Baby's suitcase

[ZakareyasMama]

We are traveling with DS for 5 weeks this summer and I am starting to mentally pack. What are your must-haves for travel? I don't want to overpack as we have to fly and more stuff = more $$. We will have access to a washing machine but will not be able to CD  

Also, how do you all bathe your LOs when on the road? We use one of those plastic tubs right now. I know some people use the sink but I think he's just too big and wriggly for that. We are going to Louisiana and Texas in June so he will need a bath every day!!

[gemasita]

We traveled with DS when he was about 2.5 months and the one thing I UNDER packed was flannel blankets.  I didn't realize how important they would be when you CAN'T do laundry too often!  You can use them on the floor for playtime or for burb cloths if you run out of those and can't wash them.  In the car, in bed, etc.  I only packed like 2 because I kept thinking I was over packing but I could have used several more of those.  Once they got dirty, I was screwed.

We did sponge baths while we were gone but it was only for 5 days.

[poppiesinjuly]

Where will you be staying?  We will be travelling often to visit my family, so I just had a tub shipped there from Amazon.  I actually had a lot of stuff shipped in advance so I wouldn't have to worry about it.  (inexpensive stroller, tub, diapers, wipes, toys, etc...)  My mom also grabbed some stuff that used to belong to my cousin from my grandma's garage. 

One really nice thing was not flying with a bunch of diapers.  I'd just take several on the plane and then buy more when you get there.  You have to buy them either way, might as well not lug them around.

Also, I took too many clothes on our trip.  My mom has a washing machine, but I wasn't sure about the weather and took warm and cool clothes, plus pajamas, tons of socks, and onsies.  When we go back in late June I'm just taking onsies and one piece summer outfits.  Maybe a couple of pairs of socks and a sweatshirt.  He can sleep in a onsie or just his diaper and I'll pack a light sleep sack just in case.  You don't want to be doing tiny loads on laundry all the time on vacation, but I still wouldn't take more than 7-10 things to wear.  That is enough to get through lots of changes. 

For us, the best thing was having our carseat.  He knows it and is comfortable in it and slept like a champ on the plane in it.  Plus, I knew it was safe and knew how to install it already.  I felt like it gave him a comfort zone no matter what car or plane or whatever we were in. 

Another thing I'd definitely do again was take the blanket he plays on the floor on here.  Well, he rolls off it and all over the place, but it was nice to have another familiar thing for him for playing on.  I was really worried he wouldn't be comfortable because things would be unfamiliar, but honestly, he was super easygoing about everything, thank goodness.

[ZakareyasMama]

We will be staying at different people's houses. I am a bit worried about clothes bc DS is what they call a 'happy spitter' and even with heavy bib wearing he can go through several outfits a day. I guess his clothes are little so they don't take up too much space. I like the idea of bringing extra blankets and the light sleep sack. I prob would have neglected that. My mom is so excited for us to come she's already bought diapers. 

Has anyone ever bathed their babes (who can't sit up on their own) in the regular bathtub? What about just holding them in the shower??

[QuestionGal]

For baths you can take a large towel and fold it several times to create a large cushion for the baby to lay on. We have done this a few times with DD. Her bottom rests on the tub itself but her upper body and head are on the pillow. Of course you end up with a sopping wet towel after the bath but that's an easy fix.

As for what to pack....with 5 weeks of being "on the go" and not staying in one place too long, I'd suggest packing a few items that would help with the sleeping environment. For us that means a sound machine (it's small and portable) that we use all the time at home and a night light. Also a special blanket/sheepskin that the baby usually sleeps on.

As for the happy spitter aspect. I like the 10 pack of bibs from Babies R Us. I keep them handy and toss them in with the laundry when they get too dirty. DD just wears them all the time and we rarely have to do outfit changes (just bib changes).

I agree with PP's, don't pack diapers, buy them when you get there. 

[AutumnAir]

I don't bathe babies too often, but both of mine have been bathed in the regular 'big' bathtub from birth.  Just use a couple of inches of water and hold on tight! Usually helps to have an extra pair of hands, but it's do-able on your own.

DD1 was a spitter, so I know the nuisance of that, but I'd say pack enough outfits to get you through two/three normal days at home and that should do it, then you can wash one/two days' worth while wearing the other.  Don't forget to bring a couple of familiar toys for LO - but nothing too big.  Babies will mostly be happy playing with new 'stuff' whether it's actually toys or not, but it's nice to have a dolly or bear or something that they recognise.

[howeberry]

We traveled cross country for one week when DS was just 3 months. For bathing, DH and I used folk's tub shower and all three of us got clean. We worked it like this: I showered first, when I was done DH popped in with DS, we bathed DS, I got out/dried/dressed then took clean DS so DH could get clean. It was the first time we tried bathing DS like this and it worked out well. It was also nice having the extra set of hands since he is so squirmy!

