By Jesseca Ryan, Founder of Travel Breasy 

Whether it’s your first time traveling with your baby, or maybe your first time with your baby and your older child, it can feel overwhelming. We know from experience! But traveling with our two littles went from a dreaded experience to one of our favorite things to do. Here’s how:

My very first travel experience as a new parent was a long road trip from San Jose, CA to Ojai, CA. Baby was 4 months old, and in total it took us about 7 hours with stops. We were prepared with bottles, toys, songs. But it was still a stressful situation, mostly because I was nursing with low milk supply; we had to stop every 2 hours, and even then baby wasn’t satisfied with the milk supply. It really just threw everything off. He hated being confined in the car seat and screamed in distress for long periods. We overpacked, and lugging everything in and out of the car to the hotel room and then back home was hard on daddy. Not a relaxing experience at all! Overall this was a fail for us. 

Jumping ahead to our second experience, it was just me, flying solo with baby. Somewhat surprisingly, this went much, much better. 

The factor that made the biggest difference was setting ourselves up for success by intentionally choosing a short itinerary: just a 90 minute flight from departure to destination.

Baby was 6 months and in flight we were able to nurse on demand (can’t do that in the car!). The excitement of all the new things around us kept him stimulated. If at any time he was overwhelmed, I’d use a nursing cover (or swaddle) to help soothe him. I was mostly hands free by checking our bags and the car seat. I kept the stroller, baby carrier, and one backpack with me. 

Fast forward and we now travel with both of our boys, ages 1 and 3. 

We’ve learned to reduce stress and make travel fun again by packing wisely. This means leaving things behind, and using delivery services upon arrival.

After two babies and lots of advice to friends and families with kiddos, here are 10 travel essentials we recommend:

1. Guava travel crib - rent or buy.

2. Countertop high chair - can be rented or stored in a large suitcase.

3. A lightweight car seat (airlines will check this for free).

4. Travel stroller

• There are many. The Bugaboo Butterfly is a parent favorite and can be used for toddlers. 

• If you have considered the Doona and you plan to travel somewhat frequently with your baby - GET IT! Everyone we know who uses it absolutely loves the 2-in-1 convenience. This is our #1 regret when it comes to baby gear we wish we’d purchased.

5. Pack one travel bag with lots of diapers, three changes of clothes (including one for each parent - more if your baby tends to be a spitter), and extra snacks (diapers & wipes take a lot of space and can be purchased anywhere you land).

6. Use your phone/tablet devices as a makeshift baby monitor to reduce the amount of stuff you need to pack - or bring a lightweight one that doesn’t need wifi, like Chillax Baby.

7. Bring a few things from home that are familiar: blanket, book, chew toy.

8. Bring the bottles and feeding supplies that work best for your family. At a minimum, ensure you have a water bottle for travel and lots of snacks that are easy to clean-up. We love using reusable containers throughout the trip.

9. Toys with suction - spinners and anything else that sticks to windows or trays - will give you just a few extra minutes of peace.

10. If you are going to a hotel or vacation rental, have initial groceries & diapers/wipes scheduled for delivery - this saves a stop on the way when you’re all tired and baby is probably DONE being confined to the car seat.

For more travel tips - and other useful information for your growing family - check out the TravelBreasy blog.

Happy travels!

Jesseca is a mom of two and and an entrepreneur. She founded Travel Breasy out of her passion for helping other families feel less overwhelmed in navigating the baby gear world, whether for travel or at home. Travel Breasy provides a concierge service for baby gear rentals in Oregon.

Photos courtesy of Jesseca Ryan; used with permission