Traveling With A Four Month Old

We have a few trips coming up this month and we wanted to share some tips on traveling with a baby. We took some trips this summer with Peter and have learned quite a bit! The following post includes a packing list for Peter and tips for a long car ride.

These lists are for a road trip – we have yet to take a flight with Peter! If you have any advice on air travel with a baby, we would love to hear! Peter is exclusively breastfed so there is no feeding category on his packing list. Also, we are traveling in early Autumn so the following lists will reflect that. Each season brings its own necessities and essentials!

Peter’s Packing List

Bathing

• Bath Towel
• Washcloths
• Bath Support
• Bath Rinser
• Cottonballs
• Q-tips
• Lotion
• Baby Wash
• Cloth Diapers
• Comb
• Nail Clippers

Changing

• Diapers and Wipes: A few days before we leave on our trip, we order a box of each to be sent to our destination. This helps save room in the car. We pack about ten to fifteen diapers and two packages of wipes in the diaper bag for the car ride. Pack one diaper for each hour of transit.
• Plastic Bags: To store soiled diapers and clothing.
• Travel Changing Pad
• Diaper Rash Cream
• Hand Sanitizer

Clothing

• Onesies: One to two per day and a mix of short sleeved (Peter wears these at night) and long sleeved (it is getting colder).
• Outfits: One to two per day.
• Socks: One per day.
• Sunhat
• Winter Hat and Mittens
• Shoes

First Aid

• List of Vaccination Record
• List of Emergency Contacts
• Copy of Birth Certificate
• Baby Pain Reliever and Dropper
• Nasal Aspirator

On The Go

• Car Seat
• Nursing Cover
• Ring Sling
• Stroller

Playing

• Jumper: Peter’s favorite! He is in this so much! It’s such good exercise for him after a long car ride.
• Books: It’s always good to have some books on hand. We have some available for the car ride, along with extras we pack in our bag.
• Teethers
• Favorite Toys

Sleeping

• Joovy: This is a portable play yard that Peter sleeps in at night when we travel. We just place his DockATot right in it and he sleeps great!
• DockATot: Peter sleeps in this every night at home. We bring it everywhere we know he will be napping or sleeping. What we love about it is he does not realize that he is in a new place because he is always in it when he is asleep.
• Swaddles: We still swaddle Peter for his naps and at night. We usually pack three in case they get dirty or we do not have access to a washer and dryer.
• Nightlight: To keep light low for diaper changes that occur at night.
• Moses Basket: This is great to have around when traveling for inside and outside use.

Car Ride Tips

• Have a well stocked diaper bag.
• Keep a couple of extra outfits in a zipped plastic bag so they are easily accessible.
• Have some children’s music available. This is Peter’s favorite album!
• Bring your pediatrician’s number in case you have questions.
• Have toys, books, and teethers readily available.
• Take your time! Stop when you and your baby need to stop. Mentally prepare by adding a few extra hours onto your travel time.

– C