It was winter and I didn't feel the need to bathe DS more than once a week.

[expat-mama]

Bathe or shower with your baby in the tub. Have a helper ready to take him from the tub/shower so you can get out and get dry.

My LO is a older than yours, but we'll be away from home for 2 months this summer too. I'm making sure to bring his bedtime books and his favourite toys just so he has familiar things around even though he will be showered with new stuff when we are visiting family. I'd really like to keep up all his routines as best I can.

Do you use a nursing pillow? I can't live without mine, so that's coming with us on the plane too.

I'm bringing my breast pump and accessories, just in case too, though I rarely use them.

Also bringing our sling and ergo and our stroller. We have a pack and play at our destination.

We're packing really light for clothes- again, grandparents, aunts + uncles and friends are going to give us way too much stuff as usual.

A lot of stuff you can improvise or get when you're there too... it's so much easier to pack light!

Have a good trip!

[ZakareyasMama]

Ooh my pump... I didn't even think of that! I really never use it but maybe I should bring it just in case. 

Thanks for the bathing tips! I think we will keep trying different ways till we figure it out. For one week at least we will be at another baby's house so we can use her tub. 

Maybe I should start a different thread, but what about the swimming pool? When did you first put your baby in and what kind of dipe did he wear?

[Twinklefae]

I just bathe our baby in the regular tub - we use one of those 'bath slings' because she's in with her brother, but if she's on her own then we just lay her flat.  She loves it - kicks and splashes and propels herself across the tub.  :)

As for the rest - you will either over pack or under pack.  I usually over pack.  Don't feel too bad about teh CD, I think they are a pain to travel with and swore to never do it again.

[penguintattoo]

When DD was a baby I could put a hand towel in the bathroom sink and sit/lay her in there and the shape of it would cradle her pretty well. Either that or just get one of those sponges that lays in a normal bath tub so that baby can lay down. Will you be flying multiple times or just there and back? If its there and back you could probably ship a box of clothes and then pack some too. DD was a spitter and we went through tons of clothes.

[Marissamom]

at the age he'll be in summer I just bathed in the regular tub anyway. I usually got in with DD. she loved nursing in the tub. as someone else said, having someone ready to take the baby when the bath is finished is necessary. DD was a may baby, and she went to the pool for the first time at 2 months, though I only dipped her feet in at that age. for a newborn, I just kept her in a regular diaper because her diaper wasn't getting wet, but when she was a little older I got her a cloth swim diaper (imse vimse, though I think I'll get DS a Bummis swim diaper). the cloth swim diaper can just be thrown in with the regular laundry, and you don't have to deal with getting disposable swim diapers. 

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by ZakareyasMama 

We will be staying at different people's houses. I am a bit worried about clothes bc DS is what they call a 'happy spitter' and even with heavy bib wearing he can go through several outfits a day. I guess his clothes are little so they don't take up too much space. I like the idea of bringing extra blankets and the light sleep sack. I prob would have neglected that. My mom is so excited for us to come she's already bought diapers. 

Has anyone ever bathed their babes (who can't sit up on their own) in the regular bathtub? What about just holding them in the shower??

as for the spitting i realllly sugest these bibs they are actually waterproof and my twin spitters could not go the day without them, we ended up buying 2 10 packs (found them for 15$ at buybuybaby) and have never looked back, they are great colors, soft, wash and dry well and even look cute as a part of every outfit!

as for the dipers your mom bought, right before you go, make sure you use the same brand and size as she bought for a few days to seeif they fit and dont leak, would bea bummer and a lot more laundry to fond out they are too big/small/ leaky once you are there

as for the bath, i have bathed my twin in the normal bath or shower with me since they were under 3 months, they love it, get them used to it now. nursing thru any fussiness of the first bath is a great help

Originally Posted by ZakareyasMama 

Ooh my pump... I didn't even think of that! I really never use it but maybe I should bring it just in case. 

Thanks for the bathing tips! I think we will keep trying different ways till we figure it out. For one week at least we will be at another baby's house so we can use her tub. 

Maybe I should start a different thread, but what about the swimming pool? When did you first put your baby in and what kind of dipe did he wear?

my twins also have started swimming pool time at 3.5 months they have reusable swim diapers and they work well, we have never had them poop in them so i cant tell you if they work great yet, but they seem to fit well and so i assume they will, i just make sure to shower them really well after the pool so the chorine does not dry on them and hurt their skin

im taking my twin 5 months olds on a plan trip this month and a longer one a month later so ill keep an eye on this thread for other good ideas
 

[expat-mama]

My DS has been swimming since around 10 weeks old. He loves the pool and now he is 10 months old and can swim by himself pretty much (with VERY close supervision!). We go swimming 2-3 times a week. I go back and forth between disposable swim dipes and the one cloth swim dipe we have (I dunno what brand it is). I use the sposie swim dipes on days when we go swimming and DS hasn't pooped yet that day- I found the cloth swim dipe was gross with poop and after it was pooped in, we couldn't get back in the pool! Sposie swim dipes of course, if they are pooped in I just change him into another one. But DS has only pooped while swimming twice anyway.

