Holiday and Travel essentials when travelling with a baby or toddler

Traveling with a baby can be both exciting and daunting, but with proper preparation and the right gear, it can be an enriching experience for the entire family. Whether it's a short road trip or an international adventure, ensuring your baby's comfort and safety is essential. In this blog post, we'll share the top recommended items to bring along and provide some valuable tips for a stress-free journey with your little one.

Must-Have Travel Essentials:

Diapers and Wipes: Carry an adequate supply of diapers and baby wipes. Consider whether you would be able to purchase them at your travel destination. If you are confident, then you can pack less and just buy them later when you arrive. Have small plastic bags/wet bags with in case you need to change them a few times or throw the diaper. 

Diaper bag + Changing Pad: A portable changing pad is a lifesaver when public restrooms lack a clean space for diaper changes. Changing at the stroller is an option if you can't find a nursing room. We brought our handy Jujube Be Right Back that comes with a changing pad. I love the bag as it comes with many compartments for organizing your essentials!

Jujube bags are known for their durability and having lots of compartments!

Baby Carrier, Stroller and Car Seat: Bring a comfortable baby carrier and a lightweight, collapsible stroller. I'm using Beblum Navuto stroller as it's light, easy to fold with one click and cabin-sized. 

In the plane, I always use our Ergobaby Breeze carrier to free my hands, help them sleep etc.

We checked in our portable car seat as we did not intend to use it on the plane. The car seat needs to be picked up at the odd sized baggage area and not at the usual belts where normal luggage is picked up. It's attachable to the Beblum stroller with an adaptor.

There are also approved car seat brands in some countries like Australia. Be sure to check that your car seat brand is approved for usage. You can consider Urban Kanga portable car seats (very lightweight at only 3kg!) if your child is above 1 years old! It's LTA approved and can be used in Singapore cars.

Many EU countries don't have lifts or the lifts are not easy to find. So, be prepared for the hike when taking the subways/metros. 

Baby Clothing and Swaddles: Pack weather-appropriate clothing and zipped swaddles to keep your baby comfortable during the trip.

Baby Bottles and Formula: If you're formula-feeding, bring milk containers or pre-measured formula packs. If breastfeeding you would need to bring your pumps, extra bottles, cooler bags and portable milk warmer. This handy portable bottle cleaner and drying rack set is super handy when travelling.

Want to sterilize baby's bottles and pump parts? Try these handy Pigeon sterilizing tablets.

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Favorite Toys and Comfort Items: Familiar toys and comfort items can help soothe your baby in new environments. Bring sufficient in-flight entertainment such as these interactive quiet books and these toys. 

Paste this on the plane window to keep baby entertained

This montessori busy book has so many pages of activities to keep your LO occupied

Maisy's Quiet Books are so much fun, the stickers are using velcro and you can teach your toddler many new words as you play with them.

There are tons of Usborne sticker books in the series! With about 150-200 stickers in each book, these can keep your toddler occupied for a good amount of time. We specifically got the Holiday and Travel ones which were so relatable with what they were experiencing.

Magnetic drawing boards are another fun addition to your arsenal. Our baby started to enjoy scribbling on this board since around 10 months old. With an erasable board, this can be reused over and over again.

Magic water colouring books for only $3 each is totally worth every cent. It's mess free as the markers are filled with plain water and when it touch the pages, the colours appear. This can definitely keep your little one entertained for a pretty long time. Once the page dries, the colour disappears and you can reuse it!

Showering / Bathing: We used this inflatable bathtub when he was 4months old. We opted for the rectangular shape as it would be easier to fit into a bath tub or shower stall.

At 8 months, we used a non slip bath mat with suction cups. Versatile! Can be used in the shower, in a bath tub, in the sink (if big enough). I placed a toy to keep him entertained and was able to shower him efficiently.

Food: If your baby has started solids you would have to consider what baby can eat during the trip.

Between 6-12 months, we offered food pouches that were made for babies, with no MSG or added salt and sugar. Our babies' favourite was Little Nuur (halal) which she finished in one go. They have a variety of interesting Asian and Western flavours like sweet and sour chicken, beef bolognese, tom yum rice, chicken ginger mushroom

After 1 year old they can technically eat the same food as us. When we ate out we would offer some of the food we were eating but ask the restaurant for less salt and less sugar where possible. 

