What to Pack when Traveling with Baby

When you’re traveling with baby, it can seem like you have to pack your entire house! And I get it! Gone are the days where you can just carelessly throw a few items in your bag and head out the door. 

Now you have a huge list of what to pack for your baby when you’re headed out on vacation, or even just out of town for one night. 

Today I am giving you my packing list for your baby as you prepare for your next trip (including specific sleep items you can’t miss!) to help keep sleep a thing – even while on vacation!

This list is curated not just by me, but my entire TEAM!! Here at Little Z’s, we have 8 women who work with us, and our kids’ ages range from 8 years old to tiny newborn!! With all of our travel experience (and kid experience!), we put our heads together to create this list.

AND I’m a minimalist, so we’re not packing everything possible. We’re really making sure our packing list is minimal so you can enjoy your trip without lugging around extra suitcases of stuff with you!!

 

 

Now, if the thought of travel makes you nervous like, I can’t even do that because my kid is not even sleeping, sleep is not a thing, I want to give you my free course! This 4 Steps to Solve Your Baby’s Night Wakings is THE program for you to get into if you are ready to finally get the help that your family needs… for FREE! You can start it tonight!!

 

Here’s the list:

 

YOUR SLEEP MUST HAVES FOR TRAVEL

Your Pack ‘n’ Play and a Slumberpod
You may be wondering what the big deal is about a Slumberpod, and let me just tell you – it’s the BEST, especially if you’re sharing a room with baby! It creates a dark sleeping space over the pack ‘n play – it’s breathable, keeps it completely dark (even when your lights are on!) and it’s impossible for your baby to pull this down. Use it for naps and nights while away and save 5% with the code: LITTLEZSLEEP

 

Monitor + Sound Machine
For their sleep environment, these are my favorites. You do you, but after a while I just didn’t feel like taking our video monitor off the wall every time we traveled. So as I gained more confidence, I switched to an audio monitor. (I love this one!) 

And personally, I never got a travel sound machine. If that’s something you really desire, great! Go for it! But for me, I just take the same Yoga Sleep Dohm Sound Machine that we use at home, put it in the suitcase, no big deal & we use it on the go.

 

Sleep Sack
Don’t buy a new sleep sack for travel… use the one they’re used to!! If your child is under 3 years old, a sleep sack helps them get comfortable and sleep well and it can be a great comfort mechanism!

 

Stuffed Animal (12+ months)
Again, the one they NORMALLY sleep with – their comfort from home! No need to rock the boat when you’re traveling.

 

Swaddle Blankets
 A throwback to those newborn days, but you’ll use them for everything! Personally I’ve used them to block sunlight from the car windows, avoiding drafts on a plane, runny noses, a light layer between you & baby’s skin during a contact nap… Aden + Anais are my faves!

 

MY BIGGEST TIP WHEN IT COMES TO SLEEP:
Travel is not the time to do something new!!! So the day before you leave, don’t get a new stuffed animal and sound machine and sleep sack… just use the old faithfuls from home.

 

NON-SLEEP MUST HAVES FOR TRAVEL

Backseat Mirror
This is for you to see baby as you drive! If you want to have someone sit beside baby, that’s fine! I liked sitting in the passenger seat with the ability to talk to Chad & enjoy our drive, but having the mirror so I could monitor the girls was a great addition!

 

Car Seat for Plane
If you desire to have your baby in a car seat when you are flying, just make sure that you find the car seat that will actually FIT in the airplane seat! Find your airline’s instructions online – they’ll generally give you guidelines on if your car seat will fit on the plane.

 

MOM PRO TIP:
You will need to pack MORE diapers & wipes than you ever thought possible AND dirty diaper bags (like those Arm & Hammer bags for your pets!) You’ll also want to bring a change of clothes, maybe for you & baby… just to be sure that you have everything covered when you’re traveling with baby!

 

Okay, that’s our list for traveling with baby!! I told you it’s a minimal one!! Now, every family’s unique so I’d love to know… what are some things that YOU cannot travel without!? What are some essential pieces for your baby when you are headed out of town or you’re on vacation that you CANNOT miss that goes in your bag!?

And last thing… if building this packing list is giving you the travel bug, I’ve got you covered!! No need to stress – sleep is still a thing on vacation!!

You’ll want to grab our BRAND NEW Little Z’s Sleep Travel Guide! This is a comprehensive guide for you to understand how to pack for your child (for the car/plane and a FULL packing list with links), tips on how to stay in a hotel, what kind of snacks to pack for the car or plane, how to enjoy naps on the go so you can still have fun on vacation, how to handle time zone changes domestically/internationally… y’all it goes on and on!! Click here to get started & enjoy making memories with your family!!

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