Packing for Baby

biscotti,
I don't have a baby so hey, what do I know? But can I suggest that you bring just what you need for the flight and a day or two after that.(And for emergencies, of course -- things like Motrin and Tylenol.) You can buy everything in Italy as you run out. You're already going to be exhausted carrying the baby, the stroller, some supplies, etc. Make it easier on yourself. Even if you get delayed at the airport or on the runway, you'll have enough to see you through.

Buy the babyfood in Italy. Who cares if its a different flavour. It's good for the baby to try out new things. I usually briang a few diapers and a small packet of wipes.

Bring babys medical history in case there is a problem.
Are you hiring a car - what about the car seat for baby?

Yes, we are lugging the car seat with us on the plane. He can sleep in it that way. He has his own seat.

I agree with scratching the baby food. Maybe pack a few jars in your carry on along with one container of cheerios. You never want to be stranded without food. Even if your baby does not like the italian baby food you shoudl be able to find soft veggies on the any menu. We took my daughter to Grand Cayman last year and I ended up leaving the baby food I lugged down there for the maid to take to her baby. Mine wanted nothing to do with it.

I would also not bring the blow up tub. When we travel my daughter just showers with me. Just hold on tight to your slippery bambino.

I also prefer reusable bibs. I have a plastic coated one I always keep in my purse. Takes up little room and I can rinse it very quickly in the bathroom after the meal.

Baby sunscreen and a sun hat.

I hope this helps. You guys are going to have so much fun. My DH and I leave in two weeks for Italy without our daughter. I am nervous but excited.

Jami

I usually bring the stroller and the car seat can attach to that and then a sling. The Kelty thing looks a bit heavy as a back pack and a bit lightweight as a stroller.

I find the regular Kelty backpack to be a little heavy after a period of time, but that is personal opinion. I take a reclining umbrella stroller.

Do you have like a backpack diaperbag?

Bottle brush?

Baby spoon for that babyfood? We traveled from Iowa to California with 9 month old....oh how naiive I was. I took all the babyfood for an entire trip....silly me, lugging all this babyfood thru an airport was a nightmare.

do you have a small hand food grinder? I have one, comes in handy for making babyfood but also would take some space.

Take enough diapers for a few days, find a store and buy when you get there.

Wet wipes: I took several of the travel size, even when no baby -- good to have for washing hands when out and about.

Plastic diaper baggies, like what you put the dirty diapers in. Easy to find at Target or Walmart in baby or pet sections. Good for when you cannot immediately dispose of dirty diaper, like on airplane. Small roll so it wouldn't take much space.

those plastic C clips that often come with toys....so you can clip small toys to carseat, stroller, etc.

Will baby sit in highchair or stroller to eat? Not that you can haul a highchair with you, but I'm not sure how readily available you might find a highchair.

I personally like these little disposable placemat liners. They stick to table in front of baby, have cute pics on them, I play games with cheerios and 'hide' them on the placemat. Provides baby safe place to eat as well as entertains him. Available at Target, Toys R Us.

(I have five kids, can you tell?!)

This is probably too late, but I just recently purchased a Peapod made by KidCo. It's this wonderful little 'tent' bed, self-contained, and has a blowup mattress as well as sleeping bag. I bought for my baby to sleep in the camper, but it is also large enough for my 4 year old and they find it great fun so far.

Personally, I wouldn't bother taking a blowup tub....usually you can find a kitchen sink or bathtub to bathe baby in. Maybe some Baby bath soap, smaller sizes of course, to double as soap and to wash hair (if baby has hair).

Does baby use pacifiers or sippy cups? Something he/she finds comforting.

Ziploc baggies are always nice to have along. Take no space, can shove dirty clothes in them, etc. Not sure about Italy, but they do not sell in Czech Republic.

The best thing is to be prepared, but also to have fun. Try to determine in advance the name of stores and if possible, location, so that if you have emergencies and need things you know where to go.

Yes, I'm one of those who thinks of everything, including the lint rollers!

Happy traveling!!!!

Oh yes, for the sake of others, I have those scented baggies that come on a roll , for disposing of diapers.

I am so worried about the Kelty thing we just spent 200 dollars on. I am also pregnant and have terrible back issues, so it's all on my husband. I think our stroller is good, but we need a carrier and he ( my husband) won't do the Baby Bjorn thing. The good thing about the Kelty contraption is that it can double as a highchair.

As far as the baby food, I care about the different flavors. WHy would I want to experiment in another country with rabbit and horse? I guess i could order applesauce and soft veggies. I don't even give him soft veggies at home! I'm just a baby food person at this point. THis is my first baby.

Yes, I've got the sun hat and sunscreen. Good one! You do think of everything. I also have the stick on placemats that are so adorable. I will bring Cheerios. Can I buy more there, do you know? I'm sure Italy has some version of them, right? I really don't know!

Oh, and the pack n play fits in our suitcase, believe it or not. That's going with us, too.

