Hey guys! I just got back from an amazing time in Rosemary Beach with my 3 month old Noah and my husband. It’s been a while since we took a trip and this was both our first travel with our baby and his first time at the beach! We decided to pick somewhere that was a reasonable driving distance away before taking our baby on an airplane. I can’t imagine how that would be hauling all our baby stuff around!
I received some requests to write a post about traveling with a baby so I wanted to share this with y’all. The focus will be on baby products that are helpful when traveling as well as some beach essentials for baby if you’re going on a beach trip.
The ride for us was 5 hours long and it wasn’t that bad actually! Noah slept nearly the whole ride both ways and woke up an hour before getting to our destination. He eats every 3-4 hours, so of course, he would need to eat before we arrived at our destination. Since I am no longer breastfeeding, we packed some quick and easy to-go bottles of his formula to feed him when hungry. Overall, it was much easier than I was anticipating!!
The most challenging part for me was identifying the items that we use every day that we HAD to pack, versus others that I could do without or figure out something to replace them. I made a list the night before and made sure I packed everything I needed. Being we drove to our destination in an SUV vs. flying, we were able to bring mostly everything we wanted.
The List for General Travel
Stroller– we have the uppababy VISTA and we still use the bassinet. The stroller itself is pretty big but we knew we could not do without. The bassinet could also work as a temporary sleeping solution, if you don’t have something to bring.
Dockatot– used it on the bed to lay him there when we were resting or getting ready.
Dr. Brown’s Bottle Warmer– not a must but it just makes things quicker for us when we warm up the bottle for Noah.
Drying rack– they sell this travel version but we just brought our regular sized one. It was pretty hard living without our sterilizer but c’est la vie.
On the go changing mat– I always keep this one in my diaper bag and it works wonders. We also packed these disposable changing pads that we use at home as well.
Bath tub support– At home we use this for bath time but it’s way too big to bring on a trip. We packed this one instead and I am so glad we brought it. We also brought travel sized toiletries, wash cloths and a bath towel.
Carrier and wrap– I packed this carrier to bring along and it made my life easier especially at the beach. I also brought my Solly baby wrap but did not end up using it.
Pack and Play– we borrowed my parent’s pack and play so we had a place for baby to sleep in at night. I’m so glad they have this! It also makes it easier for us when we go visit them. I also love how it collapses and it’s super easy to pack and does not take up a lot of space. We left the changing table part and bassinet at home because we ran out of room.
Overall I packed lots of bottles, formula, extra pacifiers and these wipes to clean them, diapers, wipes, etc.
Traveling to the Beach with Baby
Now I want to talk specifically about bringing baby on a beach trip. I did not know what to expect and I figured we would spend most of our time at the pool and going back and forth to our Airbnb. Well I was wrong, and the beach was definitely easier for us!
Noah really loved the water, but I was not surprised since he’s really been loving bath time! The pool seemed a bit difficult for us because we couldn’t really set up a station for him and did not want to put him on a chair and have him roll over.
Getting Comfortable and Enjoying the Beach
The first time we went to the beach we did a half day to scope out the situation and see what all we needed to bring. We were able to rent umbrellas and chairs, which was so nice for us and offered a shady spot all day long. We laid his beach towel between the two chairs on the sand and clipped this fan to one of the chairs. He napped most of the time we were there, but when he was awake he was super comfortable and happy.
We also packed water bottles to pour on him to cool him down but it honestly was super cool for him under the shade and laying down low. I think next time we would bring a spritz bottle or a fan with foam blades that squirts water so it’s easier to keep him wet.
Overall, I missed being able to go to the pool with my husband or just walking on the beach together. With a baby, someone needs to stay with them the whole time, so we just took turns going in the water.
I have no complaints about this trip though, I was able to enjoy time with my family, get some sun and enjoy the water.
We packed the following items to survive our first beach trip and to make sure our baby was comfortable and happy while we enjoyed the beach.
The List for the Beach
Clip on fan– This was such a good investment! It’s technically a desk fan but I love that it clips on and it’s USB powered. I will also be using this on the stroller for hot summer days. We clipped this on to a beach chair and had it facing him when he was laying down.
Beach towel– different from his bath towel since we knew we would be laying this on the sand.
Sunglasses– The sun is super bright for his little eyes so these were helpful.
Hat- This was perfect for him! It comes in so many colors and we got him the 0-6 month size and it was adjustable.
Rash guard- I’ve read how it’s not recommended to put sunscreen on a baby so young so we wanted to make sure we kept him pretty covered. They also sell long sleeve ones but I decided to go with these instead. He was pretty covered most of the time so it worked great.
Beach tent– My friend gifted me hers and sadly I could not use it because they did not allow tents at a private beach. But if they’re allowed at the beach I would strongly recommend them.
Travel size formula bottles– We have these mini formula bottles that we have on hand for emergencies, so we packed these up for the beach. They also don’t need to be refrigerated which is nice.
Carrier with cover– Like I said, we took this with us and it was so easy for bringing baby to the beach. I like that it has a little “hood”/cover so I could protect his head from the sun so he didn’t have to wear the hat with the carrier.
Splashers diapers– I bought the size small for him and they ended up being a little big for him but once he fits in them I definitely recommend them. We used them at the pool and one of the times at the beach. We ended up using regular diapers since we didn’t keep him in the water since he can’t sit up just yet.
Since he’s only 3 months and could not sit up just yet, we did not really take him in the water only for photos and for a short time so he could actually feel it. Once he’s older, I would definitely buy a small blow up pool for him for he beach and some other water toys to keep him entertained.
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I hope this information is useful for when you’re planning a trip with your little one! I am always trying to improve how helpful my content is, please leave feedback using the hearts below! 
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