What to Pack For An Overnight Trip with Baby or Toddler

Your first overnight away from home with your new baby is a milestone! You may feel slightly anxious about how baby will act at your host’s home or at a hotel. Don’t worry. As long as you are there, young babies will behave much the same as they do at home.

Try to make their schedules from home work as best you can while you are away. If the baby naps at 2:00pm, lay them down at 2:00pm. If you don't mix up their schedule too dramatically, odds are the baby will barely notice.

Here are some tips on what you should pack for the road trip.

Image courtesy of Made4baby.co.nz

Pack three sets of baby clothes for every day you will be gone plus fresh pajamas for every night. Babies soil or wet themselves often and you want to be prepared with more than enough changes of clothes. Remember to pack extra socks, too, as they often get soaked.

Bottles and formula are absolute musts as are any baby foods your baby is eating. You can’t assume you will find a store right away at your destination that sells the right things. Carry three or four bottles so you can wash one, use one, and keep one in your purse. A spare is always handy in your suitcase, too.

Bring individual store-bought packets of formula if you can. If not, bring airline-approved clear plastic containers with formula measured out for each bottle in them. You’ll be glad you don’t have to lug a whole tub of formula out of the overhead bin and can just pull out a small portion. Have bottled water on hand to mix it with. There is no cry more shrill than a hungry baby waiting for their bottle. Don’t chance it. Waiting for a flight attendant to bring you water or a rest stop to appear is a recipe for disaster.

If your baby is more of a toddler age, make sure you bring some baby cookies or snacks that they can munch on to keep them busy.

Diapers! Overload on the diapers. The last thing you want to be doing is looking for an all-night WalMart in a strange town because you’ve run out of diapers. Plan for at least 6 diapers per day. Better safe than sorry. Carry extras in a carry-on bag if you are checking luggage.

Pacifiers, fun baby toys, and extra bibs are great ideas. Bring one less pair of shoes for yourself if you’re running out of suitcase room. You’ll be thankful to have the extra supplies at the ready.

Traveling with baby can be a fun adventure with some advance planning. It’s not so stressful once you get the hang of it!

Carry everything you need to feed baby including spoons and lots of wipes. Bring a nightlight in case the place you’re staying doesn’t have or use one. You’re less likely to trip at the 3am feeding in a strange place if you can see where you’re going.

You’ll have to carry baby’s car seat on a plane with you. Ditto for a stroller.

But for driving trips, you’ll already have the car seat and can pop a small umbrella stroller in the trunk for walking.

Baby-safe sun block is a must if you are going to be outdoors or walking anywhere. Even minor exposure to the sun can burn baby’s tender skin.

Baby’s favorite toy is a also nice reminder of home and will help baby settle down to sleep.

Any medications baby is on—including baby Tylenol or Motrin—is a must! This is often an easily overlooked item and can cause major problems. Keep medicines in their original containers if you are traveling by plane in case your suitcase is searched. And carry them on the plane with you, don’t check them through.

Whether or not you need a crib is up to you. If you’re staying with relatives, they may have one or you can set up a portable “pack and go” type collapsible playpen for baby to sleep in.

Hotels will often supply a crib if you ask when you make your reservation. The less you have to lug the better.

Other couples just have baby sleep between them in bed, but that’s for you to decide.