Travel tips with a newborn series - what to pack?

We have a 2 month old newborn and we have taken our little one on 2 trips. From these 2 trips we learned some valuable lessons:

Our first trip was 3 days and 2 nights long that was a couple hours away in the mountains with weather being in the 40s at night and 60 during the day, so we drove. With driving, you can bring a lot more versus flying which was our second trip. This was what we brought along:

• 10 bibs, 25 diapers, 80 wipes, diaper cream (I.e., desitin or coconut oil), sleeper, 2 pacifiers and portable bottle cleaner kit, 3 empty bottles and 3 pre-pumped bottles (6 ounces each) stored in a cooler bag with 3 freezer pack, pajamas (2), 5 onesies, socks, 2 knotted hat and 3 baby blankets.
What went wrong?

1. It's unnecessary to bring bibs as they get dirty so quickly and you end up with a pile of smelly bibs (unless you don't mind washing them in the hotel room and air dry them - which we also did)

Suggestions: use the hand towels provided by the hotel, it's big enough to use in place of a bib (one would be suffice for multiple feedings) and also double as a burping towel + you don't have to wash them, you can get new ones every day from housekeeping.

2. 25 diapers would be enough if we weren't new parents that changes your baby's diaper every single time it's get wet after one peeing instant (tips: make sure to apply diaper cream on your baby's bottom which allows for multiple peeing instances and allows for maximum diaper usage without giving your baby a rash). A diaper isn't meant to be replaced every single pee- that would cost you a ton of money in diaper like we did- we went they an entire 192 box of diaper in one week since we didn't know to allow for the diaper to fill up in pee before replacing.  I wouldn't suggest this with a poopy diaper though.. we change those right away because we didn't want our little girl to get a case of UTI from the bacteria--if by some chance you were in a dire need of replacing a poopy diaper and you don't have one handy (use can wet a Kleenex (or toilet paper) with warm water to clean the baby's area and then clean off the diaper a bit and lace it with Kleenex until you can get to a diaper to change your baby. Note: it is worth it to bring more diapers if you are driving to your location or locate a nearby grocery store.

3. Bring a small dishwashing detergent to clean your bottles (we forgot this and ended up using the body washing gel with the hotel super hot water to sanitized the bottles). Most hotel hot water is boiling hot so we didn't have to microwave or use a coffee maker to make boiling hot water for sanitizing purposes. However: if yours doesn't have boiling hot water- use your coffee maker to make boiling hot water.

4. Always bring a change of clothing as your baby may spit or drool all over it. I would suggest putting a hand towel or face towel under the baby's chin after a feeding and leave it there for 30 minutes to ensure that the outfit will not get dirty as the spit up usually happens within that timeframe after feeding.



Tips for traveling by plane:

1. Pack a pillow (preferably a memory foam one as it acts like a tempur-pedic mattress for a baby) - we use this on our lap to allow our baby to lay comfortably before take off and then pull down the folding tray and put the pillow on top of it once we were in the air as that takes away the weight from newly moms lap and give her more comfort in the seat.

2. A scarf, the traditional kind not the enclosed into a circle kind as that won't serve the purpose. We used the scarf to basically make a wall if you were to sit at an aisle seat or if you were planning to sit at window seat. It gives the baby some privacy as well as you if you plan to breast feed.

3. A small bag that holds a couple of diapers/mat/wipes and diaper cream so you don't have to lug your entire diaper bag to the airplane tiny bathroom. Even a ziplock bag will do. You can prep this before getting on a plane.

4. A small bottle cooling bag that holds up to two big bottles or 3 smaller one that can be attached to your backpack or carry on. We got one that was $14.99 and has a freezer pal to help keep the milk cold. Suggest link below.