8 Essentials I Actually Used on My First Road Trip with a Newborn

Taking your newborn on their first road trip feels equal parts exciting and terrifying. I had been looking forward to our beach trip since before my son was born, but have to be honest, as a first-time mom at 41, it was a bit nerve wracking leadin up to it. Will he cry the whole time? Did I pack too much? Will I forget something important? Probably. And spoiler alert- Yes, I packed too much and yes, I forgot things.

After surviving (and even enjoying!) our first beach trip, I’m sharing the 8 items I actually used and would 100% pack again.

If you’re prepping for your first baby-on-board adventure, this list is for you.

1. Portable Sound Machine

   This little device has saved our sanity since day one. We play it for his naps and it truly helps calm him. Especially for his long nighttime stretch.

2. Sanitizing Bags

   We love our Dr. Brown’s sanitizer and dryer, but being that I had already packed the whole house, we tried to save room by taking sanitizing bags with us instead. They came in handy. I sanitized everything in them. The only downfall was obviously having to dry everything by hand, but as a space saver, they were worth it.

3. Love to Dream Swaddle

   If he’ll be spending the night anywhere, we’re bringing our love to dream swaddles. He sleeps like a champ when wearing these.

4. Portable changing pad

   Our diaper bag came with one and it’s so helpful when you’re on the go because you can lay it out anywhere and change him when needed. One thing I learned on this trip is that convenience is key!

5. Stroller fan

   We used this for both the car seat and the stroller because, well, summer in the south.

6. Portable bassinet

   This was so helpful when it came to convenience and space. It folds up great for the car and is easy to set up for baby to sleep. Our son loves it. I also love that you can bring it outside. The top closes to keep bugs away but with the mesh sides air still flows freely.

   
   

7. Baby Carrier

   For our coffee shop runs, I put baby in the Kaebabies carrier. It was easier than getting out the stroller for a short outing and kept him close to me.

   
   

8. Eufy baby monitor

   So easy to travel with and set up once we arrived. We bought a clip for it so that you can attach the camera to the bassinet wherever you go. It makes it so easy to see baby during naps.

There’s a lot you can pack when you have a newborn—but these are definitely my must-haves.

Want the full newborn road trip checklist I created for our first vacation? Drop a 👶🏼 in the comments and I’ll send it to you!