There may still be times where there's nothing suitable for her so we still brought some handy food pouches as a backup. Our favourite are the stews from Deliciously Bib (Singaporean brand), offering 3 flavours: Hainanese Beef Stew, ABC Stew and Lotus root chicken. They are all very yummy and have no added sugar and salt as well. You can keep up to 3 days in the fridge after opening. It's available on Redmart so we can conveniently add this to our grocery shopping list.

Tips for Traveling with a Baby:

a) Plan Around Your Baby's Schedule: Try to align your travel plans with your baby's sleep and feeding routines to minimize disruptions.

b) Pack Light and Smart: While it's essential to be prepared, avoid overpacking. Stick to the essentials and purchase other necessities at your destination if needed.

c) Choose Baby-Friendly Accommodations: Opt for accommodations that offer baby amenities, such as cribs or playpens, to make your stay more comfortable. You can use booking.com to check if the hotel offers a baby cot.

d) Be Mindful of the Weather: Dress your baby in layers and protect them from the sun, rain, or cold, depending on your destination's climate. Sunglasses are important for your little one as their eyes could get more easily damaged than adults when exposed to UV rays. We got this cute pair of Ki Et La shades which claims to be unbreakable and has high UV protection.

e) Keep Hygiene in Mind: Always carry hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to maintain cleanliness during diaper changes and feedings.

f) Allow Extra Travel Time: Be prepared for unexpected delays and give yourself extra time to navigate airports, train stations, or road trips.

g) Seat Your Baby Wisely: When booking a long haul flight, ensure that you get the seat with bassinet (available for children 2 years old and below). I called up the airlines to confirm that the flight I'm booking has available bassinet before I made the booking. SQ, JAL and Emirates for example, will give you the seats with bigger legroom facing the partition wall where you can attach the bassinet. Thai airways only allow bassinets for babies 6 months old and below. 

h) Security clearance: Baby food, milk and water above 100ml is acceptable. Pack them in 1 bag for ease at security. If you have a stroller to check in at the gate, you will need to remove all the loose items for it to be scanned. I had a tote bag handy and I placed everything in there. Some airports allow you to use the walk through scanner for strollers and others require you to fold and place it into the scanning belt. 

i) Preparing for take off and landing: When possible, it is recommended to feed baby as the plane starts to move for take off or when it starts its descend. This can help them stay calm and the sucking motion helps to clear/avoid any blocked ears. If baby has eaten, give water from a straw to stimulate the sucking motion or use the pacifier. 

j) Be Patient and Flexible: Traveling with a baby may not always go as planned. Stay patient, remain flexible, and adapt to changes with a positive attitude.

Planning your itinerary: 

Keep the plans light, we planned 1 attraction or place a day. We didn't get ambitious with seeing everything we wanted so we enjoyed everything we did more. 

Check if the tourist streets / markets / attractions you aim to visit are stroller friendly if you are using one. Some streets are so narrow, it's tricky to use a stroller.

Consider engaging private tours using apps like GetYourGuide so you could have the stroller, carrier and baby stuff all at your convenience. It can reduce stress and give you the ability to enjoy our family time. 

Medication:

Go to your preferred PD and ask for a travel medication set. It should have meds for fever, cough, phlegm, blocked/running nose, diarrhea and vomiting. Bring more than enough fever patches and a thermometer. You can pack babies/toddler painkiller in carry on in case of ear pressure pain. 

Jet lag (shared by a fellow mummy): 

EU time zone - I'm not sure there is a solution for this but this is what we did. On the flight, we kept him up for as long as he can hold so it stretches into the EU time zone. He adjusted within 2 days. We kept similar bedtime routine so I assume that helped his brain recall (bath - milk - swaddles = bedtime). We took him out in the day and used blackout curtains / shutters for the night (long daylights in summer). We did the same for our return. Longer awake hours on flight to help transition back to sg time zone.  

Conclusion:

Traveling with a baby can be a memorable and enriching experience for the entire family. By packing the right essentials, planning wisely, and remaining flexible, you can ensure a smoother and more enjoyable journey. Remember to prioritize your baby's comfort and safety, and embrace the adventure as you create lasting memories together. Happy travels!