Horse flavoured baby food isn't all that popular in Italy.

Moving swiftly along from such a comment(mind you there's nothing wrong with rabbit)....

Hipp baby foods are readily available in Italy....look at www.hipp.it - or if you don't understand italian you can get an idea of the range on

www.hipp.co.uk

the food is organic, very tasty and the babies love it.

I just skimmed so I apologize if I missed this from someone else, but I brought a lot of NEW toys when I traveled with my babies. As you know, they tire of them quickly. They always liked the soft chewy ones at that age, and board books.

Plenty of cheerios to cover any delays (especially on the runways!) Does your baby like juice? A little might come in handy to hold off until the next feeding.

We brought all that equipment with us to Aruba a couple of years; we looked like immigrants! It's nice to pare it down as much as possible. The car seat was great to have on the plane.

Have a wonderful trip!

I'm sure you've thought of this - but please check the TSA regulations for what you can actually take on an airplane. Apparently formula is exempt, but I doubt 30 jars of baby food are going to fit in your 1 qt plastic bag with the rest of your liquids.......

Did check with TSA. I can bring all I like, "within reason" for the trip. No juice that could be mistaken for adult juice! ha! But I can bring formula, baby food in jars, use water that is either on the plane, or purchased once past security. And I don't have to put any of it in the quart sized baggie, thank goodness!

As for the horse comment,,ah you are funny "moving siftly along". ha ha ha. Really now. I must let you know that I got that from another post. I thought it ridiculous, as well, and should have said so. I guess I thought people may have read that other post, too, but why would you have? Anyway, yes, rabbit is a choice and all I've read is that the other choices are "funky" and "unusual". Nobody really elaborates. I'm all for trying things, but not every single day of the trip for my baby. I really just do not know what the story is with the baby food over there, based on previous posts. I will check out your web site.

Hi biscottibyg,
Lucky you! Where are you going in Italy? I wrote some advice on traveling with a baby the same age in Rome that i just topped for you - "Rome and a Baby". We had a wonderful experience with our daughter and I'm sure you will too.

Some thoughts:

1. I know some people swear by the backpack so I guess it is a personal thing but I wouldn't bring one. I would just bring a good umbrella stroller and if you have a carrier (like a baby bjorn) bring it in case there is somewhere you can't bring in a stroller (in which case I assume you can't bring a bulky backpack either). You mentioned your husband doesn't like it but it is better then carrying yoru baby for 2 hours around a museum.

We went all over Rome over every surface imaginable (cobblestones, grass, dirt, up the Palatine hill) with our sturdy Maclaren and it was fine. It also folds up very small so it you go to a crowded restaurant you can just put it in the corner some where. I swear we got tables in some tiny places when we folded the stroller and didn't look like we'd take up a ton of room. We have a Kelty Kids backpack that we use at home for hiking but I wouldn't want to walk around all day with that on, especially in a city (I don't know if you are going to a city though). The other benefit of the stroller is, like you said, is that the baby will sleep in it. Our daughter slept for hours while we walked around. I think the stroller was the best thing we brought because our daughter was comfortable in it and it was easy to push. everything else you can buy there (and you can buy a stroller too if you don't mind paying for it).

2. I would just bring some extra clothes for the baby and cut down on your clothes and plan to send your clothes to a wash and fold place. You will have to bring a TON of baby clothes if you don't plan to wash your clothes.

3. bring some diapers. bring a bunch on the plane and enough for the day you get there. they sell pampers in Italy. I never figured out the word for "diapers" but just asked for pampers. I think they run one size smaller there. You can buy wipes too but I'd bring a big pack for the plane because they are handy for wiping down dirty places (on the plane as well as your baby!).

4. Definitely do not bring 30 jars of baby food!! Bring some for the plane and buy the rest there. THey sell it in the pharmacies and grocery stores. You don't have to buy the horse flavor or other questionable flavors just because they are there! (although I did find the horse flavor interesting and wrote about that in my report). they have regular flavored veggies - beans, corn, squash, etc- and meat - chicken, lamb, beef, snail (just kidding) -there. The only difference is that they don't combine flavors so where in the US you'd get "chicken and sweet potato" in Italy you just buy the chicken and potato separately and then mix them. Also, there is plenty of baby friendly stuff to eat there - yogurt, bananas, etc. The suggestion to bring the food mill is a good one.

5. Good idea to bring formula. If you have the powdered stuff it doesn't take up much room and then you always have something you know your child will eat.

6. I liked having the blow up bath tub. it is small when deflated. we just tossed it at the end of the trip.

7. good idea to bring bottles, pacifier and chewy toys for the plane in case of ear or tooth aches.

I think you've got everything covered. I'd bring a few cotton burp clothes for spills on the ride there. If yours are like mine were by 9 months, I didn't mind throwing out the ones that i dropped somewhere gross and didn't want to retrieve. I'd bring your baby's bedtime toy so he/she has something familiar to sleep with.

if you have any other specific questions - i'm happy to try to answer but will be without computer access over the weekend.

