Packing to travel with baby is already a big ordeal. But what about packing to travel with baby in the summer when all he or she knows is cold weather. Here’s what we learned when we traveled all the way to tropical Bali with our 4-month-old little boy.
Flying to Bali is literally traveling to the opposite side of the world. The flight is exactly 26 hours, whether you fly east or west around the globe. When we decided to build our dream house in the rice paddies of Ubud, we had no idea I was pregnant with Baby Elvis. Now as we traveled to check-in on the completion of the house, we faced so many unknowns. Traveling two weeks to the tropics with our 4-month-old son definitely brought well-learned lessons and surprises.
Pre-baby packing used to be done the night before, making sure not to forget my favorite Mara Hoffman swimsuit. Now, a multi-day marathon ensues to make sure no important items for Elvis are forgotten. Here’s my guide on what to pack along with lessons learned while traveling to this magical land with my winter-born, heat intolerant baby.
The essentials for travel with baby in the summer:
Breathable baby clothes
The moment you step off the plane, the jungle heat hits you like a hot hairdryer wave. Being the OCD, caring mother that I am, I packed 42 different onesies of variable weight and sleeve length. On the very first day, our baby was red in the face and lethargic, so we broke out our lightweight Oliver and Adelaide breathable clothing and he was a happy camper! These are the perfect baby gifts for any new mom traveling with an infant.
Lightweight baby carrier
Next lesson learned, bring a light weight baby carrier. The Ergobaby organic cotton carrier is our favorite in NYC, but something lighter like the K’tan baby carrier lets the breeze in.
Breast pump adapter
If you are pumping, bring the appropriate adapter for your breast pump along with back up batteries in case the wattage conversion blows out the plug in charger. Tough lesson learned.
Mineral base sunscreens
We took a morning hike to Tegalelang Rice Paddies and figured we would only be walking for a half hour. Two hours later, we dragged ourselves out of the paddies and Baby Elvis was burnt and bright red. The key to mineral base baby friendly sunscreens is applying it whenever your baby is going outside.
Inflatable tub
What do you pack to bathe an infant that can’t sit up on their own yet and is suitcase friendly? An inflatable tub of course! We dragged our KELGAR Snug-Tub® Bath Tub in Ocean Friends across the globe due to its light weight nature.
Extra wipes and diapers
You would think with the number of expats in Bali with children there would be a plethora of western diapers and wipes. No such luck. We searched 5 different stores only to find diapers that fell apart and wipes that were stale and dry. I suggest over packing your favorite wipes and diapers to avoid leaking poopy explosions.
Citronella bracelets
Mosquitos are rampant in Ubud once the sunsets and the last thing we needed was a baby with Dengue Fever, Zika, or Malaria. We knew DEET spray was a big no-no, so we found Simba citronella bracelets. I was skeptical at first but these did the trick.
At 4 months old, your baby is actually really easy to travel with since he or she can’t crawl or run around yet. Travel with baby in the summer at this age is truly an experience of a lifetime!
— Dr. Emily Kiberd is a chiropractic physician, wellness expert and founder of the New York City-based Urban Wellness Clinic. She is a 200-hour-certified yoga instructor whose expertise spans several therapeutic fields, such as biomechanics and functional movement patterns. She’s also a first-time mom to Baby Elvis and loves cooking with her husband and relaxing on the beaches of Fire Island come summertime.
Photo credit: David DuPuy