Travel with baby- what gear is useful to have?
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Anonymous
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Hi!
I am about to be a first time mom and while I know I may be dreaming, I really hope to continue to travel (it is a major part of our lives) once we have the baby. We will be traveling by plane, train and automobile so I am wondering if any other jet-setting moms have advice on travel gear that is useful to have for baby (I want to add it to my registry!). Thanks in advance. |
Anonymous
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You'll need a pack and play or similar for the baby to sleep if a crib isn't provided -- our go-to is the baby bjorn travel crib lite. When DS was under 5 months or so we used our Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper for travel (it's also what he slept in at home pre-crib).
A carrier An umbrella stroller -- MacLaren Triumph is what we have - though I think it's for babies 4-6 months and up (doesn't fully recline) Pre-12 months or so we brought his bumble seat with us everywhere -- he was too little for many high-chairs and it gave him a place to sit/snack when out and about -- i.e.: by a pool etc. A well-made/large diaper bag to keep things organized and at your fingertips |
Anonymous
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You absolutely need a good carrier.
A lightweight umbrella stroller. A good Breastfeeding cover. A Skip Hop diaper wallet (great for throwing into other bags). A manual pump. Lots of A+A blankets. And that's about it. Seriously. We traveled a ton my daughter's first year. You just go. (Although it's much easier if you can make BFing work.) |
Anonymous
| Most cities have companies that rent baby gear to travelers. If you are going somewhere that doesn't have the bed/crib/car seat/swing/whatever that you need, you can rent it for a pretty reasonable rate. Just Google "baby gear rental (city)" and you'll find options. |
Anonymous
| Another thing to think about if you're more into the adventure travel - one of those larger carriers that can be used for toddlers. We borrowed a Deuter one when went to Mexico (no stroller), and it allowed us more hands-free travel and a happy kid that could see everything perched so high. |
Anonymous
| The Bjorn pack and play is way lighter than the regular pack and plays. |
Anonymous
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We had something similar to this http://www.amazon.com/BRICA-Fold-Go-Travel-Bassinet/dp/B004L2JJ6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415763203&sr=8-1&keywords=fold+n+go+travel+bassinet for when DD was really young, 3-4 months or less. It's really much lighter than any pack & play or co-sleeper (we also use Arm's Reach at home). Nice if you can get away with it for a couple of months.
Can't think of too much else. Agree with PP who said just go for it. |
Anonymous
| We kept traveling for the first 2-3 years (until our second child was born). I second the Baby Bjorn travel crib suggestion. Have fun! |
Anonymous
| I'd suggest the baby jogger citi mini instead of an umbrella stroller, so light and maneuverable plus it has a recline for napping on the go and can go on a bit more rugged terrain. Definitely an ergo carrier. Travel bags for car seat and stroller. A my little seat cloth high chair. I really like the PPB wistful weekender for short trips. I got an octotots travel backpack but I'm not hugely impressed. I like having smaller bags for quick changes, like JuJuBe wristlet for airplanes and skip hop has a little hip sling purse style that is nice for dinner while traveling. The munchin squeezy spoon is a must. |
Anonymous
+1 on the City Mini as the only stroller you need (for travel or not for travel). It folds so fast and easily and has a small footprint once folded, and as stated the full recline is great for naps on the go. We have the GT and its been on numerous vacations with us, including overseas. |
Anonymous
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the city mini is a rec for me too. slightly bigger than an umbrella, but has recline and is also sturdy enough to handle cobblestones and a bit of off-road strolling.
we had a fabric high chair that could strap on to any chair. worked great when our son was a young toddler. a box of cheerios goes a long way in foreign countries. we also have car seats just for travel that are lighter than our normal seats. we have bags for them when checking and a thing that attaches to make it a pullable thing kids can sit in if taking on the plane. |
Anonymous
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Lots of good suggestions already. Some things we liked:
- Inglesina Fast Chair--put it in my suitcase multiple times. Love love love! We used it starting as soon as our son could do a supported sit (3-4 months?), well before he was actually eating. - BabyBjorn Travel Crib, as others have said--if you need to carry it any distance, this is terrific. If you're traveling to the same place often (e.g., grandparents) just get a Pack n Play and keep it there to avoid lugging a crib around, though--and if you stay in hotels you can pretty much always get a crib there. - Combi Coccoro car seat--super lightweight and we never encountered a car or plane seat where it couldn't be installed. Fits nicely on Amtrak luggage racks too! - Umbrella stroller that you can fit the Coccoro into (we have had too, a Cybex and an Uppababy, and both worked fine for that). Our go-to setup was baby in carrier and car seat in stroller--one parent; luggage and travel crib--other parent. If one of you ends up traveling alone with baby, just do curbside checkin or have the other parent or a friend get a gate pass to take gear to gate. Also, while we haven't traveled with it yet, we recently got a Nuna Sena Mini crib for our second child as his primary sleeping place--love that thing! It is heavier but more compact than the BabyBjorn Travel Crib and lighter/smaller than a traditional Pack n Play, so for trips where you don't have to walk distances with the crib, I'd go for that since it has a bassinet attachment. |
Anonymous
| Rather than traveling with a bunch of stuff I would think about what you need to get thru the airport and then what you can buy/rent when you arrive. |
Anonymous
| You are not dreaming-- we continue to travel a lot with kids, starting when they were very small. The number one thing is a good carrier/sling. And packing LIGHT. We have never traveled with a stroller and rarely with a pack n play in our 5 years as parents. We've traveled by plane, train, car, and cruise ship. We've done camping, hotels, big cities, national parks, etc. A small, comfortable backpack makes a great diaper bag (baby on front, backpack on back). If you need a car seat at your destination, I suggest a car seat bag with wheels. We check the car seat and hold the baby on the plane, but opinions on this vary. Good luck, and have fun! Also, google Travels with Baby. |
Anonymous
| PP here. Co-sleeping, breastfeeding, babywearing, and feeding the baby regular food (not baby food) all make travel simpler and easier, in my experience, but YMMV. |