Packing for a regular trip can be overwhelming… But throw a baby into the mix? That can seem insurmountable. Not to worry, though! I’ve been there, and after 11 countries and 68 flights with my baby, more than half of those as a single parent, I’ve got my best tips here for you. You can do this, you can love it, and you can make the memories you want to have with your little one. Packing should never deter you from travel! Here are the best tips for packing for a trip with a baby.
Use a Carrier to be Hands-free
If you’ve read many of my articles or followed me on social media for any amount of time, you know I love having my baby in a wearable carrier, instead of a stroller. I need to have my hands free, and I’m pretty sure you’ll find the benefits of that for yourself, too! Find one you love, that’s comfortable to wear, and look for one with back support. You can absolutely travel with a stroller if you need to, but consider going hands-free if you’re able! Here is my favorite:
More here: The Best Gear for Single Traveling Parents
Load Up the Car Seat Bag
You will need to have your car seat in a travel-friendly car seat bag, but you should also fill it with diapers, wipes, food, extra clothes, whatever you can! Most airlines allow car seats to fly for free with checked luggage, so consider this to be overflow luggage. Anything that doesn’t fit into your regular luggage, toss it into the car seat bag! On a recent trip to Kenya, I put in a package of 56 diapers, a pack of wipes, a bag of snacks (pouches, melts, puffs) in with the car seat before I checked it. All of those are consumables, so by the time we flew home, I was able to put in our laundry bag instead, leaving room in my luggage for the things I bought during the trip!
Also this: The Best Tips for Flying with a Baby in the USA
Bring a Change of Clothes for You, as well as Your Baby
When my daughter was just seven weeks old, we took her first flight. It was an easy, 2-hour, non-stop flight to Orlando, for my husband’s monthly business trip. We thought it was a good “starter” flight, since we were so familiar with it. And it was. But my daughter had a blowout in my lap before we even boarded the flight. Thankfully, I had an extra outfit for her, and some fresh pants for myself, in my carry-on. You will want to do this for all your flights with a baby!
Check out my Packing Page!
Count How Many Diapers You Use in a Day
In preparation for your trip, count how many diapers your baby uses every day, for one week. When she was a baby, my daughter used 8-10 diapers in a day. Now that she’s a toddler, that’s closer to 5-7 diapers a day. Knowing this number helps me pack enough diapers, without over packing. I often buy diapers when we arrive, to keep from having to pack a week’s worth and take up too much space. It’s also really helpful to make sure I have enough for our travel time, plus 2-3 days after arrival. This formula has always worked for us!
Read on: The Ultimate Tips for Flying Long-haul with a Baby
Consider what can be Bought at Your Destination
Speaking of buying diapers upon arrival, you can also buy wipes, snacks, milk, yogurt, fruit, baby socks, onesies, etc., pretty much anywhere in the world. You know why? Because every culture has babies. It may not be your preferred brand, but if you need diapers and wipes, you use what you have available, right? The ability to buy what you need when you arrive means less to remember, less to pack, and less to stress about during travel.
Keep reading: Three Things Single Parents Need to Know about International Travel (with their own kids)
Remember Babies can have Full-size Liquids
Baby needs a specific type of formula? You can bring the big bottle, and security will not have to open it to test it. Similarly, you can bring full water bottles through TSA if you need it to mix with powdered formula for your baby. Pouches over 3.4 ounces? You can bring them! Baby needs lotion, liquid soap, or any other liquids? You can bring them in any quantity you need. If it’s for the baby, you can bring it through security and in your carry-on, no matter the size.
Essential info: The Ultimate List of Single Mom Hacks for Travel with a Baby
Dress Baby in a Travel Outfit You’re Willing to Trash
This goes along with bringing a change of clothes for yourself and your baby. No one wants to lug around a poopy sleeper with them all over the world. Even if it’s in a waterproof bag inside your diaper bag and not soiling anything else, it’s still there, you know? I learned early on not to dress my daughter in the cute, new outfit on a travel day of any length. I choose something that’s almost too small, already a little stained, or just not your favorite (you’ve got to do something with those gifted baby shower outfits that aren’t quite to your taste). If you have to trash it along the way, there’s no love lost there.
More here: How to Take a Month-long Trip with Your Baby (even as a Single Parent)
Use AirTags or other Tracking Devices in Every Bag
No, really, put one in every bag. That’s the diaper bag, your personal item, your carry-on, your checked luggage, and especially your car seat bag. This has saved me so much anxiety in my travels. It’s a lot to keep up with just your baby, not to mention all the luggage. As a single mom, AirTags have been my saving grace more times than I care to remember or admit. I wished I’d had one in my car seat bag on our way home from Egypt when our car seat didn’t make the connection from Cairo to Frankfurt. Now, there’s one in every bag, every trip.
More info here: A Traveler’s Honest Review of Apple Air Tags for Travel
Want more? Check out my dedicated Travel Tips Page!
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