Side note: I’m not sure when a baby stops being considered a newborn, but I decided to go with newborn instead of baby because Hez was very much a little squish compared to a bigger squish. Also, sorry for all of the low quality photographs.. our nice camera was packed with our big suitcases.

Two months ago our family ventured off across the world with our 7 week old baby in tow. We survived and we thrived and we made it all in one piece (minus our luggage). I wanted to write a blog specifically on this topic because there are some things that worked really well for us as well as some things that we definitely would have changed.

Since we were essentially moving out entire life overseas, we had many checked bags—six to be exact. For carry-ons, our airline allowed us a carry-on bag and a personal item. When you fly with a baby, most airlines also allow you to bring a diaper bag and a stroller and carseat for free (I would double check with your particular airline just to make sure).

On the American Airlines website it has a weight restriction for strollers that can be gate-checked, which our massive hunk of a stroller greatly surpassed. However, we thought we would take the risk, and *praises* they didn’t end up weighing it—I mean there was a sleeping baby in it….it would have been such a hassle to take him out to weigh it. It was so convenient to be able to push Hez throughout the airport instead of having to carry him! A smaller stroller definitely would have been more convenient, but we just wanted to bring one, and loved that we could insert his carseat so he could ride in it as a little baby, and we didn’t have to tote around two separate pieces.

I also carried our Ergo Baby Carrier in case Hezekiah preferred to be worn instead of held during the flight. He almost always falls asleep in it, so I brought it as a last resort if he was screaming and wouldn’t calm down. Thankfully, I didn’t even have to use it once. It was a bit of a hassle to carry around, so I maybe would have opted for a sling or cloth carrier that you could have packed away more easily.

Our diaper bag contained most of the things we would need to grab quick. It had some diapers, wipes, antibacterial wipes (because airplane bathrooms), hand sanitizer (because airplanes in general), burp rags, etc. We packed multiple pacifiers—not really sure why, the odds of us losing 4 pacifiers were pretty low. We also packed my nursing cover so it was easy to access. Basically we stuck anything that we would want fast access to in the diaper bag, and all other extras in the carry-on that was stowed overhead. During the layovers, I restocked the diaper bag with more diapers, wipes and extra outfits. It all worked out pretty well.

In our carry-on suitcase, I packed so many diapers. Definitely too many diapers, but I didn’t ever want to be in the middle of an airport, where everything is in a different language with a baby who just pooped through their last diaper. I read somewhere that you should pack one diaper for every hour of travel that you have. I packed a couple more than that. It ended up being very convenient so we didn’t have to buy diapers as soon as we landed! I also packed a lot of extra outfits for Hez. Zip up sleepers are your best friend for travel days! No one wants to deal with snaps, or trying to get a pair of pants over your baby’s big diaper booty in a cramped, small airplane bathroom. Also, pack an extra outfit for yourself. You never know when your baby is going to spit up all over your shirt, or poop out of his diaper onto your pants, and the last thing you want is to be stuck on an airplane with clothes that smell gross. We also packed two swaddle blankets because that is what he usually slept in, but we didn’t end up using them.

The fact that I have been able to breastfeed Hez was so handy during this travel day. However, I wanted to be prepared incase he became stubborn and wouldn’t latch. I packed my breast pump with a battery pack (so I wouldn’t have to try and find a plug in), a hand pump incase I just wanted to express milk quickly, and I fully intended on bringing a cooler bag with some frozen breast milk BUT I forgot it in the fridge. I was overly worried about feeding Hez during travel, but he ate like a champ. Again, I overpacked but I was thankful to know I had options for feeding him if something happened. My breastfeeding cover became my best friend. It worked well for feeding him, and doubled as a scarf/shawl because I always underestimate how cold airplanes are.

And last but not least, the best thing to bring along with you is…. your IN LAWS. Seriously people, what a life saver! I could not have survived the trip without them. Nathan’s mom got some much needed grandma cuddles and that gave me and Nathan a break to nap (just kidding, I just watched movies). It was so nice to have them help carry the many carry-ons we had and we could take shifts holding him while we ate. Whether it’s your in laws, your parents, some friends or some random people you hire—I would seriously consider bringing someone along to help out if you’re traveling across the world.

Overall, I felt like I packed pretty well for a 26 hour travel day—thanks to the many blogs I read in preparation. The only things I would change are a smaller stroller, easier to pack baby carrier, and maybe just less of everything since I always tend to overpack!

Soon (maybe), I will write more about what to pack for yourself, some travel tips and things to remember when traveling.

Thanks for reading!