AHA! SALLY ! YOU are the one I read about the horse flavored baby food!
I think your baby was nicknamed "La Gigante", right? I loved your post. It got me very excited about going with the baby. I'm still up in the air with the stroller thing. See, the item we just purchased is both a stroller AND a backpack. It's very cool, but again, he could never lay flat in it to sleep. That bothers me. He could, however, stay in it as a high chair. Venice is one of our destinations, and that would be tough with an umbrella stroller, I fear. i will check out your Maclaren online, though, and work on my husband with the Baby Bjorn. I don't know what to do with this issue! We already have to carry the car seat, so the carrier/backpack combo was a good idea for us initially.

Can I get my clothes washed in a day, do you know? I'm curious if it works the same way as in America when you go to a hotel. I like the idea of having them washed, as we will be in hotels the entire time.
(Turin, Bellagio, Venice)

You are so helpful with the food/diapers/formula questions. Thank you! Thank you!
While the baby will have some new toys to play with on the plane, I will definitely bring his familiar snuggles for comfort! Thank you for your tips.

I have never used a Kelty, but I swear by the Ergo Baby Carrier. It is a front, back, and side carrier that is soft, so it is easier to pack. I carried her throughout airports, on hikes, and tons of places awake or asleep. Oh, and not sure if this applies to you, but you can also discreetly breastfeed your baby while he or she is in it. It looks more "manly" than the bjorn, so maybe your husband would wear it too? We plan on bringing ours on a 3 week trip to Sweden, London, and Greece, and hopefully our daughter will stay put while we go to the Acropolis!

One other thing you might want to try is a shampoo or soap bar for baby. Burts Bees makes a baby shampoo and soap bar, and I think J&J does too. That way one less thing to worry about spilling.

Have fun!

Your baby is probably too big now for the baby bjorn. Mine is 7 months and 7.5 kg (as she was premature) and I'm squeezing her in. So I can't see a "normal" 9 month old in one. I'm going to buy an ERGO carrier at the weekend.

I just took a look at the ERGO carrier. Looks great! Now to find a way to get it here overnight? That's the problem.

Will most museums let you take a stroller in? Just a curiousity question.

I don't know, but I'm sure they don't want the baby in the Kelty backpack part, for fear of knocking everything over! That's a good question.

Glad you found the post helpful. I suspected I was the cause of the horse food concern! My husband is big (and sure as heck wasn't carrying our nearly 30lb daughter - yes, La Gigante- in a backpack) so we had to get a really big kelty backpack. I like the umbrella stroller because it is lightweight and folds up small. The carseat is a pain to carry around but nothing you can really do about it.

we got our laundry done in a day if we brought it in the morning. Just tell them that you need it that day.

Not sure about the strollers in museums. Most in the US do. In Rome we didn't go to many museums (just churches) but the Borghese Gallery did not so we used the bjorn. We are going to Paris in October and I looked on a few websites and most do. I think generally if they are handicapped accessible (have an elevator etc) they let you take the stroller.

Can't wait to hear about the trip when you get back!

Biscotti -

When we were in Rome in 2003 with my niece at 6 months I do not remember any trouble with an umbrella stroller in museums. Just make sure you bring one that folds up nice and small and is not too valuable. I have a couple strollers with bent axles from airlines.

I thought a little more about your baby food dilema. I think you should bring 5 or 10 jars and buy a familiar flavors in Italy. Looking back at my experience my daughter would not eat the baby food I brought because it was not famiilar to her. I always made homemade or mashed up what ever veggies my husband and I were having for dinner. She loved all of the fresh fruit in Grand Cayman. So I guess the moral of the story is familiarity works for babies. They do have cheerios over there so that should not be a problem.

Congrats on baby two.

Congrats on

I have a 3 year old and a 9 month old, and we went to Italy in April.

I would definitely buy baby food there. Yes, they do have lamb, rabbit and veal flavored food, but they also have standard apple, pear, blueberry, apricot, etc. Plus, you can always buy bananas and just feed those to your baby. Same with oatmeal, etc.

I'd ditch the baby tub. Just give him a bath either in the kitchen sink or with you.

Also, I'm not sure where you are staying, but everywhere we have stayed in Europe (apartments and villas included) has provided a baby cot if asked. I bring our own blanket so that baby has a familar item, but no way no how would I lug our own PnP around.

I have an Ergo, which is great. We bring it everywhere we go. We also have a MacLaren that goes everywhere. I don't know about the Kelty, but I'm pretty minimalist with baby gear. The stroller does get to be a pain, especially in Venice where you are constantly going up stairs and footbridges. I'd leave the stroller at the hotel that day and just wear the baby. The Ergo is the only carrier I've found that doesn't kill my back (and I've tried dozens).

Have a great trip! Italians LOVE babies, so you will enjoy lots of attention while you are there!

biscotti and her gang have already left for Italy