CARRY-ON LUGGAGE FOR BABY
Photos by Karlie Colleen Photography
Over the past four years, I've had my fair sure of traveling with kids. I would guess I have around 2 dozen flights under my belt, and with all that mileage, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on packing my carry-on.
We are leaving for Hawaii, an almost 6 hour flight, so I have to be prepared! I've been slowly packing over the past couple of days and here's some of my must haves for my carry-on with my 3 month old son. Here we go...
1. Feeding: When it comes to feeding your little on a plane, I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've been almost exclusively breastfeeding, but I pack a little bit of formula and two bottles just in case I need my husband to feed my little guy. I'm also packing my hand-held medela breast pump that I can easily fit in my tote or diaper bag. There's nothing worse than having engorged breasts and having your little one sound asleep when you need to relieve tat pressure! I have a little battery-pack so I can use the pump without needing an outlet. You can buy them here, and I'd highly recommend it for travel! Since it's a longer flight, I'm also bringing a couple lansinoh storage bags in case I have some milk worth freezing once we reach our destination. If you're a nursing mommy, I also recommend a nursing cover too!
2. Spare clothes: My little guy is a BIG spitter upper! Is that even a word? Well, because of all the spitting up he does I bring a couple extra outfits for him, three to be exact ;) I also have a few spare burp cloths, bibs, and swaddles. When something gets soiled, I packed a little plastic bag to put it in and keep it separate from all the clean items.
3. Boppy Pillow: This is great for when your little one falls asleep! When it comes to a longer flight, there's only so long that you can hold their sweet little heads before your arm starts falling asleep. I think these are a must!
4. Pack like you're delayed: from personal experience, there is nothing worse than running out of diapers or snacks because your flight is delayed on the runway, or worse, canceled. I ALWAYS overpack, especially when it comes to diapers! I've been through it all on a flight when it comes to messy diapers or non stop diarrhea, ugh that was HORRIBLE! So I always say, double what you think you need.
5. Birth Certificate: If you don't already have this for your child, start applying for it NOW! Airlines must have changed their policies, because before, just a copy of your child's vaccination history would suffice. But now YOU NEED a copy of your child's birth certificate to get him or her on board. It typically takes 3-5 business days to receive it in the mail if you apply for it online. If you don't have enough time before your travel date, you will need to go in person to apply. All you need is a government issued I.D.
6. Other miscellaneous items: pacifiers, travel size sound machine, travel size baby toiletries, a thermometer, and Motrin. I am very much aware that I can't give my 3 month old Motrin, but this is something standard that I always keep on me after a rough flight where one of my children came down with a fever during a 5 hour flight.
I also recommend this travel sized toiletry kit from honest company. It even includes organic laundry detergent!
The sound machine I use is homedics because it has the option of using batteries or plugging it into an outlet. I always slip it into my carry on since it is super light weight. It is so convenient to have it on hand so I can easily access it once we get to our hotel. There's nothing worse than digging for something your baby NEEDS in order to fall asleep! There's also some wonderful travel sound machines out there that you can clip onto strollers and car seats so definitely shop around!
I tried to keep this as simple as possible! I hope it helps and safe travels to everyone!