Travelling With Your Baby

After nine long months, your baby has finally come into the world. It might be a few months or even a year before you finally find the time to take a well-deserved vacation with your little one. Travelling with a baby may seem slightly more daunting than when you didn’t have a little person to watch over 24/7, but this does not mean it has to be an exhausting experience! Here is our guide to travelling with your baby so you can create some beautiful memories together while you’re on holiday.

First things first, the health of your baby is always going to be your number one priority, no matter where you are. Be sure to check with a doctor before you travel, to see if your child needs any particular immunisations and such for where you’re going. Doctors will most likely recommend that you wait until your baby’s immune system is more developed before travelling. If you are unsure about whether your baby is fit for the journey, always ask for medical advice first.

If you are travelling via plane/rail/sea, be sure to check with your carrier for their specific rules and policies about travelling with infants and toddlers. They may ask you to provide your own car seat for your child’s safety, or they may provide amenities for you to use – it will vary from company to company, so double check because you don’t want to carry less or more than you need.

Travel insurance is also essential when you’re venturing out with your baby – you never know what might happen. It’s much better to have that extra reassurance, so find a company that provides coverage for any of your potential concerns.

When you’ve got a baby, your baby’s bag and your own personal luggage to carry, your hands can be too full to do anything else! The best thing to do when thinking about what your child might need on the trip is to keep things simple so you can pack as light as possible. For example, you don’t have to pack a whole stock of diapers and wipes – just bring enough for the journey there based on the time it’ll take, and once you’ve arrived, you can buy them at your destination for the duration of your stay.

One thing you might want to consider is bringing an extra set of clothes in your carry-on for any accidents(!) that might happen during your journey to your destination – for both baby and parent. Other carry-on essentials include easy-to-carry toys to entertain your child so they don’t get too bored and grumpy, snacks for babies that have started solids, a baby blanket for sleeping and a spare trash bag those emergencies.

Because of some strict security regulations – particularly for flying – bringing enough milk for your baby during the journey can be difficult. Our Generation 3 Silicone Breast Pump is perfect for pumping mothers on-the-go. As a manual pump that relies on the power of natural suction, it is absolutely silent compared to noisy electric pumps. This allows for discreet pumping during those long journeys. Once you have finished expressing, swap the top to the Silicone Bottle Anti-Colic Nipple and feed your baby! Alternatively, pop on the Silicone Breast Pump Cap to protect your liquid gold from spilling out in times of turbulence and keep it for later on in the journey. You can also use it when you’ve arrived at your destination to express milk while out and about with your bub. It is an absolute lifesaver when travelling!

Of course, during the journey, you’ll need to take care of yourself as well. It is vital to stay hydrated no matter where you are, but it is particularly important in environments such as planes where the air is incredibly dry. Bring a water bottle – like our Thermal Stainless Steel Drink Bottle – so you can keep sipping throughout your journey. (If flying, you can fill up your bottle at the terminal or on the plane itself.)

We also recommend that you bring our Nanosilver Silicone Dummy for travelling with your bub when they want something to suck on. Silver is known for killing germs and being naturally anti-bacterial, and the microscopic silver fragments in this silicone dummy do exactly just that – maintaining cleanliness of up to 99.9%! This makes it perfect for when you’re travelling on a carrier with many other people, which can cause germs and other nasties to spread easily. It’s also great to give your baby during plane take-offs and landings, when the changes in air pressure can cause discomfort. Since babies can’t swallow or yawn to relieve the pressure, giving them this to suck on is one way to help them cope.

If you’re taking a dummy or teether for your baby with you, it might also be a wise idea to bring a Dummy and Teether Holder. This holder prevents your baby from losing anything attached if they decide to drop it or throw it away for no good reason! This will be particularly useful if you’re in an unfamiliar destination and can’t retrace your steps, leaving your baby’s teether or pacifier gone forever.

Trying to keep up with feeding your baby solids while out and about can be tricky – you have to bring separate food containers, spoons and things to clean up after your baby’s messy eating. That’s all too much to deal with on a relaxing vacation! At Haakaa, we have created the Silicone Baby Food Dispensing Spoon to solve these issues while you’re away from home. Just fill the tube with baby food that you’ve brought with you or purchased locally and keep it in your bag until its time to feed your baby. The leak-proof seal will prevent any potential messes while carrying it around.

Other things to think about putting in your checked luggage include baby clothes and shoes, medical supplies (medicines, creams, sunscreen, bandages), jarred/canned baby food and a portable crib. We hope this guide has helped you prepare for travelling with your new bub – go out there and make some fantastic first memories together!