Island Dreams
Long time no see everyone, (or should I say read). Lets get right to the point, I went on my first family vacation with my 9 month old and husband last week. Boy was it A LOT different than all the other vacations and ten times more planning. One thing I learned was that as long as you're prepared, everything (hopefully) should run smoothly. I asked all of my mom friends who have traveled with their infants and toddlers and used that information to curate my own list of needs for our trip. Shoutout to all of those who helped a mama out!
Here is a basic checklist of all the things you'll need / what we brought. Of course this was focused on my family's personal needs, so feel free to add or remove as needed:
Infant Travel Essentials for our trip to DR:
Infant Medicine [Tylenol, Gripe Water, Benadryl, Mommy Bliss Cough Syrup, Daily Vitamin]
Syringe for Medicine
Bottles [we brought 7 large Dr. Brown Bottles]
Formula [we had one for carry-on and one for check-in] we based this on how long the duration of our trip was
Water Bottle Bags [we use Nursery water, I poured a gallon into each water bag and checked-in one and put one in my carry-on] there was no issue with TSA regarding these items, they just checked the water and formula
The only issue of course was carrying a bag with a gallon of water + extra clothes in it, but that wasn't my problem that was James' lol
Collapsible bin to wash bottles
Hand towel to rest on the sink so the bottles don't touch the counter
Diapers [we brought about 25 for 5 days]
Wipes
Diaper Cream
Diaper Cream Paddle
Disposable Diaper Bags [for dirty diapers]
Swim Diapers
Boogie Sanitizing Wipes
Floatie
Baby Sunscreen [we used Think Baby]
Baby Beach Chair [not a necessity but we already had one lol]
Baby Lotion
Baby Shower Gel
Wash Cloths [or you can use your hands]
Clothes [suitable for weather] [ we brought short sleeve onesies, long sleeve onesies, long pants, short pants and vests]
Small Jacket
Sleepers for bedtime
Sleep sack [if you use]
Muslin blankets (we brought three)
Microwavable Sterilizer Bags (we asked the resort for a microwave to be in our room)
Electric Travel Kettle
Tommy Tippee Thermos
Travel Stroller
Swim Suits
Toys [spinner for the airplane window]
Beach blanket [if its tropical]
Baby Carrier - we held him in the carrier through the airport, a bit during the plane ride and during the ride to the resort
Crib Sheets - if your hotel includes a crib
Bibs [Zayne goes through a ton so we packed 25 lol]
Snot Sucker
Socks
Stroller Fan attachment [if needed]
Stroller Phone Attachment [if you give screen time, it makes dinner ten times easier lol]
Portable Sound machine [we brought our Hatch and Shusher]
Baby Monitor
Travel Bottle Rack [came with the brush and spoolie]
Baby bottle soap
Bath Towels
Comb
Shoes / Sandals
Sunglasses
Sun hats
Multi plug outlet extender [outlets are hard to come by at some hotels, so this was a game changer] a mama who recently traveled mentioned this to me
Silicone Bib
Baby's plate and utensils [if they're eating table food]
Beach bag to swap with your diaper bag
Things you might consider taking but we did not take:
Pacifier
Headphones for airplane
Breast Pump
Baby Vicks
Life Jacket
Swim shoes
Pack and Play [if there's no crib] unless baby just sleeps with you, then go for it
Snacks / pouches
Here are the most important item's that helped us through our stay:
(this section includes several affiliate links that I earn commission from, if purchased through)
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer - Multi Function - BPA Free
The Tommee Tippee kept the water for our bottles hot throughout the entire day. It holds enough water for three 6oz bottles. At the start of our day we'd fill this and bring one extra bottle with warm water to keep us from going back to the room. It was the BEST! We use this same system at home to avoid using a bottle warmer.
One of the best recommendations I've received. We use Nursery Water for our formula. While I understand we can use regular water, I didn't try that as yet and didn't want this trip to be the first time trying. We tried the Ready To Feed formula and Zayne hated it. This bag holds a gallon of water (and more depending on the size you get). I took two of these bags on our trip. The one we checked-in held up amazing, no spills no issues. The one in my carry-on was perfectly fine going through TSA. They simply opened the top and held a stick to check for vapors, right above the top. Then they gave it back and we went along our way. THIS WAS THE BIGGEST STRESS when it came to planning this trip. Thinking of how to get the Nursery Water there.
Travel Electric Kettle,700ML Collapsible Small Electric Kettle
This little kettle worked WONDERS! Used it to warm our Nursery Water for the day and it collapses super small. 10/10 recommend this for any trip.
Compact Travel Stroller for Airplane, One-Hand Folding Baby Stroller
We loved our travel stroller and were so happy with this pick! It reclined so Zayne could take his naps in it, and sleep in it during the evening when we were still out hanging around. It collapses with one hand and opens with one hand. It's compact enough to go into an airplane overhead bin and also rolls like a rolling luggage. We loved it and Zayne loved it!
Mommy's Helper Inflatable Bathtub for Baby & Toddler
While many people suggested to just hold the baby in the shower, I knew that would just not work for me lol. So we got this little inflatable tub, which helped with our routine and just made things easier.
OXO Tot Travel Size Drying Rack with Bottle Brush
This drying rack and brush is a super compact case. It made washing bottles super easy and we used the collapsible bins as well when the rack became too full.
Powder Formula Dispenser and Snack Cup
This formula dispenser helped making bottles easy. We already use one at home so we just used the same one we always do.
I tried to be as specific as possible because I had SO MANY QUESTIONS when it came to traveling with a baby and to be honest, there were not many DEFINITE answers. Hopefully this helps you during your first vacation or next vacation with your little one!
XOXO,
Bindi