Monthly Archives:

December 2021

Travel

My Best Product List for Traveling with Your Baby

December 16, 2021

So after carefully planning, scrutinizing, and figuring out logistics, you’ve decided it’s time to take your first big trip with your little one. Congratulations! But wait, what’s that? You can feel the anxiety creeping in and you start feeling overwhelmed trying to prepare. This is where I can help! Keep reading to find my carefully curated list of the ultimate best products for traveling with your baby.

Now let’s get this out of the way up front. Will it be stressful? (Parts of it, yes.) Will they cry on the plane/in the car? (Probably.) Are there things to make it easier and help us maximize our vacation fun factor? (Absolutely!)

My husband and I became parents in July 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, so to be honest we didn’t have to worry about long-haul travel for quite some time after our daughter was born. However, when travel started ramping up again this past summer, we were excited to take Camille to meet her extended family both in California and France (both requiring 6+hour flights).

We had been determined not to limit ourselves regarding travel once we had kids, but unfortunately, the big old C-word had other plans. So, when we were finally able to hit the skies, you can imagine how excited we were!

And, admittedly, overwhelmed. But, I am learning as I go and realizing my dream of not only successfully traveling with a little one but HELPING others, YOU, to do the same!

This brings me to the main event, my ultimate list of best products for traveling with your baby.
(Note: this list is geared towards babies who are 10-15 months but most of the products can be used with younger or older babies/toddlers)

My Top 5 Best Products for Traveling with Your Baby

City Mini Travel Stroller

We have a larger stroller for home use, but this City Mini is AMAZING for travel! The handle on the seat lets you pull up and collapse with ONE HAND which is a huge help if you are by yourself and holding your little one with your other arm/hand. The large shade if great fun sun, rain or naps on the go! It’s also extremely lightweight and durable which is great for the airport and easily checkable at the gate.

Yogasleep Hushh for Baby Portable Sound Machine

While the plane or car noise themselves might be enough to lull your little ones to sleep, this machine is great for added white noise for the trip and also when you reach your destination. It’s amazing to be able to put them to sleep in a separate room and then not worry about tiptoeing or whispering

Lollipop Camera

We use this at home and love it but it’s also perfect for travel! It’s small, easy to pack, and works with any wifi system to help you keep an eye on your little one while they are napping and you are on the deck enjoying the hot tub (just as, you know, a random example 😀). Its flexible “stem” makes it easy to position and it’s also such a cute little pastel-hued gadget!

Lotus Guava Travel Crib

This crib is the most lightweight, versatile, and easy to travel with pack and play I’ve seen yet! I love that you can use it as a bassinet when your baby is a newborn (we used ours as our main bassinet at home!) and also as a larger crib/pack and play. It packs up into a neat and sleek rectangle with backpack straps for easy carrying. When your baby is over 12 months, you can purchase the plush quilted sheet for extra coziness!

I had used packing cubes for myself occasionally but they really came in handy when I started sharing my suitcase with my daughter! During our trip to France, we were changing locations every week and it can get really hard to stay organized. I use the cubes to keep all of our items together by category and it helps me keep track of everything, and keep our suitcase looking neat even when everything isn’t folded perfectly. I really like the set linked above because it also includes laundry bags to keep the dirties separate.

My other top tips:

Try to Borrow When You Can

When flying, I try to minimize what we bring along by utilizing friends and family at our destination (if possible). Even if the people you are visiting don’t have kids, chances are they probably know someone who does and might have a pack and play, stroller, etc that you can borrow. You can also search for AirBnBs and hotels that have amenities for babies.

The Laundry Basket “Hack”

One of my favorite little tricks: If you are taking a road trip, use a laundry basket to carry a bulk of your baby items to and from the car/store them in the trunk. There are so many random items you find yourself throwing in the car with a little one and this keeps everything organized. It also helps you carry things in and out of the car without making too many trips!

Well, there you have it, my 5 best product recommendations for traveling with your baby! Flying while pregnant? Check out my post on Flying During Pregnancy: 10 Essentials You Need

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