How To Pack Efficiently With An Infant
We just took our first trip with our little one (almost 4 months old) and I was terrified to say the least. I mean c'mon, I was cool and collected on the outside but nervous on the inside :) Would Scott scream on the airplane? Would his ears clear with the elevation changes? Would we have everything we needed? How would sleeping arrangements go with the baby? The list of worries went on and on. I wanted to pack very efficiently for our first trip so that we were not the "poster parents" that screamed "NEW BABY!" through the airport. I researched endlessly, and made sure we were making it through security flawlessly and simply. I will let you know what we packed for 2 adults and an infant when traveling to Los Angeles.
All of my worries and fears didn't come true. Scott slept on all of the airplanes (4) (minus a blowout) which we took care of! Security was a breeze, and sleeping was great......someone's gotta worry right?
Here are a few tips when traveling with a baby...
TIP #1: Wear your baby through security
I have the ErgoBaby Omni 360 carrier, and just love it. I wore Scott through security with no problems. They just require a hand swab before you can grab your bags, so this was easy peasy. I just really didn't want to deal with strollers, and carseats through security but that is just me! That leads me to my next tip...
TIP #2: Invest in carseat and stroller travel bags
We checked our B.O.B. Stroller through security, as well as our carseat in well padded travel bags. I didn't want our stroller and carseat getting thrown under the airplane, as I plan to take care of these core items through multiple children God willing. Invest in these nice travel bags, and see your items at your destination. Wear your babe in the airport. Way easier.
TIP #3: Dock-A-Tot
Need I say more? I just love this thing. SO easy to travel with, and it is a familiar place for any baby to sleep when he or she is away from their home. We would place the tot on the little "hotel couch" and he had his own space to sleep safely. No lugging around a huge pack n play, or renting one of the nasty cribs from the hotels! We stayed at an AirBNB while we were in LA too, and it worked great at the home we were staying at! It was also great in the airport too... the picture below is of our son Scott hanging out at the Oakland airport in between flights..... I can't say enough GOOD about this little purchase!
Our Bags
1. Stroller (with travel bag)
2. Carseat (with travel bag) & Scott's little suitcase inside of the travel bag.
3. Diaper Bag and Ergo Carrier
4. Dock-A-Tot with blankets (Travel Bag and carry on)
5. Levi's Backpack
6. Our shared Suitcase
Simple and Easy. We had everything we needed, and we had our hands somewhat free. I linked the travel bags above if you are interested! They are both durable, which is what I was looking for.
I will not include our packing list, but we do laundry when we travel so we don't over pack! I usually bring 1 pair of jeans, some different shirts to mix around outfits and some leggings. The other basics too! For the baby it was important we brought enough clothes for him so I added each outfit into a ziploc baggie to organize his clothes. I brought enough diapers/wipes to ensure we got through flights and the first couple nights, but didn't go overboard because diapers and wipes are sold everywhere!
