After our recent trip to the beach, post can be read here, I wanted to share some of my own tips for traveling with a baby. On the plane, in the car, and on the beach. My son is six months old, and we flew to Florida with him and our seven-year-old daughter.
- Pacifier for takeoff / landing. I gave our son a pacifier for takeoff, and on the way home nursed him. Both seemed to work great as a protection for his ears, just in case they seem to bother him. You really never know how babies are going to react to flying, so I wanted to make sure he had some options.
2. Plane toys. I bought some new toys he had never seen before and brought a few of his favorites. It helped to have a few new toys to keep his interest. And then we had a few of his favorites also. One piece of advice, try not to bring to many toys or things that can easily roll on a plane. Or you’ll be grabbing things off the floor constantly and wiping them off.
3. Changing mat / blanket. We always have the changing mat in the diaper bag, but it came in great use on the plane to lay it down on the dirty seats to give him some type of barrier. And then his blanket in case it was cold, or just to get snuggle with.
4. Formula / Ziplocs. Not pictured. I brought about six bottles worth of formula in small Ziploc baggies in the diaper bag. Each baggie had one bottle worth of formula measured out. I know they make formula containers, but I love a Ziploc bag and it saved lots of room. We also had a small container of formula in a can in one of our carry-on bags, just in case we were to get stuck somewhere we had plenty. I was still breastfeeding at the time, but not on a regular basis so I was able to nurse him if we had no other means to feed him.
5. Bottles. Not pictured. I brought two bottles in the diaper bag, and while we were on the plane, I put a few ice cubes from our drinks to rinse out the bottle and not leave the formula to dry up.
6. Stroller / car seat. We brought our own stroller and car seat; they are considered a necessity on the plane so they were not a “checked” or “carry-on” bag if you will. It was great to keep him in the car seat, on the stroller, right up until we boarded the plane. And then once we were in Florida, it was nice to have the stroller. And for the car seat, I was worried about not having the base in the rental car, but we just buckled him up the good old fashion way when you put the seat belt through the loop of the car seat.
7. Stroller fan. The stroller fan is a must, we used it so much one of the legs broke off when we got home. Being in the hot Florida heat, you definitely need a fan for the baby. The stroller fan can be found here.
8. Baby crib / hatch sound machine. We used this company to rent baby gear. It was the best idea! We rented a baby crib, a bouncy seat, and the hatch sound machine. I highly recommend using the same things you use at home for bedtime when traveling. It makes it a little easier being in a new environment for the baby.
9. Tent. This tent has been great this summer! Believe it or not, the tent wraps up into a small oval shape. We crammed this into our suitcase and used it for naps on the beach. We’ve also used it for naps at the pool. Baby tent can be found here.
10. Baby carrier. We used the carrier a few times, in the airport and as we walked on the beach. It comes in handy, and it’s been a great way to be able to do more things hands free. The baby carrier we have is a bit old, as it was given to me from a friend. Here is a similar one here.
Sometimes traveling with babies gets a bad rap, but if you do a little bit of preparing and pre-planning, it can be very smooth and easy!
Thanks for reading!
