After our first roadtrip 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:
Bottle warmer- we honestly went back and forth for a while on whether or not we wanted to actually pack our Baby Brezza 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.
Any pumping materials you may need- electric + portable pumps, disposable bags, chargers, bottles, etc.
Cooler bag with ice packs- to properly store the milk I pumped throughout the roadtrip.
Sleeping:
Pack and Play: the Newtown Travel Crib & Play Yard is perfect for on the go travel whether you use it for sleeping or playtime. We love that, just like his crib mattress at home, this mattress pad is 100% breathable and washable.
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 suits/bags- we brought his Merlin Magic Sleepsuit + a Kytebaby sleep bag (just in case he spit up or had a blow out and needed a backup).
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 on the go. Highly recommend!
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.
Mockingbird stroller-
Carrier- this is an essential to have when traveling with a little! It's so nice to baby wear when we are out and about + made travel way easier because I could be hands free and keep him close.
Headphones- these come in handy to have when at restaurants/louder atmospheres and we just keep them in the diaper bag just in case we ever need them.
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:
Crinkle toys- whether it's a book, paper, or toy babies love anything that makes that crinkly noise whenever they feel or taste it.
Teething toys- there are tons of great options for teething toys and it is always a good idea to have multiple for your baby to choose from. This teething toy mitten is one of our faves though because it stays wrapped around his hand & is way less likely to fall on the ground compared to other ones.
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Crib Toy and Sound Machine- another must have toy in our house! Perfect for calming and entertaining your baby with classical music and subtle lights.
Musical toys- hate to say it but babies love loud toys that play music/sing. Here are some of the most popular ones on Amazon for babies right now!
Carseat toys- always nice to have for entertainment (especially during a long roadtrip) however be sure to only use them when an adult is in the backseat with the baby as they can be a choking hazard otherwise.
Spinners- great to stick on plane or car windows to entertain the baby while they are sitting but beware, they might get frustrated when they can't reach, grab, and put the spinners in their mouth!
Rattles- again anything that rattles, jingles, or dings when a baby shakes it is a win in their book and great entertainment.
Board books- educational + fun for the babies to play with, hold, or look at while you read to them.
Outfits:
I would recommend packing tons of extra clothes just in case (of blow outs, spit up, etc.)! I feel like rule of thumb is you should have an extra outfit for everyone you plan for the baby to wear, so double the clothes unless you have a way of washing their things wherever you are headed.
Additionally be sure to check the weather ahead of time and pack accordingly! Whether you are headed some place warm and need sunglasses, bucket hats, and shorts or going somewhere cooler and need beanies, mittens, and socks, it is important to be prepared!
We hope this packing list ~roadtrip edition~ 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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