When you’re traveling with a baby, you have two priorities
The first is to help your baby feel safe and secure, so that travel doesn’t disrupt their own adjustment to this big world. The second priority is to not lose your own mind. These are the things that help us accomplish both goals.
It’s not a joke when they call this thing magic. It sounds exactly like a person saying “shhhhhh” repeatedly, for either 15 or 30 minutes. We’re big fans of “The Happiest Baby on the Block” and whoever invented must also be. Shushing makes babies peaceful. The Magic Shusher does all the work for you.
So, if the Magic Shusher sounds like a game-changer… It is. We hang it from the car seat and turn it back on each time it turns off. Then, we make sure we have music on, so it doesn’t put us adults to sleep, too.
It’s also our favorite thing ever to gift other new parents. It’s the thing you get and are mind blown because you didn’t even know you needed it.
There are tons of different kinds of baby carriers, but once you go Tula, you’ll probably never go back. They come in two sizes, standard, and toddler, and we have both.
Why is Tula’s so great? The biggest reason is that you can front or back carry, and the baby stays facing your body. The baby carriers that face baby outward aren’t actually good. First, babies would rather see the person holding them- it’s a big crazy world out there, and they can see more than enough staring up at you.
Secondly, most of the carriers where babies face outward are “crotch danglers.” The Tula carrier, facing them inward, keeps their legs in the “M” position, which is what their hips need. Tula’s effectively have the sitting on their behind, instead of having all the pressure on their crotch as their legs hang when they face outward.
There are some baby carriers that face them outward and keep their legs in an M position, but in order to do that, they usually have extra padding and structure to the carrier than changes your balance and center of gravity. In other words, you can’t wear a baby that long or once they’re very big in a carrier like that.
Tula baby carriers make it so you can carry them long-distance and until they’re, well, no longer toddlers. We carry both kids for various reasons. Lauren is more introverted and easily overwhelmed, so she loves to be worn and have the hood on when she’s tired or had enough. Rylan is a runner, so wearing him keeps him happy and safe, and Mommy and Daddy sane.
We carry on hikes, in airports, sightseeing… Tula’s live in our car and travel with us. If you have more questions, a Facebook search will lead you to the Tula Love and Buy/Sell/Trade groups, which are a great way to get a one-second hand and get any questions answered. They’re around $140 retail, but you can often find them cheaper secondhand, as well.
Sizing details: standard size is good up until they’re around a year and a half, in our experience, but they’re technically good up to like 35 lbs. Once your little guy is more comfortable with their arms over the top of the Tula, you’ll be more comfortable sizing them up to a toddler size. Having a toddler in the proper size Tula keeps your center of balance in a better position, but again, you’ll probably keep your baby in a standard size for the first year and a half or so.
In a pinch, you can even wear two kids at once. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXlKM3iMbVU
I had a super cute massive Betsey Johnson tote-style diaper bag with Lauren. Once we had Rylan, a shoulder bag was impractical with a toddler, or even with babywearing.
The JuJuBe Be Right Back is the perfect diaper bag. It’s sturdy and wipes off easily, comes in elegant designs that don’t scream “diaper bag,” and has extremely travel-friendly pockets. My biggest tip? Keep everything in the same place and your efficiency level explodes.
Need someone to get a diaper? Tell them they’ll find it in the outer zipper pocket, and so on. There are also secret stash pockets, which is where I like to keep my personal stuff, like lip gloss and spare nursing pads.
Here’s a review video I did specifically on this bag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IvmT5yHOw.
We got it in black so Jonathan can use it, too. Let’s be real, he used the big pink floral Betsey Johnson one I had, but he loathed it. The JuJuBe Be Right Back is sleek and elegant. I’d call it downright minimalist if it weren’t for all the gold accents.
These aren’t to play music. These are to mask sounds. We’ve used them at air shows (jets are so loud!), the Renaissance Faire (jousting? also loud!), and big events like weddings.
They come in two sizes, and similar to Tula baby carriers, you’ll use the baby pair until they’re around a year and a half old, then you’ll want the larger size. We keep these in the diaper bag on most trips.
I wouldn’t travel with a Boppy or Brest Friend pillow (here’s why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtZ222Q7vAU), but I’ve absolutely traveled with my Luna Lullaby. This is one of those weird ones that I wavered heavily back and forth on. Traveling with a pillow just seems so EXCESSIVE.
But, it was so helpful. Being able to give my little guy tummy time, or prop him up so he could look around while I got ready, or using it to nurse, or using it between my knees to sleep… I used it SO much that I’d definitely recommend it for future travels with future newborns.
The Necessities
Of course, you’ll need the basics: clothing, diapers, bibs and burp cloths, as well. Secrets there? If it’s a long trip, buy diapers as you go. No use filling a suitcase with them! Our babes tend to use a lot of bibs but not as many burp towels… And lastly, don’t be afraid to find a fluff and fold laundromat near you! Sometimes, just knowing you can take everything and wash it makes the packing easier.