Traveling with your infant for the first time can be intimidating! You know what you use at home, but what will you need at Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a week? Travel with an infant during the winter months can be even more daunting because so much of your luggage space is taken up with winter gear. Many needs depend on your specific baby and your means of travel. But here is a list of travel essentials for a young infant (0-6 months) to get you started.
Your first time traveling with an infant may be overwhelming, so keep it easy. For example, if you typically use cloth diapers and glass bottles, consider switching to disposable diapers and more lightweight bottles (like these silicone bottles) for your trip.
Since most doctors don’t recommend solid food until closer to 6-months, I’m not including any sort of high chair on this list. But if your baby is sitting up and eating solids, you will want to consider bringing a travel high chair or counter clip-on chair, if there won’t be one at your travel destination. A hook-up chair like the Inglesina Fast Table Chair is great because it is portable and clips on to most tables up to 3.3″ thick. Or you could do something like the My Little Seat Infant Travel High Chair that can be slung over a chair to create a high chair with a 5-point harness.
Infant Car Seat ∙∙∙ When you are driving to your destination, you will obviously have this with you. Don’t forget to bring it if you are flying! If you bought a ticket for your infant, you can install most infant car seats on the aircraft. In this case, I still recommend a car seat backpack for getting around in the airport, unless you will have a stroller with car seat attachment that you will be bringing to the gate.
If your baby will be a lap child, I recommend putting your car seat in a padded travel bag and gate checking it, to decrease the chance of damage to the seat when being handled at the airport. (side note: I recommend reading this article just so you know the safety risks)
Added bonus: there will be room in the backpack to fill with diapers, coats, etc… and you can check it for free because it is carrying a car seat!!!
Stroller ∙∙∙ For babies under 6-months, it’s best to bring a stroller that works with your infant car seat. This travel system from Chicco uses the Fit2 Infant Car Seat and the Urban Stroller.
Car Seat Cover (if traveling somewhere cold) ∙∙∙ Be sure to get one that goes over the car seat – like this one by Skip Hop – instead of one that interferes with the safety of the car seat by going between the baby and the car seat.
Baby Carrier ∙∙∙ A hands-free method of carrying your child through the airport is ideal! So, a soft-structured carrier is a must-have for traveling with a baby or a toddler. My current favorite is the Ergobaby Omni 360.
Portable Changing Station ∙∙∙ You can turn anything into a changing table with a portable changing station! It’s one of my must-haves for your diaper bag that is especially necessary when traveling. On that note, don’t forget diapers and wipes!
White Noise Machine ∙∙∙ White noise is usually helpful for baby sleeping in a new — and potentially noisier — environment. We typically use an ambient sound app on an old iPod set in airplane mode when we travel. You can bring any sort of portable white noise machine. We love the sleep sheep (or the travel sleep sheep), but it doesn’t stay on all night. If you want something that stays on all night, take a look at the Rohm or the Hushh Portable Sound Machines.
Bottle Cleaning ∙∙∙ This travel drying rack is awesome if you are using bottles. It fits compact and can easily fit in a diaper bag. It comes with a bottle brush that stands up on the pegs when opened. Another tip for cleaning bottles (and pump parts) while on-the-go: get microwave steam bags for easy sterilizing!
Bottles ∙∙∙ This is an obvious “must-have” for bottle-fed babies, but also recommended for exclusively breastfed babies. You may be lucky enough to get a free babysitting offer when visiting family, so bring that pump and leave a bottle for your baby while you enjoy a break! These plastic Lansinoh bottles are good for travel as are the silicone Comotomo bottles. They are both lightweight and and they have minimal pieces for cleaning. For more on bottles, check out the Baby Bottle Buying Guide.
If you are formula feeding, consider bringing a formula dispenser for sure when preparing bottles. I really like the bottles that you can set up with formula that are ready to mix when on-the-go. This one has been around for a while. This is a newer one that I haven’t tried. For easy cleanup, you could also look into bottles with disposable liners.
Lightweight Blankets ∙∙∙ I love these lightweight muslin blankets from Aden + Anais. They . have a huge variety of adorable patterns.
Travel Crib ∙∙∙ While the Playards / Pack ‘n’ Plays are not too difficult to close up and carry, the size, weight and/or set-up time make them not ideal for frequent travel. If you travel a lot and need a safe sleep spot, I recommend getting a more lightweight travel crib. I have two favorite travel cribs: Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light and Guava Family Lotus Travel Crib. Both of these are fantastic, lightweight, pack up easily and will work for your kid for several years. If you want to see a comparison between the two, click here. For a really small baby, a travel bassinet would work as well.
Pacifier ∙∙∙ The Doodle & Co Pop Pacifier looks like it would be great for travel because it stays clean if you accidentally drop it on the airport or gas station floor (EWW!). You could also just add a pacifier clip to prevent yours from dropping.
Bath Stuff ∙∙∙ Depending on how you bathe your baby at home, where you are traveling, and how long you are gone, you may want to bring some bath necessities. The Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather is nice for travel because it is affordable, and it folds up for easy portability. The Innobaby Bathin’ Smart Silicone Antimicrobial Bath Scrub is easy to clean, resists mold, and is great for lathering up with soap or to gently clean cradle cap. For all that goes on my baby’s delicate skin, I choose gentle products that are free from harmful chemicals. It’s important to me that the products are natural and free from synthetic fragrances, GMOs and other harsh ingredients. some favorite safe shampoo/body wash combos for babies: Beautycounter Baby Hair and Body Wash, California Baby and Honest Company.
Tips:
Laundry? If you won’t have a washing machine, buy these Dreft Travel Sink Packets and wash baby’s clothes by hand anywhere!
Nursing? It may be helpful to bring a battery-operated or manual breast pump.
Diapers & Wipes If you are checking your car seat and use a padded seat bag, you can stuff diapers in there and that bag is checked for free! Consider ordering diapers and wipes on Amazon and having them sent ahead of time. (Second-time-mom tip: If you join Amazon Family, you get an even higher discount on diaper subscriptions.)
Does Your Baby Need Complete Darkness to Sleep? If so, bring one of these two products to ensure a dark sleep environment.
•Travel Black-out Blinds ∙∙∙ This can easily attach to a window and is easily removed.
•Darkening Playard Canopy ∙∙∙ This is a breathable darkening cover for your playard.
Over 6 Months…
Once your baby is sitting up unassisted, there are a few additional items that are nice to travel with.
This portable activity seat is awesome and travels well. You can attach toys to the loops and let your baby play in this indoors or outdoors. The recommended age range is 4 months to walking. We use it at home on our patio!
If your baby is eating solid foods, it is really nice to bring some sort of high chair. A hook-on chair like the Inglesina Fast Table Chair is portable and clips on to most counters and tables. The My Little Seat Infant Travel High Chair can be hung over a chair to create a high chair with a 5-point harness.
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