Packing for a 10 Day Vacay

Indulge, Mom and Babe, style

Going away with my babe and our babe.

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Itinerary:

Two days with family in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. Two days in Kingston at a wedding. Six days on a resort property.

WEDDING

wedding shoes (strappy leopard heels with geometric heel)
two dresses (in case of baby barf) – one is a rust coloured crepe and lace maxi with a tie front, the other is a black dress with elaborate back straps, both can accommodate breast feeding
gold clutch

BEACH

4 bikinis with mix and match prints
2 pareos/wraps for the beach that can also be sun drapes for the stroller
flip flops
long black floral kimono for over swim suits or for everyday wear
two hats (one floppy, one peaked)
sunglasses (2 pairs)

FOR THE PLANE

Cole Haan slip on loafer, bike shorts, midi dress in a blue and white print from HM with a tie waist and button front, beige breezy kimono layer

RESORT AND TOWN

Shoes –

Tom’s denim slides, Tom’s geometric black and white block heel sandal, Teva platform sandal (black), Cole Haan blush loafers

Dresses and Rompers –

blue gingham tie shoulder dress
red and navy stripe maxi dress (also for sleep/lounging)
white and black graphic print jumpsuit with snap front closure
brown and blush button up floral dress with cap sleeve
fern print shirt dress
rust dress alternate for wedding
Black shirt dress layering piece with long sleeves

Underwear –

strapless bra
nude bra, grey bra, black soft and grey soft
10 pairs underwear and 4 thongs
3 pairs of slip shorts, blue bike shorts and peach bike shorts (for under dresses and bending/sitting with baby)
black sleep slip
nursing sleep bra

Pants

cream lace pant
paper bag waist stripe red pant with matching crop top
moss green flowy capri length
white and blue stripe palazzo pant with tie waist
black Lulu legging

Tops –

mustard ruffle neck top
rust ruffle neck top
matching red stripe bustier top
white t-shirt
cream knit tank
navy knit tank
grey waffle tank
tropical flora and fauna print button up sleeveless
white crepe tank
white, black and grey nursing tanks
black crop t-shirt

Jet Set – Travel to Jamaica with our Little One

Indulge, Mom and Babe

K getting comfy for his second trip. Photo: @thisiseyecandytoronto

We are off again, this time to Jamaica for a wedding. Last time we travelled, he was 2.5 months. Now he will be 7 months. Here is our list of top tips from our travels the first time, followed by an itemized (to the last detail) list of what is in his (and our) suitcase.

Our first trip was to Mexico with a 2.5 month old. I was and still am breast feeding, with some bottles to supplement and he is sleeping in a travel crib. In Nuevo Vallarta, we had a dishwasher while there, but also boiled bottles on the stove to sterilize. We brought a carryon with his formula and diapers and packed his clothes with our stuff. Since he wasn’t mobile we had his infant car seat and stroller for the car rides and for getting around the condo, amenities and city.

For our Jamaica trip with a seven month old, skip to the next section.

FOR MEXICO

For a 14 day trip, here’s what worked for us:

-our regular infant carseat strapped into back seat of taxis and shuttle, rear facing, using seat belt
-some people hold their babies on transit (don’t know if you’re comfortable with this; I wasn’t)
-beware the cobblestone streets, it made wheeling a napping baby around a bit touch and go
-used coconut oil as sun protection (but kept him totally out of sun/shaded/screened)
-took a baby carrier, but it was quite hot to wear an infant! This was a good option for shorter trips
-people were so lovely with baby and very friendly.
-breast fed everywhere I went – literally everywhere.
-I was nervous for the flight, but fed him while I was going up and down
-take a change for baby (several) and for you (poop explosion on landing made me VERY happy I had a change of top (couldn’t change him due to turbulence)
-took a travel bassinet which was great cause we could drape it (no bugs and shaded) for when he slept indoors and out. It’s a small folding kind that fits easily in a suitcase and under the stroller.
-I took a small rolling suitcase of formula and extra diapers so we’d have what he is used to – ready to serve Good Start (so we didn’t have to mix at all).
-I had a drink while feeding or right after, which meant I didn’t need to dump. Fed him formula if I’d had more than one drink.
-Try not to be nervous. It was a great vacation, but the pace is TOTALLY different than before I had a baby (which I expected).

And I also have a few things to add to the list, now that baby will be older:

travelling with a baby I have considered bringing along my nursing pillow for the flight and a large outdoor blanket to use in the airport (one that folds up really nicely – that way when waiting at the airport and at the resort we can let him do floor time)
Having a roll of dog poop bags would be handy for diapers
Bring a plastic bag big enough to wrap around your baby in case of gate-side blowouts or deplaning incidents
quiet activities for the plane
hard bottomed shoes for when he wants to ‘walk’ around on public surfaces

FOR JAMAICA

We checked out a great photo popup museum called This Is Eye Candy for these fun family shots

GEAR

Graco Infant Carseat
Diaper Bag
Stroller gate-check bag
Collapsible umbrella stroller
Blanket/quilt
Jolly Jumper for playtime at the hotel and my in-laws’ house
clip on Inglesina travel high chair (also figure we can leave him in this at the table to play)
Inflatable pool floatie/chair with sunshade
Milk Snob stroller cover for shade in his carseat
UV/solar blocking bug net for stroller
Stroller pad with heat-reducing cushion
Carabiners for attaching diaper bag to the collapsible umbrella stroller
Mattress cover for hotel crib mattress (washable)
Beco baby carrier
one soft toy, a rattle and a few chew toys
baby stroller clip-on battery powered fan ** a mom friend recommended this!

Health and Care Products

Nosefrida and saline drops
Camelia and Coryzalia natural remedies for tummy upset and congestion
Infant Tylenol
Bottles (2)
Formula (premixed)
squeezie packs of food, baby Mum Mums, dissolving star crackers, baby oat cereal
diapers and swim diapers (plus reusable swim covers)
wipes
thermometer
sleep owl nightlight and sound machine
body wash and shampoo, lotion and diaper cream
2 baby spoons, 1 bowl, 1 360 sippy cup
noise cancelling headphones
sunglasses
bibs
Change of clothes in the diaper bag (2 for baby, one for mommy)
Vitamin D drops
Baby sunscreen
Anti-mosquito stickers for baby’s clothes
Baby cot mosquito net
Medication and vitamins for mommy (in my case, daily vitamin and Domperidone)
video monitor

Clothes

swim diapers (2)
rashguard suits (3)
towel (if there aren’t ones at the hotel) and washcloth
socks
3 pairs shoes
bibs (4 for drool, 3 for feeding)
3 footed sleepers
5 pairs of shorts
3 pairs of pants
2 hoodies
one long sleeve linen shirt
6 short sleeved bodysuit
13 shorties onesies (rompers). We figure he’ll go through two a day of these.
2 burp cloths, 3 large muslins (1 each for the plane)
change pad
wet-dry bag
2 swim hats, one cap
1 short romper for wedding. 1 longsleeve wedding ‘gentleman’s suit’

Off we go! Wish us luck and let us know if there is anything I forgot on this list!

Up Up and Away

style

Travelling to Mexico … with a baby. The list looks very different from the usual. ‘Remember,’ says my mom, ‘It’s not a fashion show… people dress super casual in Nuevo Vallarta.’

Paring down will be key. Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.

For the winter arrival at the airport, then to walk the streets in Mexico: brown ankle boots – pairs with jeans and dresses.

For tops and bottoms, everything has to go with everything and it needs to enable nursing. In addition to a few mix and match pieces, I’ll be bringing some dresses.