After our first trip with a baby, we decided to compile a list of what we consider essential items to help make your travel experience as seamless as possible! Of course as he continues to grows and we keep traveling to new places, I’ll be sure to keep a list of all the things we use + love and share in a couple of months.
Feeding/Night time:
Portable sound machine- we brought our Hatch Rest Go Portable sound machine to use at night in our room and on the go! It is a great, portable sound machine that holds a long charge & uses the same charger as the latest iPhone which is super convenient.
Sleep sacks- we brought 2 of our Halo sleep sacks just in case he spit up or had a blow out and needed a backup!
Bottle warmer- we honestly went back and forth for a while on whether or not we wanted to actually pack our bottle warmer or just bring our smaller cheaper one but ended up finding a great TikTok hack. Instead of packing that large device, we just brought a Yeti tumbler, filled it with hot water, and placed the bottle in it before each feeding. Super simple + saved a ton of space!
Portable drying rack with bottle brush- since I mostly pump and we feed Wes with bottled breastmilk, we wanted to bring something that we could easily pack & store to help us clean + dry all of the bottles and pump parts. This Oxo combo item was perfect for us to place by the sink to use after all of our feeding/pumping sessions.
Burp cloths- a must + bring TONS of them! I think we ended up packing about 15 for the 4 day trip lol.
Nightlight- this was something that we put on our registry to use in the middle of the night when feeding baby so we didn't turn on too many bright lights and wake him up too much. We honestly haven't used it much at home but it was the perfect portable nightlight to pack and have with us in the hotel. Highly recommend!
Any pumping materials you may need- electric + portable pumps, disposable bags, chargers, bottles, etc.
Toiletries + Health & safety:
Vitamin d drops- our doctor recommend we start adding vitamin d drops to 1 bottle a day after our baby was 2 weeks old. These are the drops we put in his bottle everyday and wanted to be sure to continue doing this even while on vacation.
Gripe water- another item from the Wellements brand above, that helps your baby with gas and colic. After 1 month of age, you can start using this (obviously check with your pediatrician first) if your baby is extra fussy after a feed. We don't use this often but are very glad we packed it because there was a night where Wes was really uncomfortable after a feed and this helped quickly calm him down.
Paci medicine tool- since we introduced Wes to a Paci pretty early on we thought this medicine tool would be very helpful when giving him any liquid medicine. It's very similar to a regular syringe but instead of just sticking that in the baby's mouth, they suck the medicine through the Paci. It works way better for us and makes the process much smoother.
Nose sucker + storing case- this a must for every baby since they can't blow their own noses, especially if your baby is born in cold/flu season or you live in an area with lots of allergies. Again we wanted to pack as much of our "regular" day items as possible just in case we needed them.
Saline spray- this is great to use when clearing your baby's nose to make it less painful and loosen everything up.
Baby gear:
Doona stroller-Â which doubles as his carseat, along with the base.
Doona travel cover- this was super helpful to have when traveling with the Doona at the airport. We ended up pushing the stroller through the airport, with our diaper bag and the base sitting in it and gate checking it. The process was super simple and we just clicked the carseat into the base then placed it in this bag (which doubles as a backpack).
Doona shade cover- another great option to have to block the sun when the baby is in the stroller during the day and keep them a little more hidden/protected when out and about.
Travel/Airport:
Passport- we brought this just in case but totally didn't need it for domestic travel. People also suggest bringing the birth certificate but as long as your ticket includes "lap infant" they won't ask for any sort of identification!
Carrier- this is an essential to have when traveling with a little! I actually baby wore Wes throughout the airport and then some when we were out and about. It made travel way easier because I could be hands free and keep him close.
Headphones- these came in handy when at restaurants/louder atmospheres. I thought maybe he would want them on the plane but I think the noise actually helped him fall/stay asleep because it was like white noise. The only thing I don't love about these is they fall off his head pretty easily, so I might recommend this pair that straps around the baby's head instead.
Bathing:
Inflatable baby bath- we didn't bring this with us because we weren't gone that long (and don't bathe Wes everyday yet) but in the future we absolutely will. This is a great, portable bath tub to use on the go that comes with a cloth cover (similar to a towel) to help keep your little one warm.
Wash cloths- not a must but wanted to have some soft wash cloths with us to wipe his hands, face, etc. after traveling/at the end of each day to help keep him as clean and healthy as possible.
Thermometer- since we didn't plan to bath Wes on this trip we didn't bring our water thermometer but for sure will in the future when we travel for longer periods of time/bathe him more frequently.
Diaper Bag + Toys:
Outfits:
I would recommend packing whatever outfits you want for during the day then plenty of onesies as backup! We were gone for 4 days and brought 8 onesies just in case. For reference we ended up going through 6 of the 8.
Additionally be sure to check the weather ahead of time and pack accordingly! Since we were going somewhere cold I packed a beanie, Ugg slippers/shoes, mittens, and socks for him. As well as a Teddy bear onesie that acted as his jacket when we were out and about.
We hope this packing list helps you when traveling with your little one! Just remember it's all about what works for you and your family, give yourself lots of extra time, patience, + grace, and make the most of all the experiences you can because they are only this little once.
xo,
the Stegalls
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