Preparing for Travel

Although we still haven't received final confirmation, our agency feels strongly that our March 8th Embassy date is a go. We haven't booked airline tickets yet, but I'm watching fares closely and have begun preparing for travel. Our plan is to leave the U.S. on February 27th which will get us to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 28th. On March 1st we will head to Toukoul and Naomi will be placed in our arms. Yes, in 25 days we should be holding our precious baby girl!

Our plan is to stay in Ethiopia long enough that Naomi has plenty of time to adjust to her new family while still around familiar sights, sounds and smells. We also want ample time to see some of the sites around and just outside Addis Ababa, so our plan is to fly home on March 12th which means we won't land on U.S. soil until March 13th.

We have made our reservations at the Ethiopia Guest Home and I've started getting all Naomi's clothes together and ready for packing. Another suggestion that has been made to us by a few people is that we begin taking probiotics now and continue taking them while in country. For those not familiar with probiotics here is a brief description:

The term "probiotics" refers to dietary supplements or foods that contain beneficial, or "good," bacteria that are similar to those normally found in your body. Although you don't need probiotics to be healthy, these microorganisms may provide some of the same health benefits that the bacteria already existing in your body do — such as assisting with digestion and helping protect against harmful bacteria.

Since travel outside the U.S. increases the risk of picking up intestinal parasites and bacteria that upset the natural bacterial balance, probiotics can assist in fighting off bad bacteria and can help ward off potential intestinal problems.

Having talked to others who took them prior to and during their trip to Ethiopia and who had absolutely no stomach problems during the trip, we are now taking probiotics and will continue taking them until sometime after we return home. There seems to be enough scientific evidence in place to indicate that they do have some definite benefits, especially for those traveling outside the country.

Another suggestion made is using eucalyptus oil mixed with jojoba, grapeseed, almond, olive, or apricot oil. Eucalyptus has many benefits, one of them being respiratory. Since Addis Ababa is very polluted and at a higher elevation, many people have respiratory issues. It's also common for babies and children to have respiratory issues and eucalyptus can be beneficial in opening up the airways. On babies and children it is a 50/50 mixture of eucalyptus oil with another oil and then rubbed on the bottoms of their feet. What I like about it is the fact that its a natural/organic substance and is easily found at health food stores.

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing other helpful hints and tips that have been passed along to me as well as some hints and tips that I found helpful when we traveled to Guatemala. Of course if any of my readers want to share their own hints and tips, please do so in the comments section and I'll try to include them in a future post.