They say it takes a village to raise a baby. I would say that traveling WITH a village is also very helpful 😂.

This February we took our 6-month-old on her first family vacation to Puerto Rico! We had a blast but of course, with a little one, it was not without its challenges. Thankfully we had a BUNCH of able hands to keep her happy.

Regardless of if you are vacationing with a team like us or solo, I think these tips, tricks, and packing lists can help!

First…what we packed and didn’t use:

The Stroller: We purchased this bag to transport the stroller through baggage claim (yes I know it says gate check but we checked it at baggage) after hearing from a friend that her padded/more expensive bag hadn’t made a huge difference. While the stroller seemed to travel well, we didn’t use it. (We also got this car seat bag and liked it. We checked it as well and had P sit in our laps to fly)

Honestly, I had brought it for the night I knew we would be going out to celebrate my brother-in-law’s engagement. I had read about how people would just put their babe to sleep in the stroller if they were dining late. Not my baby lol. Sweet P has FOMO and so she was raging till we put her in the car to head home.

Puerto Rico also doesn’t have a lot of smooth roads/sidewalks for strolling so the stroller wasn’t needed.

Clothes: I knew we were taking this trip before P was even BORN so naturally, I had registered for a few things that she might wear while on the trip. Leading up to the trip I also grabbed an outfit or swimsuit here and there. Mistake. She only wore about HALF the clothes we packed for her.

We did have a washer and dryer though so take that into account for your travels.

Baby Float: I am so glad I didn’t spend more than $15 on a raft because she didn’t use it. I had researched the best of the best and thankfully went cheap. We ended up leaving it there. We also didn’t end up getting a tent and that worked out just fine.

Swim Diapers: Ok obviously we needed them but she was too freaked out by the water so the disposable swim diapers and the reusable swim diaper did not get used. Hopefully, she’ll still fit in them this summer.

Here are the things we used and loved:

Hand Pump: This hand pump ended up being SO handy because Parker has serious FOMO. I would try to feed her on the plane but she would be too distracted and I would just leak everywhere which is fun for no one. The hand pump allowed me to pump, and pour it directly into a bottle without an outlet (which would be needed for my electric pump). I also did this when we were driving the two hours from the airport to the house we rented and other car trips we took. We loved being able to feed her without having to stop and take her out of the car seat.

Portable Chair: I am so glad we got this chair! We put her in it during every meal with toys or an orange slice and it kept her occupied so we could all enjoy a meal together! And it traveled so easily.

Changing Pad: Not only did this thing protect her little bottom from touching a changing table but I could easily change her on an airplane seat, ottoman, or anywhere else! We also kept these rotating in them!

Sunscreen: We went with Aveeno Baby Sunscreen because Just Ingredients (one of my fav and most trusted Instagrammers) put her stamp of approval on it. We didn’t love the stick though…too hard for soft babies but would be great for toddlers!

Body Carrier: Since we didn’t use the stroller, we used this carrier like crazy.

Obvious Necessities: Nightlight/sound machine, pack-and-play (flies free but check to see if your Air BNB has one already), sheets, sleep sack, bath towels/soap, and monitor.

Here are a few more travel tips for vacationing with a 6-month-old:

Buy diapers THERE: Pack enough for the first day or two but purchase the rest once you arrive. They take up so much unnecessary space in your luggage.

New Toys: The point of bringing some new toys was to hold her attention longer than her older toys! Her current favorite toys include this Taco Tuesday set and a pack of airplane pretzels lol.

Carry on Electric Pump: Carry on anything that you wouldn’t want to be without if your luggage got lost! My pump was THAT for me! We also brought dish soap so I could clean my supplies while in transit! (side note, if you have not registered your pump for a warranty, do it RIGHT NOW! Mine got knocked or something while traveling and wouldn’t work when I got home. Thankfully I filled out the warranty and they sent me a new one!)

Milk Bags: I don’t know about you but I pump every night before I go to bed so I would put it in bags for the next day or freeze it for the future!

Bring Frozen Milk: I brought 5 feedings worth of frozen milk in a cooler with 3 small ice packs. TSA allows you to travel with frozen breastmilk and I honestly didn’t have any trouble. This milk came in handy for when I wanted to go off to horseback ride, have a couple of Pina Coladas, or sleep in one day 😜.

Is there anything you insist on having when traveling with your little one?! Comment below! Have questions on vacationing with a 6-month-old? Comment, too!

Other Links:

Parker’s Outfit

House we stayed in

Photos by Chris Hamlet