Five items that may not be on your baby’s packing checklist (but should be)

Diapers, wipes, pajamas, bottles… we use these items for our little one so much that it’d be hard to forget to pack these for a trip. But there are many items that aren’t always top of mind when packing, simply because we typically don’t use them every day. What do you do when your hotel doesn’t have a bathtub and you have a three-month-old? Or if your bébé wakes up in the middle of the night on your trip not feeling well? Thankfully fellow travel parents at Adventure Baby Gear have thought about every essential you might need. Visit their website to shop these items that may not be on your packing checklist yet. And if you’re looking for a comprehensive baby travel checklist, I’ve listed some of these items and more at tripbebe.com.

    •    Inflatable baby bathtub: I’ve learned the hard way that bathtubs are not standard at every hotel. Trying to clean my baby in the shower was not easy for either of us, and he was terrified. I didn’t even know theseinflatable tubs existed until my last trip when someone at my hotel was using hers in the pool (they can double as a floating pool toy!).

 
•    Reusable baby food pouch: When friends ask me what one piece of advice I would give them when traveling with a baby, I always say to pack your own food. Yes, you can save some suitcase space and buy things at your destination. If you know there’s a Target next to your hotel, you’ll be fine. But in so many foreign countries you won’t find a large grocery store within a five mile radius everywhere you are, nor can you find your usual selection. There’s nothing more important than making sure your baby is fed and healthy, so why risk it? These reusable pouches are very lightweight in your suitcase, and even if you end up having other meals, you’ll at least have these as an emergency backup.

 
•    Travel pop-up baby bed: We always rent cribs when we stay at a hotel.  Even though many airlines allow a travel bed as a free piece of luggage, it’s nice to have one less piece of equipment to travel with. However, not every trip involves a hotel stay, and there are never
guarantees a crib is available at a hotel. This travel bed is perfect for a baby, as it folds up into a compact piece that you can easily fit in your suitcase, so you won’t need to worry about hauling around another baby item.

 
•    Thermometer: I can’t tell you how many times I haven’t packed this. Thankfully, I don’t have to use it daily, so I don’t ever think about it when packing. Hence why I had to create a packing checklist to remind myself. When my baby woke up in the middle of the night with croup on vacation, I was so grateful I finally remembered to pack his thermometer and the rest of his medicine bag. The last thing I wanted to do was have to drive around in a place I didn’t know and see if any store was open, which it probably wouldn’t be at that hour.

 
•    Portable baby feeding chair: Having a stress-free meal is tricky when you don’t have a high chair for your little one. Perhaps this makes me a failure as a parent, but I could never master the “hold-baby in one hand and eat with the other” technique. This portable chair ensures you don’t need to rely on a restaurant’s high chair inventory, and you can visit any friend or relative’s house and enjoy your meal. Unlike many portable feeding chairs that have heavy metal or plastic pieces, this one is fabric and won’t weigh down your suitcase.

What baby products can you not travel without?