Packing & Travel Tips With A Baby
flying with a baby
We recently took a trip to Arizona and it was our first time traveling with Taya. I was initially nervous about what to pack - especially thinking about her first flight. I feel like there are sometimes stories about bad flight experiences, but a lot of moms have told me also just to not worry & know that you are doing your best! With flying you sort of have to just let your expectations go and go with the flow. I created this list of things we packed for Taya and I hope it helps you as you travel with your little ones.
A few things to keep in ming when flying with a baby:
+ Call your airlines ahead of time to let them know if you are flying with a lap infant
+ Set aside being too strict on schedule & let the day flow how it needs to
+ Don’t get bothered if they cry or fuss on the plane, it will happen and it is ok!
+ Taya likes to yank off my mask, so these disposables were perfect for flying/airport/travel in case they drop just toss it
+ If you forget something don’t panic - you can oftentimes get diapers/wipes/etc delivered via amazon to any hotel/airbnb
& lastly: have fun and don’t forget to capture the memories! We loved this polaroid camera + film for the trip!
bring to the
airport:
Carseat: We brought our Uppa Baby carseat because it clicks in to the Vista V2 stroller for easily transferring baby from car to on the go.
Stroller: Goes along with the carseat & was great for travel. Easy to fold down into the back of a rental car and makes adventuring while traveling easy. This stroller also has lots of storage underneath.
Carseat & Stroller covers: Purchased from Amazon right before the trip and they worked great. These covers do not protect from damage as much as they protect from dust/dirt. (stroller cover) + (carseat cover)
Baby Carrier: I really love this Baby Bjorn carrier because it is super lightweight & can adjust to different baby sizes as well as who is carrying baby. Amazing for the airport!
check in with
your luggage:
Sound Machine: We love this sound machine because it is small but really powerful & has different levels and sounds. It is easy to charge and take on the go.
Baby Monitor: This is the one we use at home & it is really easy to use. Does not require wifi and can be plugged in anywhere.
Pack n’ Play: Some Airbnb’s or hotels will have one you can use so check with them first! But these are perfect to set in a dark place for sleeping baby while traveling.
Feeding: For us that was plenty of extra formula, several clean bottles, & a bottle scrubber. We also use a kettle to heat up her water with each feeding at home which is super easy & fast. We packed that as well!
DIAPER BAG
+ 12 diapers
+ 2 wet wipes packages
+ 3 outfit changes (2 onesies + 1 '“cute” outfit + 1 bow)
+ 2 diaper bags
+ Formula container (linked here)
+ 2 clean bottles
+ 2 wash cloths
+ Ointment for dry skin (tends to happen when flying)
TRAVEL
+ Carseat (optional - some car rental agencies also offer rentals
for this item)
+ Stroller (optional - some car rental agencies also offer rentals
for this item)
+ Baby carrier for airport keeps your hands free
SLEEP
+ Portable sound machine *don’t forget the charger!
+ Baby monitor and camera *don’t forget the charger!
+ Pack n’ Play (you can check to see if your airnbn already has one on location - some do)
+ Sleep sack/swaddle
+ Portable fan if where you are traveling is hot (linked here)
CLOTHES
+ 1 onesie for each night
+ 1-2 outfits per day
+ Socks + shoes (depends on the trip, for warm weather we did
not use are shoes or socks)
+ 2 swimsuits
+ 2 sun hats
+ bows/hat (optional)
more of my thoughts
DESTINATION + WEATHER:
One thing to note is that Taya is 5 1/2 months old so depending on the age of your baby this packing list might change a bit. Since this was Taya’s first flight we tried to keep it really simple with what we packed. We also were heading towards much warmer weather so that had an impact on what we decided to pack. I feel like if we were traveling somewhere with colder weather it would've obviously been a much different packing list clothing-wise. However what we brought to the airport/checked in with our luggage, and what we packed in her diaper bag, would basically always be the same no matter where you're traveling to.
FEEDINIG + FORMULA:
Taya eats formula & that obviously takes powder, water, and a bottle. For the airport we brought the portable formula container which keeps multiple feeds worth of formula in an air-tight container with a scoop, packed into our diaper bag. My bag did get stopped while going through security but if you tell them it is formula they shouldn’t make you toss or remove it. The airlines we flew on had regulations online that stated it would not get tossed if it was a ‘reasonable amount’. So just pack it in a separate container & don’t bring the whole box/bag on the flight. We had no issue going through security after that. We checked the rest of what she needed for the week in Taya’s bag. You can’t bring water or water bottles through security, so when we got on the plane we right away asked the fight attendant for some warm water and put it right into her bottle. That way the second she started to fuss or get hungry we could add the powder into the water & feed her. I did notice she fought sleep a lot on the way there & we couldn’t really get her to nap, but you just have to kinda roll with it and not care too much about schedule when traveling. A few hours or a day of a messed up schedule won’t ruin their sleep forever.
If you are a breastfeeding mama, although I have not been on your position, I would just say do what you need to do to feed your baby! Nobody is going to look at you strange if you need to feed or sooth your baby. If you feel the need to be covered, you could bring a small blanket or swaddle.
CARSEAT + STROLLER:
Packing for when you get to your destination will always depend on the person & what type of vacation you're going on, so you can definetly simplify this list (if you plan on having your baby re-wear things than you can pack lighter maybe where you are staying has a washing machine). If you are staying at a hotel you might not need a car - therefore you may not need a car seat or a stroller. You could be fine with just a baby carrier. However, if you plan on exploring the area around where your staying, or you're staying a distance far enough away from the airport where you need to rent a car, you might decide that the car seat and stroller is something that will work best for you. I do know that some rental agencies let you rent carseats, however you may want to call beforehand and just double check with the agency you are renting a care from.
In our case we really like our car seat & stroller combo because they click in together and they make transporting Taya from the car to the stroller really easy. The stroller also has a lot of storage underneath which is great if you plan on shopping or just have a lot of baby things you need to carry. We always put our diaper bag in the underneath carrier so we don’t have to carry it when pushing her. We also have two coffee cup holders on the side of our stroller which are great for daily use & really practical for travel to keep your hands free if you're walking around a new town and stop for some coffee. One thing to note about the stroller & car seat covers you will put both in for the plane is that they do not really protect the car seat and stroller from damage. They are more for protecting from dust + dirt while traveling and getting tossed onto the airplane.