#Little Baby

Babies use a lot of stuff! Here's a relatively comprehensive list of things I consider bringing when we go anywhere overnight, from Grandma & Grandpa's house, to Disney World, to visit family a few states away. You don't need to bring everything on this list every time, but an exhaustive list helps you remember what you might be forgetting.

#Overview

Using packing cubes, this is how I typically pack:

1. 1 L cube of shirts/pants, per kid
2. 1 M cube of everyone's nighttime stuff
3. 1 S cube of socks/underwear/shoes, per kid
4. (If applicable) 1 M cube with the whole family's swim stuff
5. 1 M cube of everything else - overflow shoes, jackets, hats, mittens, sunglasses
6. 1 M cube in the diaper bag with extra clothes/jackets/hats/sunglasses
7. 1 M cube/gallon Ziploc in the diaper bag with snacks

Consider just putting everything on a table / bed until you have everything you need in that place. Then actually pack the things in your bags; otherwise, you may forget whether you packed something.

#Clothing

First, count how many days you'll be there. Then, check the weather.

1. Weather appropriate clothing
   • Shirts - long-sleeved, short-sleeved
   • Bottoms - pants or shorts
   • A few extras of each, depending on your laundry options and your baby's proclivity to blowouts and spitting up
2. PJs
   • Consider whether the sleeping room will be colder/warmer than the rest of the weather (e.g., high A/C in hotels, the people you're visiting keep their house at temperatures you're not used to)
   • An few extras, unless you can put regular clothes during nighttime if you run out of clean PJs
3. Socks
   • They're tiny, so you can afford to bring a few extras. But also, they can often be re-worn if necessary
4. Jackets
   • Usually like to have one in the diaper bag
   • Think about rain jackets vs. warm jackets (hoods? no hoods?)
5. Shoes
   • They probably don't need shoes if they're not walking. If they're walking, then they're a toddler and you should consider using this list instead
   • Do you need "decorative" shoes so the baby looks cool/fancy (even if they don't need foot protection)?

#Optional

1. Hats
   • Sun hats or warm hats
2. Mittens/Gloves
   • Waterproof? Just warm?
3. Swimsuit
   • Swim diaper options (cloth, disposable); definitely want more than one
   • On a beach/pool vacation, I like to bring two cloth swim diapers (we have these) and two swimsuits so that when one inevitably isn't quite dry yet, you have a dry one to put on

#Diaper Bag

I typically restock the diaper bag with a few things that we don't always have in there when we're not traveling:

1. Diapers (~5 ish)
2. Refill wipes container
3. Snacks
4. Hand sanitizer
5. Sanitizing wipes (for germs, not for baby bottoms)
6. Ibuprofen for adults
7. Water bottles
8. Extra clothes/jackets/hats/sunglasses we might need before being able to unpack the main suitcase
9. Toys/books for airplane ride

#Health

#Brushing

If your baby has teeth, you might be able to skip brushing them for a few days. If you want to keep up a routine, bring these:

1. Toothbrush or washcloth for gums
2. Toothpaste

#Bath

1. Baby soap
2. Baby lotion
3. Washcloth (optional - will the place you're bathing provide a washcloth?)

#Bottom

1. Diapers - as many as you need on the trip (we typically bring them in the car seat bag, so there is space and we don't have to find a place to buy them when we get there)
2. Wipes - same
3. Diaper cream

#Other

1. Sunscreen (if over 6 months old). If under 6 months, have a plan for keeping the baby shaded.

#Sick Items

If your kiddo is prone to sickness, you might want some of these things with you.

1. Thermometer
2. Tylenol/ibuprofen if old enough
   • You can bring this on as a carry-on even above 100ml, just declare it to TSA
3. Syringes to administer liquid medication
4. Extra tissues
5. Nose Frida
6. Saline spray/drops

#Feeding

#Over 6 Months

1. Water bottle(s)
2. Straw cup, or something the kid can drink milk out of without you worrying about spilling; easy to clean. We love these.
3. Kid sized utensils (if they can't use adult ones in a pinch; otherwise save yourself bringing one more thing)
4. Bib (just one silicone one should do)
5. Booster/high chair, if really needed
   • These are usually big. Try not to bring them - can baby just sit on your lap? Or get a travel-sized one.

#Snacks

This varies a lot based on your baby's age, but if you don't really need snacks, don't bring them.

Some things we consider for under 1:

1. Yogurt melts
2. Teething crackers
3. Goldfish (in a container they have to stick their hand in so it won't immediately spill)

#0-12 Months

1. Burp cloths/towels
2. Bottles and bottle nipples

If breastfeeding:

1. Enough breastmilk if you'll be away from baby for some time
2. Pump; might want to bring the whole thing but if you don't expect to pump much you may be able to get away with just a Haakaa and/or a manual pump
3. Pumping parts (maybe 2 sets if it's going to be hard to wash between)
4. Pumping bra

#Playing

1. Blankets to lay your baby on. Probably bring extras of these - floors are gross and it's hard to remember which side was down if you're reusing them a lot
2. Book(s) - usually 2-3 is fine; whatever you need for bedtime
3. Toys - one or two that are easy to clean with soap and water

#Sleeping

Many of these are optional; your baby may or may not use them.

1. Pack n Play (if it won't be wherever you're traveling)
2. Pack n Play sheets
3. Swaddle or sleep sack (at least 1 extra)
4. Pacifier (at least 2, more if you can't wash things readily). We usually use the WubbaNub kind - our babies were never good at keeping pacifiers in.
5. Night light / sound machine
6. Monitor
   • We don't always bring our monitor, but if we want to spend a good chunk of awake time outside of earshot from where the baby's sleeping, or if we expect they'll have a hard time settling, a video monitor can be nice. Consider whether yours will be able to connect to a Wifi network in an unfamiliar place.

#Transportation

1. Baby Carrier
2. Car seat
   • See Traveling with Baby
3. Stroller
   • Do you really need one wherever you're going? Could you use a smaller stroller? Can you just put the baby in the carrier or take turns carrying them?

#Misc

These may or may not apply:

1. Pool/beach toys
2. Pool/beach towels
3. Travel laundry detergent
4. Dish soap to wash kid stuff
5. Gallon/sandwich plastic bags
6. Plastic grocery bags

Extra bags take up very little space and are handy for all sorts of things while traveling.

#Final Check

Now that you've packed everything thrown everything in a pile, run through a few important moments in your head:

1. Bedtime
   • Do you have everything you need?
2. Mealtime / nursing
   • Are you missing something that's easy to pack that will make life way easier?
3. Inclement weather
   • If it is likely to rain/snow, will you be sad you didn't pack something to make it smoother?
4. Special places you're going
   • Pool, beach, park, hike, boat, wedding, Disney World