pack the things that make travel days easier and sleep away from home manageable.