Travelling with Baby: What to Pack

Congratulations you’ve decided to take a big step and travel with your little one! This guide offers general advice as to what you will need whilst travelling with your little one and we hope you enjoy 🙂

Start packing at least 1 week in advance! Packing for yourself and little one takes so much more coordination than it ever did before they arrived!

Speak to your health visitor/ GP at least a moth or three before you travel so they can advise and coordinate any relevant medications. You may need to use bottled water rather than tap for instance in order to avoid tummy issues even though travelling within the UK.

Carry the phone number of your at home medical team and also look up the details of your nearest doctors/ hospital that has a children’s department at your destination and make a note of their details x

Now for the list – First of all this is for little ones up to a year:

Clothes 

An outfit plus a spare or two for each day your away. Don’t forget to put one change of clothes into your baby’s changing bag

Put pjs on top of ur suitcase if your arriving near bedtime with the towel so you can get lo ready for bed 

Toys

Books

Steriliser & tablets – you can get ones where it comes in a bag with a tablet that you can travel with.

Food/ snacks -depending on how you’re travelling. You can take baby milk – through security. But I don’t think you can travel with food as some airlines can be funny about that so best to check with the airline. You can often preorder formula for baby to be available to collect via the pharmacy beyond security. So definitely investigate at the airport.

Spare nappies/ sacks/ nappy cream – pack one for each hour your travelling says baby centre. I never leave home without 6 in my baby bag (a days worth except on nappy-explosion days!). And I pack a pack or another days or so worth in baby’s suitcase if I know I can get same brand of nappies at new location. Otherwise I’m taking the pack!

Transportable baby mat – believe me when I say you need this. You don’t know how clean or comfortable the space you’ll have to use to change your little one will be. I’ve had to use the floor of a bathroom too many times!!!

Thermometer and paracetamol – as well as any other medication your little one may use: think gripe water/ teething powder.

Blankets & Muslins (2 for each day) and bibs

Small bottles of antibacterial hand gel.

Don’t forget baby wash, baby lotions or creams and toothbrush & toothpaste

Dummies (if used)

Washable bibs

Sun hat

If your Weaning your little one carry a plastic feeding set with utensils, and baby food if possible.

Extra bottles, nipples, and sippy cups

Breast pump (if you use one)

Baby monitor – camera and sound if you have one

Baby Carrier – God send!!! As helps keep your baby close in crowded places like airports. However you do have to remove them when going through security so don’t be surprised if they ask u to remove it. This has helped me many a time in getting the young one through the airport and bounced off to sleep.

Also pick what you wear to travel in carefully because it’s hard to take off shoes etc whilst wearing baby

Travel cots are handy but it may be worth checking whether one will be available at your destination or whether you would prefer to order one there.

Inflatable baby bathtub – when my sister came to visit I got her one of these which was a godsend! She used it all the time even when visiting grand parents

Car seat for safer travel by car or plane – again check if one will be hirable if hiring a car. Lots of companies provide however take blankets or your own incase they’re mankey.

Collapsible stroller – you can get some strollers suitable from birth if they recline all the way back. I’m sure lots of shops do them but Mothercare do a cheap one: Nano and it’s good. We used it as our back up to our main travel system.

Can be gate-checked or checked in at the checking desk. Some can stored in the overhead bin of an airplane but check with the airline!

Some airlines allow you to carry baby items either one or two for free. You should consider this when packing as to whether you’ll take the travel system chassis and car seat, or whether to take a travel cot. Phone or visit the website for your airlines as each are different.

The same goes with luggage and hand luggage for baby. Check with the airline. As baby bag can go on board but that might be your only hand luggage. Rather than a separate bag for you.

HAPPY TRAVELS!

Travelling with Baby: Planning a holiday or GetAway Break

As we are about to enter into the big holiday season we wanted to help you tackle your worries over travelling with your little baby over a series of blog posts.

The Key to travelling with a little one is trying to keep as much of their routine as possible

Sleep: the night before you travel try to make sure you all get a good nights sleep. I find that if I start packing much earlier on including writing lists of what I may need, the last minute panicking can be avoided 

Travel: sometimes the best method of travel pre-baby has to be reassessed. Obviously flying, driving, catching a coach or train come with their benefits and down falls. But think about your babies routine, the length of time it will take you to get there. But most importantly- breaks. Where and how often do you need to take meaningful breaks? Do you need a hotel?

If you can travel, when it’s their nap time so they’re more likely to sleep during the harder part of the journey. When we fly or drive this works very well for us. Not so much so on the train!

Activities: this very much depends on child’s age. But story books, activity books, colouring in, simple games (no small pieces), Music CDs/Story CDs, cuddly toys are just a few of the things you should arm yourself with whilst travelling.

Food on journey and at destination: depending on how your travelling you may wish to take food enroute to your destination. This enables you to deal with any impromptu requests sooner rather than later. However if you aren’t taking food consider how you can feed your child.

For instance do you need to pack formula or can you buy a ready pack from the chemist past security at the airport? Don’t wait til you get there bye preorder it and have it waiting for you before you board that plane. 

If your little one is Weaning same thing just be prepared to either pack food stuffs (depending on how and where your travelling to – such as flying out of the country you may not be allowed to take food with you).