First-Time Traveling With a Baby Necessities
Two weeks ago we took our baby John to the beach for the first time. It was the perfect way to say “goodbye” to summer! Although it’s going to hit 90 degrees today, it’s September — so it’s officially the start of the Fall craze, am I right?
Anyway, we were really excited to get him to the beach, but as a first-time mom, I was a little nervous about a few things. First: the long car ride. This would be the longest car ride John has ever been on. Would he nap well? Would he eat well? Despite my worries, the answer to both of those questions is YES and YES!
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We strategically left the house as naptime was approaching. We were on the road for maybe 10 minutes and he was zonked out. Although he woke and stirred on and off, he continued to fall back to sleep with ease. Once he was completely awake, I hopped into the backseat with him. My husband and I purchased fruit/veggie pouches for the first time in hopes that he would take to them in the car ride. In hindsight, we probably should have tested the pouches before the car ride to ease my worries.
If you caught our seven-month letterboard and baby update, you already know how this fruit/veggie pouch story ends. For those of you that don’t know — the fruit/veggie pouches are life-changing! John quickly adapted to them and now LOVES them. Seriously, feeding time has been cut down dramatically. We used to battle back and forth to get him to finish a jar of food. He was always grabbing the spoon, turning away from the spoon, getting antsy because spoon-feeding would take FOREVER. But now, he sucks a pouch down in just a few minutes.
If you haven’t tried them yet, do so now! Even if you’re making your own food at home. You can purchase reusable pouches and fill them with the pureed baby food you’ve been putting in jars!
*** FYI – the picture above is the ONLY photo we took our entire vacation. I planned on unplugging to thoroughly enjoy family time, and I apparently unplugged really, really well! Photos below are taken from our normal day to day life!
Enjoy!
1 Pack and Play \\ 2 Travel Bassinet \\ 3 Travel Sound Machine \\ 4 Baby Sunscreen \\ 5 Stroller \\ 6 Baby Carrier \\ 7 Portable Pump \\ 8 Fruit and Veggie Pouches \\ 9 Booster Seat \\ 10 On-The-Go Drying Rack
Traveling With a Baby Necessities
OK, so I do want to remind you that this is a list of baby necessities that we used and loved on our road trip to the beach. If you are traveling in a car with a baby and staying in a house, condo, hotel, etc. with your little one, then this list can definitely help you! If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to add them in the comments below or message us on Instagram!
Booster Seat
OK, so I ranted and raved about how much we love this booster seat in our six-month everyday necessities post. But one month later, I love it even more! It was so great to have on vacation — much easier than lugging a full-size high chair with us or relying on holding him or having him sit still sitting on the floor or chair (because my baby does NOT sit still). We absolutely loved using this booster seat for feeding time!
The toys that you see in the picture above easily come off, so there are no distractions for your little one! If you need another reason to love it, we said “it grows with your baby into the toddler stage! Anything baby-related that will last longer than one stage of development is a total win!” You can read more about it in out six-month post!
This booster seat is available at Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond (online), or Walmart!
Pack and Play
Where is baby going to sleep while on vacation? The pack and play! Our pack and play has been great since the newborn stage because it came with a bassinet and changing table, both of which have now been removed (how is my baby already this big!?). Pack and plays are awesome for sleeping while traveling with your baby. Ours folds up really well, taking up a small space in the car. Plus it’s easy to unfold when it’s time to set up bedtime! It also has pockets on the side (not accessible by baby) so you can keep extra pacifiers, diapers, wipes, etc. at arms reach when you check on your baby during the night.
You can check out our pack and plat at Target
If your baby is still sleeping at home in a bassinet, I recommend checking out a travel bassinet for sleeping. It folds up in seconds, allowing your baby to sleep comfortably anywhere.
Portable Sound Machine
If use a sound machine at home to help your baby sleep, you will definitely want to use one while on vacation! Bring the one from home with you, or invest in a portable one that can benefit you in the car and during your vacation stay!
Check out the Marpac Hushh for Baby, found at Target!
Babywearing
LOVE LOVE LOVE babywearing! Before our vacation, I mainly did babywearing to parties, long days out with friends or family, or even around the house when I have a very needy baby! There are so many awesome babywearing options. I like to use ring slings or really functional carriers like in the picture above! If you need to have things like pacifiers, bibs, your keys, money, etc. on you then this carrier is perfect for that! Ring slings are definitely a more stylish option, where the carrier pictured about is more practical for being on the go — especially traveling on foot while on vacation!
The carrier above can be found on Amazon!
Feeding and Cleaning
If you are still only breastfeeding, you may not need anything listed here. However, if you are pumping, this can help! If you need to pump, I highly highly highly recommend the pump I use, which is portable when charged! It makes pumping on the go SO MUCH EASIER. Most pumps need to be plugged in, unlike this one! Check it out on Target or Amazon!
Along with breastfeeding, we supplement with formula and we feed him pureed fruits and veggies. We only packed three bottles to cut down on how much we packed, therefore an On-The-Go Drying Rack (with a brush) came in handy for us.
And as I mentioned above, fruit and veggie pouches were an awesome and time-saving investment. Our favorite brands are the clear pouches from Happy Baby Organics as well as Plum Organics — both brands we purchase stage 2 (6+ months) from Target because Target seems to have the best deal on them (for now, at least!).
Sunscreen
If you’ll be spending a lot of time out in the beautiful sunshine, don’t forget to lather up and protect your baby’s delicate skin! Which sunscreen you use will come down to personal preferences, of course. Here are a few popular brands for your baby:
