What I Packed as a First-Time Mom Traveling with My Newborn

As someone who’s been jet-setting since I was just four weeks old, I thought I had packing down to a science. I’ve mastered the art of traveling for over a month with just a carry-on, schlepped skis and oversized bags across continents, transported rugs and drinkware from places like Turkey and Morocco, and somehow always managed to make room for a few too many shopping finds. But nothing—not even my most strategic packing wins—could have prepared me for the ultimate challenge: packing for my first trip with my newborn.

When my daughter, Sibby, was born and our first overseas adventure as a family loomed on the horizon, I quickly realized just how much we actually needed to bring to stay comfortable and functional. It wasn’t just about the sheer amount of stuff—it was also about managing it all while wearing a tiny human who demanded to be bounced, shushed, and soothed at all times. Staying focused? Easier said than done.

After taking that first international flight with my husband, Pat, and our almost 3-month-old Sibby, I learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. Here’s exactly what I packed—and what I’d 100% bring again next time. And don’t forget to print out my baby packing checklist.

For a quick recap, see my TikTok:

@svadore

Packing for newborn's first international trip?✈️🍼 Here’s what I actually packed (and would again) as a first-time mom. The stroller that survived cobblestones, the unexpected MVPs, and the one thing that saved our sanity on the flight. Save this checklist and link in bio—you'll thank your future self at 35,000 ft 💼👶 #TravelWithBaby #FirstTimeMom #BabyPackingList #BabyTravelEssentials #MomLife #TravelHacks #FamilyTravel #WhatToPack #BabyOnBoard #StrollerTravel #TravelMom #TravelTips #NewMomLife #FlyingWithBaby

♬ original sound – Sveva Marcangeli

1. Car Seat & Car Seat Travel Bag

This was one of those “should we or shouldn’t we?” items that had us going back and forth. We weren’t planning on getting Sibby her own seat on the plane with a car seat, but we were renting a car for a week in St. Barth. Sixt offered the option to request a car seat, but it wasn’t guaranteed—which made me nervous. After some thought, we decided to bring our own, and here’s why:

1. We were already familiar with our Nuna car seat and knew how to install it in seconds.
2. Car seats count as a free checked bag for babies—so why not?
3. It can be gate checked.
4. It can be used as an actual baby airplane seat for those interested.
5. Ours could be installed with just a seatbelt, no base required—super easy.

Was it a bit of a hassle to lug around? Sure. But Pat found an affordable car seat travel bag that doubled as both a backpack and a rolling bag, making it much easier to manage. And, in true travel-hack fashion, we maximized space by stuffing it with Sibby’s essentials—diapers, toys, and even some of our sunscreen, just like we do with our ski bag.

After that trip, bringing our own car seat became a non-negotiable when traveling somewhere I know we’ll be driving. If I’m in a city-centric destination like Tokyo? No need. But if we’re road-tripping through Italy, France, or Spain? It’s coming with us. Yes, it’s an extra item—but it’s 100% worth it.

2. Carrier

I saw a good number of parents with older babies pushing them in strollers in the airport. But to be honest, Sibby wouldn’t have allowed us to push her in her travel bassinet stroller in the airport. Maybe when she can use the sit up stroller at 6 months, she’ll change her tune about it. But because she’s the type of baby who wants to SEE things and be part of the action. For us, the easiest thing to do was have her in the carrier. This also meant our hands were free for baggage and other important things…like the oh so important coffee needed before boarding. Additionally, when on vacation, this meant that when she’d get tired of the stroller, we had a quick alternative method of taking her around or helping her get down for naps.

3. Travel Stroller

Having a stroller that was built for travel is an absolute game-changer once we got to our destination—we used it constantly. It’s super compact and portable, so we just slung it over our shoulder while navigating the airport. Plus, it’s one of the lightest strollers on the market, making it incredibly easy to carry around. And just like a car seat, it’s another item you can gate-check for free, no hassle.

Sibby loved her Yoyo 3 Stokke travel stroller bassinet more than her big bulky Bugaboo Fox 5 bassinet we use at home. I think it’s because the Yoyo sits lower to the ground and has a wider opening, so she could see more of the world around her. You can find the newborn bassinet pack [here]. That said, each stroller has its pros and cons and serves it’s on purpose. That’s why I recommend you purchase a travel stroller in addition to your stay-at-home stroller, depending on where you live.

The Yoyo 3 Stokke is amazing for warm destinations, but when it’s 17°F and windy at home, the Bugaboo Fox 5 is unbeatable at keeping her cozy and protected from the elements. And while I love the Yoyo for travel, I’ll be honest—it took some adjusting coming from the Bugaboo Fox 5. With my Bugaboo, I was spoiled by the ability to adjust the handle height, glide effortlessly in an all-terrain stroller, and enjoy a super sturdy ride. The Yoyo 3 Stokke, on the other hand, is lightweight—which is amazing for travel—but that also means:

• The handle is fixed (and on the higher side for the average female height).
• The handlebar sits close to the stroller base, so it’s easy to accidentally step on the brake.
• It’s a little more rigid to push compared to my Bugaboo.
• The bassinet and seat are less structured, but that’s the tradeoff for being ultra-light.
• The bassinet comes with straps. At first I wasn’t sure why, but then I learned…Trust me on this—you absolutely have to put the straps on the baby. Since the structure is on the flimsier side, the front of the bassinet can fold over, and you do not want to risk the baby slipping out. Safety first, always!

At the end of the day, that’s just the reality of any travel stroller—it’s all about portability over luxury. And for what it is, the Yoyo absolutely delivers.

4. Portable Crib

This was another one of those “do we really need it?” items. Pat’s still on the fence about it, but I’m not.

A lot of Airbnbs and hotels offer cribs, but here’s the thing—I wasn’t totally comfortable with the idea of Sibby sleeping in a crib where who-knows-how-many other babies had slept. Not to mention, you never really know what kind of crib you’re getting, if it’ll be clean, or if she’ll even like it. Sure, there are places that rent cribs to travelers, but that’s also a hard pass for me. I wanted her to have a familiar, cozy sleep setup no matter where we were.

So, we ordered a crib that checked all the boxes—one of the lightest on the market, but still with a luxury feel. It folded into a backpack and could be checked with our luggage.

I won’t sugarcoat it—this was definitely the most annoying item to lug around. The car seat bag had wheels, the stroller could be thrown over a shoulder, but the crib? Even though it could be worn as a backpack, we were already juggling two carry-ons plus our own weekend bags or backpacks. Lesson learned—next time, we’re ditching the two carry-ons in favor of one and checking one or two large suitcases instead. That way, we can carry the crib on our backs comfortably without feeling like pack mules.

All that said, I’m so glad we brought it and will 100% be traveling with it moving forward. One of my favorite features? The side unzips, so instead of awkwardly bending over and breaking our backs to lay Sibby down, we could just slide her in and zip it up. Plus, it came with a mosquito net—perfect for destinations where that might come in handy.

5. Travel Baby Monitor

I honestly didn’t think I needed this—but now, I won’t travel without it.

If you’re staying in a hotel room, you can probably skip it. But if you’re at a villa, Airbnb, or anywhere you might be hanging out in another room or by the pool while your baby sleeps, you’re definitely going to want this. My travel-sized portable baby monitor with video and an app has been a total game-changer. It lets me actually enjoy the pool, have dinner, or watch TV in another room without constantly worrying or tiptoeing back to check on her.

There’s also something super reassuring about knowing that not every little noise means I have to rush in. I can just take a quick glance at the camera, assess the situation, and decide if she actually needs me—or if she’s just making her usual sleepy sounds.

To make things even easier, I grabbed a quick clip-on baby monitor mount accessory from Amazon that lets me attach the camera right to her travel bassinet rather than placing it on a table or shelf somewhere. Easy peasy—just like being at home. It’s also a white noise machine, which is a bonus for when we need to masquerade any loud noise from outside the room.

6. Baby Headphones for Noise Protection

Especially if you’re flying. My Gen-X mom totally mocked me when she saw them, saying they weren’t necessary and that she flew with me just fine back in the day. I think a lot of older people’s memories are a bit fuzzy…lol. Well, her tune changed halfway through the flight! I can confirm—baby headphones for noise protection are a game changer. I tested this firsthand on the flight from St. Maarten to JFK when I made the rookie mistake of not putting them on Sibby right away. Every time the flight attendant made an announcement, she’d jolt awake and freak out. The moment I slapped them on? Out cold for the rest of the flight.