[LeighPF]

We traveled for my son's entire first summer (from four to eight months).

We bathed him in a dish pan and then just in the tub with us. We ended up giving away our tiny tub and I just bathed our newborn in with my, which was so much easier.

We loved having a travel high chair with us. We had the Fisher Price Healthy something or other, but prefer the Phil and Teds Me Too. He used the chair for the entire period.

Take enough clothes to last a set number of days, with as many changes as you usually need. I like 6 days of clothes to wash every five days. Bring clothes for the weather and for air conditioning.

I did take my cloth and loved it. At least take PUL covers if you have them to catch the blowouts from disposables.

We took a Pea Pod travel bed, but he also slept with us.

Don't forget the little things like spit up cloths, wash cloths etc.

Bring one or two small toys. My son loved boxes, and had an obsession with spoons.

As you go through the week, make notes about what you use and how many. Then look at the list and see what could be pruned, what you really use, how many etc.

[Monkey Keeper]

The KITCHEN sink is great for bathing little ones--no bending over!! Also, when I shower with my babies, I put a towel on the bathmat outside the shower, place baby on the towel and wrap him up. Then I step out next to him, towel off and pick him up. I often shower with my babies without help. A bath sling is helpful (not necessary) but is a cheap way to make baby more comfy while you bathe.

As for packing, if you can do laundry regularly, I'd take 3 pairs of pjs, about 5 rompers/outfits and one heavier-weight outfit just in case plus a pair of long pants and a jacket to stick on over some of the shorts outfits in case of a cool snap. A couple pairs of socks and some bibs and you should be good to go.  IIRC, my "happy spitter" was largely out of the spitting phase by 6m or so!

[osker]

Don't forget baby nail clippers and those really thin baby washcloths. They don't take up much room in the suitcase and can sometimes be hard to find when you need them.  Toes and squishy baby necks can be tough to clean with thicker, regular washcloths.

Also, if you're used to CD and are going to be using disposables, get bigger than the size he would be in by weight. (at 4mos he would probably be in a 2 by weight, so get 3s or 4s)  If you have a blow out and poo gets everywhere it means the diaper is too small. Get a big enough one and you won't need a CD cover to catch anything because you won't have leaks.  If he'll only be 4mos you won't need a travel high chair. That will be way too big to travel with.  You might ask family if they have friends who would let them borrow a bouncer or swing if he's into those. You may find that some families have spaces where you would feel better if he was up off the floor (pets, dirt, bugs, sand, you never know). That way you could have one when you get there.

Don't forget a sun hat! The flap happy floppy hat style is the best for sun cover because it has the largest brim. Also, this may sound weird, but my DD is a sweaty baby. She gets hot really easily and I know that LA in the summer is hot and humid. I would bring along a tiny spray bottle that you can keep in the diaper bag so that you can mist the baby if he is too hot... sometimes that can really help a hot, cranky baby.  Oh, and if you have any of those really light, gauzy blankets, like the Aiden and Anais ones. I see them everywhere in the summer and they make really good sun shades and baby covers when it's really hot.. better than flannel in my opinion.

Oh, and keep in mind if you're flying that you can't take big bottles of creams and liquids in your carry on bag, they have to be checked.

And don't forget Tylenol/Advil and Tums for yourself, those can be a life saver! (and maybe Tylenol for the baby just in case if you're okay with it's use)

[~Adorkable~]

Originally Posted by osker 

Also, if you're used to CD and are going to be using disposables, get bigger than the size he would be in by weight. (at 4mos he would probably be in a 2 by weight, so get 3s or 4s)  If you have a blow out and poo gets everywhere it means the diaper is too small. Get a big enough one and you won't need a CD cover to catch anything because you won't have leaks.

I would tend to disagree with this, diapers leak if they don't fit, big or small. I know as I have gone up each size, if I go too early (one twin is 2 pounds larger than the other) the little leaks and if stay in a size to long the big boy has leaks. So I think finding the right size is the way to go, and I would try them out, some brands are bigger than others when they both say the same number (size 1,2,3)

Oh, and keep in mind if you're flying that you can't take big bottles of creams and liquids in your carry on bag, they have to be checked.

Though medical liquids for you and baby and that includes breast milk and any other required food can go thru, read the airlines and the TSA page on traveling with infants, it gives you great info.
For me this always is how I get protein drinks onboard with me, I claim medical need (required nutrients for me nursing, in the past I did it for pregnancy too) and then let them swab the containers for bomb stuff, it works great, wish I had known about it in my first trimester!