Going away for a week...

... and I don't know what to take! We've never been away for more than just overnight (& that was at mum's LOL) so I'm trying to work out what I'll need for Zander

We will be in Melbourne for 6 full days & 6 nights + a full day travelling each way. Can anyone add to it? I know I can buy whatever I need if I forget it, but would like to be prepared.

8 sets summer clothes
2 jumpers/jackets
2 long pants
3 pyjamas – 2 summer, 1 winter
3 blankets – light, med, heavy
Sunglasses
Hats
lots of nappies & wipes
1 tin formula (we go through 1 per week roughly)
Bottles
Steriliser
Spoons & food containers
12 meals + 4 meals for travelling (2 going down, 2 coming home)
Rusks
Toys/Books
First Aid stuff – bonjela, panadol, cough stuff, thermometer etc
Pram
Nappy Bag
In car bottle warmer

As far as I remember, Cai has a portable cot & highchair we can use but I have to double check with her.

I am packing atm for a trip to Sydney & a drive afterwards we will be gone for 6 days. I am packing for 3 days basically and then going to wash one day and hope for the best. Here's my list so I hope it helps!!

2 sleeping outfits (2 bodysuits, 2 singlets and 1 lightweight grow bag)
3 shorts
5 short sleeve tops
1 pair jeans
1 pair pants
2 long sleeve tops
1 lightweight jacket
3 singlets
hat
nappies for 1.5 days (will buy pack when we get there)
formula for 2 days (will buy one when we get there)
wipes
washers x 2
1 small bottle baby bath
bibs x 4
2 spoons/ 1 food container
2 bottles
4 jars food (will buy more when we go shopping there, also Matilda eats some of the same things we do)
1 lunchbox of snacks for the drive/flight
4 books/3 small toys
First Aid (panadol, bonjela, band aids, bruise cream, etc)

We are borrowing a pram/port-a-cot when we get there.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know!!

Forgot about baby wash & singlets,
Thanks Christy :)

Yep cot & high chair are here :) And don't forget we have a dishwasher so unless there's something that isn't dishwasher friendly you shouldn't need the steriliser as the temperature the dishwasher goes to is sterilising.. if that makes sense.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

*hugs*
Cailin

Cool, steriliser is off the list ;) We use the dishwasher at home so that's great to know.

One suggestion I have is to get some nappy sacks, just in case you have to stop and change a nappy in the middle of nowhere and can't dispose of it straight away.

Bon

Good thinking guys - I have them both in my nappy bag :)

Suncream for babies and also a changemat or two so that you can change him wherever.......

Great question, we are heading on our own week away soon so this will help!

One thing I am taking is own our cd player and baby sleep cd.

Do you use special laundry liquid for his washing?

Sunscreen & changemat added to the list!

I figure I'll do all his washing when I get home. Tough job when we get back but thats ok.

IKWYM fletch & we only have a pretty little car which has 80% of the boot already filled with the pram LOL. I have no idea where to fit it all!

Sarah we did a 9 hour drive with Matilda when she was 4 months old & there was stuff everywhere!! LMAO! I had bags at my feet, at her feet lol but we fit it all in.

How did she go in the car for that long Christy?

We did the stopping every 2 hours so she could get out of the car & roll around on a blanket thing. We found parks & would go on the swing etc. Have lunch and just took our time. Because at that time I was still bf, we would stop for a feed etc, and even gave her a comp bottle in the car which she wasn't okay with LOL.. She was okay. After around 5-6 hours in the car she got cranky and we had to stop for a full 45 minutes just to let her have space outside of the car, and that helped us heaps too. Our usual stops lasted 20-30minutes but having a bit longer when she was awake was great.

We did our driving routine like her sleep, so we left the house around 30 minutes before her sleep was due (ish) and then when it was time for her to have a feed we stopped, then played for 10-15 minutes and back in the car until she woke up again. She slept less so for only 45 minutes or so. But she slept 3-4 times during the trip too...

HTH!

Jillian, thanks for that advice about taking extra nappies, I'll make sure I will.

Christy we were thinking of the same thing, stopping for bottles & lunch and having a play outside of the car for a while. If we don't make it in one day it's not a big deal either. If we have to stop we will.

One other question as well - how early did you leave? Christy you said 1/2 an hour before Matilda's sleep was due? The thing is Zander goes to bed at about 10pm and gets up at 10am which would be pretty late to leave. Soooo I was thinking of getting him out of bed at 6/7ish and getting him in the car asleep then stopping when he wakes up? Does that sound ok or a bit crazy?

Sarah

Daunting isnt it the amount of stuff that you have to take for a holiday with a baby!

We drove from Melbourne to the Gold Coast when Hayley was almost 5 months old, as well as having a 9 and 11 yr old as well. Our car was packed to the brim but we managed.

What we did was put Hayley down at her usual time but we did leave really early in the morning 3am, the traffic was a lot easier and Hayley slept a lot of the time. We stopped every 3-4hours for a play, fresh air, nappy change, feed - whatever. The thing we did do, is feed her before we left so that she was satisfied before we left.

I am sure that you will be able to manage it just takes some planning.

We have travelled a lot since and Hayley is wonderful, but we do make sure that she has books, rattles, etc to keep her occupied.

BIBS!!!! I nearly forgot bibs!

What you did is exactly what I was thinking of doing dinky. Hopefully it works as well for us as it did for you.