7. Entertainment

I never want to overpack for our trips—after all, the real entertainment is out in the world, not stuffed in a suitcase! But let’s be real: for those afternoons when it’s too hot or rainy to explore, or for flights and long rides, bringing a few of your baby’s favorite things is a game-changer. I also think there’s something reassuring for a baby about having their go-to toys with them in an unfamiliar place—like a little piece of home on the road.

For Sibby, her must-haves start with Madame Poupée, her beloved doll (which, fittingly, translates to Mrs. Doll in French). A friend of my mom’s gifted it to us, choosing the doll based on what she guessed Sibby’s personality would be. And she nailed it—Sibby is obsessed. She also loves Mr. Teddy, her big teddy bear, but that’s a bit bulkier to carry around with us. Fine for road trips, but not overseas (for now).

Next up, books. I always pack 3-4 non-sensory ones—half in Italian, half in English—so we have something for bedtime or a cozy rainy-day read, especially in a new place. One crinkly or sensory book is a must, too. That thing buys us at least 10 minutes on a flight—her current fave is an Under the Sea one.

You may have noticed the mobile in the portable crib pictures. Yes, that is a non-negotiable for my baby as well. It’s by far her favorite toy of all…she can stare at it for hours screeching in excitement and kicking her arms and legs. So I bought a portable mobile arm and decided to bring the mobile with me to bring a piece of home with us wherever we go. This way she feels comfortable no matter where she’s sleeping! It’s also a great distraction for those middle of the night wakings so that I don’t have to go entertain her. She’s fairly independent with her mobile. The mobile itself is expensive. She only likes a very specific make and model from Etsy. I’ve tried buying cheaper Amazon ones, but they didn’t take. The girl has expensive taste!

And finally, a rattle (or honestly, even a baby tennis racket…my baby prefers it over the rattle a lot of times now that she’s 5 months old!). Always. It’s my secret weapon for distracting her during diaper changes, especially in new places where she’s not a fan of the situation (honestly, can’t blame her). A little shake, a little distraction, and we semi-avoid a full-blown protest.

8. Soothing Tools

So… I definitely leaned into pacifiers from months 2-4 whenever I needed to calm Sibby down. But once we hit the dreaded 4-month sleep regression, I decided it was time to wean her off so she could learn to self-soothe—aka, so we weren’t on paci duty in the middle of the night. Honestly? It wasn’t as bad as I expected. That said, I always keep a pacifier on hand for flights, public transportation, or any quiet setting where I might need a quick, no-fail fix. Consider it my emergency backup plan—there’s always a paci in my back pocket. They’re especially good if you’re flying for take-off and landing to help pop their ears if you don’t want to feed.

When we dropped the pacifier, we leaned more into her loveys, which have been part of her sleep routine since she was 2 months old for naps and 4.5 months old for nighttime. We were comfortable with it because we’d watched her sleep enough times to know she could handle it safely if it ever covered her face. And now? Her loveys are the ultimate soothing tool. If she’s scared, uncomfortable, or ready to drift off, she instinctively grabs onto them or runs them over her face. We don’t travel anywhere without at least two—non-negotiable.

9. Nap Tools

We all know naps are hard…one thing that helps us is covering her eyes with a Muslin cloth. I know it sounds weird, but she just knows – “Ok, it’s dark, my eyes are covered, I’m going to fall asleep now.” She also usually needs to cry it out for 1-2 minutes before passing out. There’s nothing we can do about that unfortunately. But the muslin cloth helps her zone out all the overstimulation around her and calm down. We also never leave without a blanket, something warm and cozy to cover her no matter where we go.

10. Diaper Bag Essentials

Most of this is pretty straightforward—diaper rash cream (we’ve tried a few, but only Triple Paste does the job), a changing mat, pacifier wipes, diapers, and diaper wipes. But here’s where we get into the real must-haves that sometimes get overlooked:

