Traveling With a Baby - 5 Things You MUST Pack For a Great Trip
Eat, play, sleep repeat. Not only is this the current schedule of our almost 4 month old baby boy, it was also the theme of our recent trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Are we a little crazy for traveling with a baby so soon? Maybe. Was it worth it? Totally. Do I now have some packing tips to share with you? Absolutely.
I won’t lie. I was a little nervous about traveling with such a young baby - especially on a plane! If you’ve met little Cedrik you know that his vocal chords are quite...healthy. But I can now say with confidence that traveling with a baby is totally doable (and different than how your travels used to be), it just takes some planning ahead to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip, for all of you. I’m not about having too many things or gadgets for a baby, so if you’re thinking of taking off with your little one, here are a few MUST items to pack.
Summer Infant Swaddle
This saved us big time. A swaddle is key to keeping your baby calm and helping him/her go to sleep. We used this swaddle on the plane and even on the beach, whenever we wanted Cedrik to get some shut eye. The summer infant swaddles are great because unlike some of the others, there’s no complicated wrapping involved. A few velcro buckles, and your baby is off to sleepy land!
UV Tent
At 3.5 months old, Cedrik is way too young to be getting his tan on. And since I wasn’t about to put sunscreen on his beautiful baby skin, a UV tent was the perfect solution. Not only was it great for protecting him from the sun rays, but also for giving him a cozy place to nap. Instead of having to lug ourselves back to the hotel whenever he needed some rest, we put that bad boy (the tent, not our baby:)) in the shade, swaddled him up and let him doze off to the sound of the ocean waves.
Pack and Play
For night time sleep we didn’t want to chance it with the possibility of an uncomfortable hotel crib, so we packed our own. Our little guy loves his snooze time in it! When he wasn’t napping in his UV tent on the beach, he got his rest & relaxation in his pack and play back at the hotel - which we also used for his night sleep. When you’re traveling with an infant you’re allowed two additional checked items at no cost. The pack and play was one, the stroller was the other. Which brings me to my next tip...
Stroller
We considered not bringing one of these, and I’m so glad that my dear mama friend convinced me otherwise. We never really used the stroller in the day besides sometimes at breakfast, but let me tell you, we would have had no night life without it. Every evening around 7pm we’d do Cedrik’s night routine (bath, change, feed, burp, bedtime story and swaddle), then place him in his stroller. We covered the stroller with an Aden & Anais cover (thin and breathable) and played white noise on my cellphone which we placed in the back stroller pocket. Cedrik would sleep while we enjoyed a romantic dinner over a glass of wine, or two. After dinner, we’d take a walk or sit by the beach to watch the moon and stars. When we got back to our room, we’d place him in his pack and play for the rest of the night. He got the rest he needed and we got to enjoy some time alone, sans interruption
Baby Carrier
Finally, having a baby carrier (sling, wrap, whatever floats your boat) was key for those long walks by the beach. Yes, you could push a stroller around but we found that to be more work than necessary. With our Baby Bjorn (I’d actually recommend an Ergobaby) we strapped Cedrik around Jack, where he’d eventually fall asleep while we walked the long stretches of beach, watching the sunset.
So there you have it, 5 things I strongly suggest you pack when traveling with a baby. Like I briefly mentioned, you’ll also want to consider bringing a thin blanket (like an Aden & Anais) and a sound machine to help your baby sleep (we used the Sound Sleeper app on our phones). And for a few extras, bring some medicine just in case (like Tempra and Pedialyte), a couple of sun hats, all you need for diaper changes and very few clothes!
If you’re considering a trip with your baby, I say do it! It takes some planning and likely won’t be as adventurous as your travels may have been before - but it will be a whole kind of new adventure! And, you’ll create the sweetest memories.
There are moments I’ll never forget, like breastfeeding Cedrik as I lay in a hammock staring out into the ocean, and the way he laughed as we played in the waters. There were challenges traveling with a baby for the first time, but that week we spent the three of us alone, completely wrapped up in each other’s love is an experience I’ll always treasure. I look forward to more family trips and filling up Cedrik’s passport with many more stamps!
Peace, love & baby travels,
Diana