things to pack when travelling with a baby.

Am sharing what are the things to pack when travelling with a baby here! i usually do up a to-bring list before i start packing for all my trips and i guess it applies when it comes to packing for jerry when we were heading for kuching, his first flight out of a country.

decided to document the list i have here and hopefully, it will be useful for other mummies who are intending to bring their kiddos abroad as a reference, as well as for my future reference. do take this as a rough guide since this list is uniquely catered to jerry (who is 14mths old) and his needs as a toddler and the location that we are going.

it’s a 4D3N trip so here’s the list!

Jerry’s packing list:
1. pyjamas x 4 sets (brought extra just in case)
2. sweaters/jackets x 2 pcs (for the nights/air-conditioned places/strong winds)
3. onesies/rompers x 6pcs
4. shorts/pants x 5pcs
5. bibs x 8pcs (yes, he’s still drooling quite a bit!)
6. open sandals for walking x 2 (brought 1 extra in case the current one broke)
7. blankets x 2pcs (for use on flights since i was traveling budget and while in hotel)
8. sun hat to provide shade
9. socks x 3 pairs (to keep his tiny toes warm at night, can skip this if your kid wears a full suit to sleep)
10. muslim cloths x 8pcs (i use this a lot to wipe his drool/hands but totally optional)
11. wet bags/plastic bags to hold dirty clothes in case we are out and he needs a change of clothes
12. diapers (i use his daily average +2pcs x no. of days to determine the no. of diapers)
13. wet wipes (always bring extra! good for cleaning dirty baby chairs, dirty hands/face etc)
14. tissues (loads of it!)
15. bag ‘n’ sack (basically a cloth baby carrier for chairs in places where they do not have baby chairs, which happens a lot at coffee shops in msia so i brought this along. I can’t find an actual picture of the one i have but you can view a similar concept here
16. baby bjorn carrier (we skipped the stroller since he is still of managable weight)

For eating:
1. cereal (i pre-packed them into serving portions in plastic bags and sealed it up to keep its freshness. you can use ziplock bag. very useful since i just bring the portion i need daily when i head out)
2. snacks. i had a variety – yoghurt bites, 2 different types of biscuits and cornflakes and put them in stackable containers (see picture above) where i can swap out the variety daily
3. baby spoons (i had 3) and a munckin collapsible feeding bowl that was super flat to pack along.
4. milk powder (i also pre-measured the amount i need +20% more so that i will not be lugging extra weight unnecessarily, but you can always cater for more if you want to be safe than sorry. i had enough to last me through the trip)
5. milk bottles x 4 (he drinks milk 4 times daily now so i bring 1 day supply and wash up at end day)
6. bottle washing brush + detergent (i bring along the old brushes that i have and throw them away after im done to reduce the luggage that i have to lug back)
7. baby food in jars (jerry can’t really take full solids yet so i brought this as a quick solution in the event i didnt have the time to prep food or when he’s too hungry)
8. boiled water from home (ok. u can skip this but im rather anal so i bought about 2 litres of water in my check-in luggage for his daily water intake and milk. i didnt have enough cos i spilled some along the way so i’ll likely bring more in the future)
9. hot thermal flask (to keep hot water for milk)
10. food scissors (to cut big food pieces into small pieces for easy chewing)

for bathing/others:
1. toiletries – shampoo, baby wash, toothpaste, toothbrush
2. wash cloth x 4pcs (for bathing, cleaning his face/tongue/teeth)
3. towels (you can definitely skip this but i am a little more anal so i brought towels for him to use specifically)
4. anti-slip mat for bathtub/shower room (jerry is at the stage where he’ll jumps and get real excited with water so i am always fearing he’ll slip and hit his head especially with soapy water during bath times)
5. sunblock (a definite must to protect that delicate skin!)

For health/medication:
1. fever medication (or fever pads)/cough medication (or any other relevant ones applicable)
2. thermometer
3. ruyi oil for bloated stomachs

for companion/comfort:
i brought a few items for comforting the baby in case he cannot get use to the environment but this is totally optional, i find it mighty useful and easier to settle him.
1. pillow
2. sleep toy (eeyore)

and that’s it! i think its a pretty exhaustive list and let me know if you have any brilliant items that you’ll bring along on trips for your kiddos, or if you use this list.. let me know if its useful!

meanwhile, i didnt had any problems bringing my hot thermal flask (500ml), food and water on board the plane. I just declare i had baby food in my bag to the immigration officer when putting down my bag for scanning and i was cleared on both flights.

i did however lose a food scissors on the way back because i forgot to leave that in the check-in luggage so i decided to forgo it rather than check-in my entire bag with all the baby necessities that i needed, so just a reminder to always always double check the items in your bag before checking in your luggage and ensure everything is in order. things can get a little flustering with a baby around. i never made this mistake of carrying forbidden items on board while travelling alone but i guess there’s always a first!

meanwhile, if you havent already done so, you can read about my kuching trip!
Read part 1 here
Read part 2 here

i’m off to bed! mega tired!