• Weather-appropriate outfit change—Think about where you’re traveling to. When we left NY in a 10°F polar vortex but landed in 90°F St. Maarten, we made sure Sibby had a change of clothes ready to go. No sweaty, overheated baby on our watch!
• Burp cloths—and more than one. Spit-ups happen a lot when traveling, so we pack anywhere from 4 to 8. Trust me, you don’t want to be caught without extras.
• Bottle washer handle & soap—if you’re bottle-feeding, a portable bottle washer handle and a safe, travel-sized bottle soap are absolute lifesavers. You can wash and rinse bottles anywhere.
• Extra clothes—because spit-ups and blowouts have no sense of timing. Never under-pack on outfits. Always have multiple changes on hand because no one wants their baby stuck in a wet, spit-up-covered shirt—that’s just miserable.
• Nitrile Gloves—The boomers love to roast me for this one. But hear me out—when I was in the hospital postpartum, the nurses always wore gloves when changing baby poo, and I thought, genius. Do I need gloves to change my own baby? No. Do I prefer not risking pink eye, hand-foot-and-mouth, or whatever other fun surprises baby messes can bring? Absolutely. And when there’s a full-on blowout situation, I need all hands on deck. If things get messy, I just peel off the gloves instead of smearing whatever disaster just happened onto her clothes. It’s not extra—it’s just smart.

I’ll also say—because we formula feed, we quickly realized that our regular diaper bag just wasn’t cutting it for longer trips. For a weekend getaway or a day out? Totally fine. But the second we started traveling overseas or for an extended period, things got tight. As soon as we got home, we ordered a bigger diaper bag to make sure we were way more comfortable (and way less crammed) the next time around.

11. Food

If you’re breastfeeding—lucky you! Less to pack, less to stress about. But if, like me, that wasn’t an option for various reasons, there are a few things that make formula feeding while traveling so much easier.

First, always travel with an insulated bottle for hot water. We swear by our YETI rambler—it keeps water warm for hours. Honestly, sometimes too warm—we usually have to mix it with bottled water to cool it down even after a long stretch.

Second, pre-portion your formula in travel dispensers. I use a stackable formula dispenser and measure out exactly what Sibby needs in advance so I have 2 tubes with 5 dispensers—one contains six scoops if she’s not eating solids and the other four scoops for when she is. Instead of fumbling with a formula can and a scoop every time, I just pour, mix, and we’re good to go. No time wasted.

I also carry a larger backup dispenser, just in case we somehow go through all 10 pre-portioned servings. Running out of formula mid-trip? Not happening on my watch.

And finally, I pack five bottles so I’m not constantly scrambling to clean them. Sibby only goes through four a day, but having an extra just makes life easier. My go-to’s are the Pigeon bottles. They are made in Japan after years of research to try and mimic breastfeeding. I’ve never had a problem with them.

12. Luggage & Clothes

When it comes to packing, I’ve accepted that my baby’s needs completely outrank mine. My sleek little weekend bag that used to hold my essentials and laptop? Yeah, that’s now fully dedicated to her clothes and must-haves. If our luggage gets lost, I couldn’t care less about my stuff—hers is the priority.

Hack #1: Keep all baby essentials and clothes with you at all times. DO NOT CHECK THAT BAG. Ever.

Hack #2: Overpack for clothes. Laundry at your hotel or Airbnb? Great, but what if there’s a spit-up disaster? A sudden temperature drop? A/C blasting like an Arctic tundra? Pack for every possibility. If you’re heading somewhere warm, still throw in some cozy layers, extra outfits, and PJs. I refuse to be unprepared, and I definitely refuse to let my baby be cold. Layers can always come off, but scrambling to find extra ones last minute? Not the move.

If you’re going somewhere warm, pack swim diapers but note that I recently learned the hard way that swim diapers only hold poo not pee…I guess that makes sense, they’re meant to go in the water. But keep that in mind for when you put your baby in them. Car seats may get a wee bit wet—no pun intended. I also love baby sunglasses because the sun is always bothering their precious eyes.

Traveling with a baby is a whole new ballgame, but after our first big adventure with Sibby, I can confidently say it’s totally doable—with the right gear. From the absolute essentials (hello, car seat and travel stroller) to the small but mighty game-changers (baby headphones, anyone?), every item we packed made a difference in keeping things smooth, safe, and, most importantly, sane. Of course, there were lessons learned—like rethinking our luggage strategy—but that’s just part of the journey. The best part? Watching Sibby take in the world, one flight, one road trip, and one new experience at a time. Here’s to many more adventures ahead—extra baggage and all.

>> Next: Traveling With A Newborn: What I Learned from My First Trip