The Ultimate Packing List for Baby Travel

Packing for a trip has never really been my forte. I always tend to over pack, especially when we are driving. If we are flying, I tend to try a little harder to plan to get things when we arrive instead of packing it all. But no matter how many Pinterest blogs I read, traveling with children in general is a difficult task. So I am going to do my best to portray exactly what it is like to travel with a 10 month old baby and what to bring.

Last week we took a trip to Maryland for Anthony's work. Anthony wanted to leave at 4 a.m. in order to get to work by 8:30ish.... probably more like 9 a.m. or later if we're being honest. We didn't end up leaving until 5 a.m. which worked out better because I don't know if we would have been able to check into the hotel much earlier.

Anthony and I have done this trip probably over 30 times but this was our 3rd time with the baby. Whether you are traveling for vacation or just a weekend getaway this list will be a great reference guide every time you need to pack with kids! Our list of items has definitely changed over the last year but these have always been our main stays.

Here are our must haves for traveling with a baby.

• Pack n Play- If you are staying in a hotel that you feel comfortable renting a crib from you have that option too. I like having the baby sleep somewhere she is familiar with. She has used this pack n play before and it has her sheets on it to keep some sense of normalcy. We love this one because it folds down and you can wear it like a backpack. Perfect for travel!

• Sound Machine- The baby sleeps with a sound machine every single night and depending on whether you are flying or not, packing the usual one might not be ideal. So I bought her a portable sound machine that is pretty small and runs off batteries. I just toss it in the bag and take it anywhere.
• Clothes/ Pajamas- When she was really little and had frequent diaper explosions, we always had to make sure we had multiple outfits and pajamas for every single day. Now its more like 1 outfit and 1 set of pajamas per day with a couple spare outfits for the whole trip. 
• Blanket/ Pacifier-  She is a very cuddly baby. She absolutely loves anything soft and snuggly. I packed like 4 binkies and 2 blankets just in case something happens to one, we kept the back ups in the hotel and the car just to be safe. 
• Stroller- I absolutely love our Uppababy Stroller/ car seat combo. We recently changed her to a convertible car seat so we don't have the Uppababy infant car seat installed anymore because it was impossible for me to carry her in it. 22 pound baby + infant seat = 1 sore momma. It was so easy to put her straight into the stroller at any given moment though. Now no matter what we have to take her in and out of the car seat but it has given her more space. We just use the stroller with the toddler seat. We also recently purchased her snack tray that attached right to the stroller to keep her occupied with snacks.

• Toiletries- I have a little toiletry bag that I use when traveling with the baby. I always pack a spare binkie, thermometer, nasal suction, saline spray, Tylenol, baby wash/ lotion and diaper cream in it. Never forget lots of diapers.... our hotel was across the street from a Harris Teeter so I always end up making a few trips there to get the things I forgot.
• Snacks- Snacks, snacks, and more snacks. Pretty much anything to keep her occupied the whole time while traveling or at a restaurant. I usually give her banana Mum Mums, Happy Baby super food puffs, Beech-nut yogurt bites and food pouches. These are great for traveling or pretty much any outing!
• Bottles- Formula, bottles, drying rack... you know the drill. She drinks her bottles at room temperature so I don't bring a warmer or sterilizer. The hotel we stayed in also had a kitchen so I would just boil water and sterilize the old fashion way. 
• High Chair- Our friends bought this "high" chair for us for Christmas and we absolutely love it. It's perfect for travel and we've been keeping it in the car at all times for whenever we're somewhere and need one! Although this chair is perfect for the baby, I don't recommend for everyday use. She tries to push herself out of it so we keep her on the floor versus trying to hook it to a seat. It does come with straps to do so if you don't have a crazy child like mine. 

I really try my best to pack as light as I can but there are just some things you cannot live without. This list is pretty much just the necessities we always take. Depending on how old your baby is, you might only need to bring a few small toys. Now that she is older and walking we packed a few more than we did in the past. With Anthony working, I was with her by myself most of the time so I definitely needed some things to keep her entertained in the hotel room. 

She has been on a pretty decent amount of trips in her little lifetime. This is our 3rd time going to Maryland and we also took a road trip vacation to Nashville, TN last summer. She did awesome! We only stopped once to change and let her out of the car seat for a little bit to stretch her legs on the way down.

The trip back home on the other hand was definitely not as peaceful as the trip down. We left later in the morning after playing and trying to tire her out but that did not work. She was a little fussy and not quit ready for a nap when we got in the car, so we played for a little bit longer. Then she had a bottle and eventually took a nap. Thank God it was only a 5 hour drive and she was ready to get out of the car seat about 10 minutes from home.

What are some of your favorite travel items for babies and kids?!