Packing and Travel Tips for your first trip with your new baby or young child

No matter if you’re flying to the Algarve or road-tripping through Cornwall, how exciting is it to be off on your first trip with your new baby?! Yet with all this excitement, I’m sure there is also a bit of trepidation mixed in about what to pack, how much of everything, what to better leave behind… This is why I thought it would be helpful to provide you with a few tips and tricks of how to make your first trip with your new baby – or young child (we haven’t forgotten the last three years of travel disruptions) – a little less stressful: Will you be flying to your destination? Check with your airline, but most allow you to pack a car seat and/or pushchair, travel cot, collapsible or non-collapsible pram, booster seat and/or baby back carrier free of charge to be taken on board. Whichever one(s) you bring, see that you can wrap it in a bag and stuff the bag with items like wipes, (disposable) nappies, extra muslins, anything you might have forgotten in your regular luggage – somebody even managed a soft toddler armchair! If you’re unsure to bring your buggy to the gate, think if you could swap it for a carrier (front or back, depending on the child’s age, of course) or wrap. Personally, Petey and I loved our Ergobaby Omni 360 at airports and on most trips by rail/bus as it allowed me to have my son close and my hands free – quite handy especially when travelling on your own with your little one! If you’re using formula or are weaning, you might be concerned about the amount of liquid you’re allowed to bring on board in your hand luggage. It is more than you might think per container, as the 100ml liquid limit doesn’t apply to baby food, milk, or sterilised water, provided that the total amount is no more than 1 litre. Be aware you may be asked to taste it for security reasons. If you don’t want to faff about with extra liquids at security, you can arrange for an “Order and Collect” service through Boots and pick it up at an airport store after security – also helpful for not having to carry all those nappies until you board. I wasn’t in need of formula as I exclusively breastfed when my son was little but I was a bit unsure about “unpacking myself”, so my tip is: make sure you use the loo before boarding and opt for the window seat as that gave me the little bit more privacy I felt I could do with. It also provided me with a bit better support for one of my arms when holding my baby as I could lean against the window/wall of the airplane. What kind of accommodation are you staying in? Many properties geared towards families and/or all-inclusive hotels offer cot beds / cribs, equipment rental of prams, bottle warmers, kettles, changing mats, step stools and/or kitchen facilities either in the room or on the premises for shared use – and of course food and drink for you available whenever you need it. Also check if they have a mini-market on-site where you can stock up on essentials like disposable nappies (if you use them), sun screen, toothpaste, formula etc and only bring enough for the first day or two with you (in the case of baby foods in particular). If you’re staying in an apartment or other self-catering accommodation, you would of course have your own kitchen but you might want to check on having to bring linen and/or towels (in particular if you’re staying in a caravan/at a camp site). How to keep your little one entertained on the plane? My experience of flying with a young baby probably differs from others – my son was 18 weeks old on his first flight (I wanted him to have his 16 weeks check and jabs over and done with) and after an early boobing session, he slept the whole 90 minutes of the flight. We did have his favourite soft toy (Lamaze hedgehog) and a book with us as back-up. Teething aids are definitely helpful too, but try to keep things like rattles, bells or anything that might annoy other passengers too much in the checked luggage. As I kept booking the window seat for myself and our son, we could look out the window when he grew older and was awake. We had a flying gap from when he was 1 year old until he was turning 3 years old due to Covid and when we went abroad again last year, I filled a Ziploc bag with mini dinosaurs and a couple of matchbox cars and packed several books and pens and paper for drawing – and his tablet with headphones as an emergency solution. I know others use PlayDoh or erasable writing/drawing tablets, too. For our big trip earlier this year, I got magnetic blocks and oh my gosh did (and still does) my “Number Blocks”-loving son love playing with them for hours on end! I hope some of these tips are helpful in getting ready for you next trip. If you're (considering) booking your holiday through me please ask away and I'd be happy to give you more advice on what your airline may or may not allow and what the accommodation can provide, limiting what you need to pack and lug yourself. Safe travels and have a lovely holiday!