Travelling with your baby can require a little more planning than those holidays that you had pre-baby. To help your journey go smoothly, I’ve put together a list of essential items for your journey.

We did a lot of travel in my son’s first year of life. Whether it was a 2 hour flight to France, or 25 hours to New Zealand, I soon discovered that it is a very fine balance between packing light, while ensuring that you have everything you need right at your fingertips. Packing everything to the finest detail can help your flight to go as stress-free as possible. Ensure that you know where everything in your bag is placed, and be sure to give your travel companion the run-down, too!

1. A travel-friendly buggy is a necessity to make those hours in the airport a little more manageable. The Baby Zen Yoyo, Bugaboo Butterfly and the Cybex Coya are all cabin approved which means you can store them in the overhead lockers of the aircraft. This allows you to use the buggy the entire time you’re in the airport, rather than being required to check it in with your luggage. The Bugaboo Butterfly and the Cybex Coya are recommended from 6+ months, however the Baby Zen Yoyo has a bassinet attachment which allows you to use this buggy from newborn. 
2. A baby carrier should be next on your list. Even if you do take a travel-friendly buggy, a baby carrier will no doubt come in handy at some point in the journey. They don’t take up too much room in your bag and they can be a great alternative to the buggy to keep your baby settled, while still remaining hands-free. The Artipoppe Baby Carrier and the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier are both fantastic options.
3. Nappies, water wipes, a bib and a spare change of clothes are best stored together in a clear pouch. By having these packed together, along with your portable changing mat, it keeps things compact and allows you to easily reach for them and pop to the bathroom to change your baby when required. 
4. If your baby uses a soother, its great to have not only a second one packed in a pacifier box as a back up, but also a soother clip. This way you can clip it onto your baby’s clothes and its not dropping on the ground if your baby decides to spit the soother out. 
5. A light cotton muslin is great to have with you. The airports and airplanes can get cold so its nice to have something to wrap over your baby for an extra layer. 
6. A portable white noise machine is a good little gadget to bring with you, especially if you use this at home. You can use this during your journey, but it is also perfect to have while you’re on your holiday. Its perfect to clip to your buggy for those out-and-about naps and gives the baby a sense of normalcy when getting them to sleep.
7. You may need some in-flight entertainment to distract your baby. It is ideal to take one or two small toys. Suction spinner toys or rattle socks are favourites for a lot of babies.
8. Dependant on your baby’s age, you’ll need to pack any milk, bottles, water bottles and food. You know your baby’s needs best when it comes to this, but have enough prepared for any delays that add time onto your journey. 
9. Calpol is always good to have for peace of mind, as well as any additional medicines your baby requires. 

Travelling with your baby can pose its challenges, but being prepared is your first step in ensuring a more comfortable flight. Once you reach your destination its all worth it!

The list:

• Travel buggy
• Baby carrier
• Water wipes
• Nappies
• Changing mat 
• Bibs 
• Spare change 
• Muslin
• Soother, clip, and box
• Bottles / milk / food / water
• Toys
• Portablehite noise machine
• Calpol / medicines

Arnica Lowe