I feel you,newborn mom having/wanting to travel, i really do. The newborn phase is probably the hardest.You can hardly keep up with your baby at home,let alone travel.But hey, listen up,it might be the best time for you to travel.YES.You read that right.I'm talking newborn,0-3,eat-poop-sleep baby!!!! If you are a first time mom you might not appreciate the bliss of newborn phase,allow me to enlighten you:No tantrums,no running after a new walker,no picky eater drama,no chewing on the seat in front of you (ewww).You are still in the EAT.POOP.SLEEP(a lot of sleep)phase so yes this might be the perfect time for you to trot the globe.

But first, here are the 10 things you need.I will start with the most important 6:

1. A DECENT baby carrier.I'm talking ergonomic.Sturdy.Practical.I strongly advise you to ditch the stroller and wear your baby, (again,we are talking newborn ,0-4ish )most strollers are not made for newborns anyway and need a matching car seat(or what is called a travel system)and if they happen to be "newborn friendly" they will probably be padded bulky and heavy.NO GOOD for traveling.You will have to fold it for security check,check it at the gate while holding your baby.HASSLE.So,wear your baby.Now don't you dare and travel with a wrap style 'a l'ancienne' baby carrier. Not only will you risk dropping the baby while running in terminals, it is definitely not intended for baby wearing for long periods.Get a decent baby carrier ,splurge on it,you will need your back and shoulders in the future,believe me.I love the ergobaby 360,it's ergonomic,sturdy and can be used in four positions.While you will probably stick to the newborn position the first few month,its nice to know that you can use it up until toddler age too since it is a little bit pricey.The only downside is that its a bit hard to wear and take off if you are alone.Also,while their website mentions having to buy the newborn insert,i carried my(back then)2 month old son(who was born on the big baby side)without the insert (even though i had bought it and tried it)and it was just as good.

2. BACKPACK diaper bag.I see you looking at that cute tote style diaper bag,buy it,use it,but don't travel with it.A backpack diaper bag is the most convenient diaper bag to travel with.Backpacks are the best when it comes to weight distribution,totes can hurt your you shoulder and cross body bags too,plus you can't easily wear them if you are wearing your baby.Unlike the backpack that you can wear at the same time as the baby carrier.(TIP:Start with the baby carrier and then wear the backpack with the shoulder straps on top of the baby carrier straps,so you can take your backpack off whenever you'd like without having to put your baby down).

3. Disposable Bed Liners.You read that right,bed liners,AND tape.Airplane bathrooms are probably the most disgusting bathrooms ever,and the last thing you want to do is lay your newborn baby OR your changing pad (that will go on your bed or on the the babies crib later on) on that changing table right above the toilet seat.So i came up with the bed liners tip.I buy the big size and kind of wrap the changing table with it.Sometimes i would tape it to the wall because both my kids loved to touch everything around them and then lick their fingers.Yup.

4. Ball pit.Like this one.Whether you are wearing your baby or using the stroller you will need to lay the baby down for sometime.Both you and the baby need some free play time.No you will not lay him on the seats at the gate,nop not on the floor,nop don't use the bed liners on the floor it wont work.Yes,this is where the ball pit comes into action without the balls of course.I received this ball pit as a gift IN AN ENVELOP.It was folded into an almost 8 inch round pocket.It weighed 250 grams.So it takes zero space in your diaper bag and is super light but is very useful!Unfold it,put the baby with his toys inside it.Enjoy freedom.(Before you fold it back,wipe the surface that touches the floor with antibacterial)

5. Portable sterilizer.I wish i knew about this back when i had to travel with newborns.Instead, i had to bring 15 pacifiers and i always got to my final destination with ONE clean pacifier left!STRESS!!!So these tiny lightweight sterilizers mostly made for traveling are a MUST.Some of these sterilizers are also used for bottles and nipples.Like this one

6. "First-Aid" Kit.For some reason babies tend to get gassy on planes,so make sure you pack gripe water or any other remedy you use for colic.For some other reason babies tend to get dry stuffy nose, and babies with stuffy noses do not nurse or bottle feed well,and the last thing you want is a hungry cranky baby on board.So pack some saline solution and a nasal aspirator,the frida is my favorite .And of course don't forget the tylenol you never know what might happen.

Ok now,off to the 4 other "details"that will make your trip easier

1. The Sleep Sheep. I swear by white noise.White noise is the sleep muse for babies,savior of parents.FOR REAL.White noise"sounds" are constant monotone sounds,kind of like the in-utero sound;which is why it soothes newborns very fast.White noise machines also act as noise cancelers of other sounds that might wake a sleeping baby up.And While planes have their own white noise,the sleep sheep will make sure your baby doesn't wake up with every PA (passenger announcement),for duty free,for mealtime.IT WORKS,i tried it !Its also does a great job keeping a baby sleeping during transits/airport naps,just attach it to the stroller  with the velcro band and VOILA!

2. Individually wrapped wipes.I know what you are thinking this is too much.But trust me on this.My sister in law bless her heart introduced me to these.So here is the deal,when we are traveling,i wipe the kids' hands every 5 seconds because they touch all the ramps all the luggage wheels etc and then of course their hands end up in their mouth .So my biggest"wipey"struggle is never having enough,and,Its also having to reach for the wipes in the diaper bag a gazzilion times a minute.The individually wrapped wipes made a huge difference for me.Since they are individually wrapped i put some in all our pockets in mine in my husbands in the kids' so they are always on hand and they save the wipes packs for the diaper changes.Plus,since most of the wipes are distributed in pockets and bags pockets and backpacks pockets its basically like packing two extra wipes packs without wasting precious diaper bag space.(those wipes packs are bulky,i tell you!)

3. Arm and Hammer diaper bags.These are odor eliminating disposable diaper bags that come in a roll.I use them for diapers,dirty clothes,dirty pacifiers,bottles etc.Definitely better than taking 10 target or walmart bags.

4. Swaddler with velcro.No dropping blankets on the floor,wrap your baby (arms in or out) and secure it with the velcro. I love the halo its a blanket a swaddler AND a sleepsack all in one! YEY for space saving.

Now you are ready to go !Always remember that you will eventually laugh at whatever might happen ! take it all with a smile :)

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Kisses.

Sabine.