Travelling with a baby: What actually matters (and what doesn't)

For the Dubai expat mum staring at a half-packed suitcase wondering how travelling with a baby needs more luggage than she does- here's what you actually need (and what you don't).

Nobody tells you before your first trip with a baby that it's not going to go the way you planned, that the sleep will probably be weird, that the feeds will probably be weird, that you will almost certainly end up feeding in a position you've never tried before in a busy departure gate or a hotel bed at 3am wondering what time zone your body is even in. And most of it (genuinely, most of it) will be absolutely fine. I promise you, and I know because I've done it. Some of the advice I'll give in this blog will be through my lactation consultant lens, some through my sleep consultant lens, and a lot through my motherhood lens.

But you're packing a bag and you need actual information, so let's get on with it and be practical.

Sleep: Expect disruption and plan for recovery

The sleep regression that never was, the nap schedule you spent three months building — travel will mess with all of it, and that's not a reason not to go. It's just a reason to go in with realistic expectations.

What to pack:

A portable blackout solution. A travel blackout blind (the Gro Anywhere Blind is the one most people reach for, the Tommee Tippee version also does the job) will do more for your trip than almost anything else on this list, because hotel curtains are notoriously useless and the UK sun at 6am will have your baby up before you've even processed that you're in a different country. Bring it without question.

Something that smells like home — a fitted sheet from their cot, a muslin they've been sleeping with. Your baby's sense of smell is doing a lot of the orientation work and a familiar smell in an unfamiliar room is calming and reassuring in a way that no amount of meticulous schedule maintenance can replicate.

White noise, downloaded offline before you leave, because hotel corridors are loud, airports are chaos, and you don't want to be hunting for signal when you need it most.

Their sleeping bag, the one they actually use. Same temperature regulation, same associations, definitely worth the bulk, especially if you're on an overnight flight with your baby.

What to think about:

Time zones. Within two to three hours of Dubai time, most babies adjust within a couple of days and you can largely just go with it — let them sleep when tired, get daylight exposure, don't force the schedule. If you're crossing more significant time zones, Australia for example, and you'll need to make a decision in advance about whether you're going to try to shift them or just ride it out and recover on return. Both are fine, and trying to rigidly maintain Dubai time while you're somewhere else entirely for a short trip is exhausting in a way that often isn't worth it.

What not to worry about:

The nap schedule falling apart, because it will, and you will rebuild it when you get home. Babies are more resilient than we give them credit for and a week of disrupted sleep does not undo months of work, it just means the first few nights back home might be a bit rough. Once you're back home from your holiday, my favourite word is consistency.

Breastfeeding: You can do this anywhere, even when it doesn't feel like it

Breastfeeding while travelling sounds harder than it actually is, and once you're doing it you remember that breastfeeding is completely portable. You are the feeding station, so there's nothing to sterilise, no refrigeration required, and you can feed on a plane at 35,000 feet without any of the logistics that come with formula. If you are seated next to a male or anyone that may make you feel uncomfortable breastfeeding on the plane, inform the cabin crew and see if you can be moved.

What to pack:

Nursing bras you can actually move in, because travel days are long and comfort is not optional. A nursing cover if that's your preference, or a large muslin, or absolutely nothing at all because you are legally allowed to breastfeed anywhere in the UAE and most airports, lounges, and decent hotels will have a dedicated nursing room if you'd rather privacy. Nipple cream, because travel is dehydrating and the air conditioning is relentless and cracked nipples on a long-haul flight are something worth preventing. A small hand pump, because travel throws timing off and having a way to relieve pressure without packing your full electric setup is worth it. And nursing pads, more than you think you'll need (just like everything else- more than you think you'll need).

What to think about:

Feeding on the plane during takeoff and landing, because sucking helps with ear pressure and it's worth timing a feed for both if you can manage it. Cluster feeding on long travel days, because your baby is overstimulated, the routine is completely off, and the breast is familiar and regulating. This is biologically normal and it's also exhausting, so try to accept it for what it is rather than assuming your supply has suddenly become the problem. Keep yourself well hydrated to take away some of this worry.

What not to worry about:

Everyone around you. Feed your baby. Any reasonable human being understands exactly what you're doing, and anyone who doesn't isn't worth your energy when you're already running on travel-day empty fumes.

Bottle feeding: The logistics are real

What to pack:

Ready-to-feed cartons are absolutely worth the cost on travel days — no measuring, no mixing, nothing to go wrong. More bottles than you think you need, because sterilising on the go is a faff, and Milton cold-water sterilising tablets with a small container take up almost no space and work well in a hotel room. A good insulated bag for keeping made-up feeds cool, and a bottle brush with a small amount of washing-up liquid because sterilising still requires washing first.

What to think about:

Water, and specifically what the water is like at your destination, because in some places tap water isn't suitable for making formula and you want to know that before you arrive rather than at 2am. Bottled water for formula needs to be low-sodium, low-sulphate mineral water, not sparkling. Airport security is also worth knowing about in advance — made-up formula is exempt from the 100ml liquid rule and you can carry it through in reasonable quantities, though you may be asked to taste it, and knowing that beforehand means it won't catch you off guard. On that note- if you are carrying a flask of boiling water for feeds, please do let the airport team know so that they don't burn themselves.

What not to worry about:

How you're feeding your baby, and any judgement attached to it — because you're not going to get it from anyone on that plane and you absolutely shouldn't be giving it to yourself.

General packing principles

Twice as many muslins as you think you need, because they are multi-purpose objects of genius. A carrier or sling, because getting through an airport with your hands free is not a luxury, it's survival. Their dummy in multiples (they will find a way to lose it, they always do). Age-appropriate pain relief packed before you go rather than learned about at 2am in an unfamiliar place when you need it, many companies do sachets rather than bottles now for ease of travelling. And snacks for you, because you cannot sustain any kind or method of feeding running on empty.

What not to bother packing: every single sleep prop in your arsenal, because picking the essentials — blackout, white noise, sleeping bag, comfort object — and leaving the rest is not cutting corners. Over-packing the sleep setup creates anxiety about recreating it perfectly, and perfection on a trip with a small child is a goal you will not meet and don't need to (so don't drive yourself crazy trying). Also, a travel cot you've never actually assembled, because the floor of a hotel room at midnight is not where you want to be reading instructions for the first time, it's like building flat pack furniture with your partner, it can end relationships!

For more info on essentials and surviving those early family trips without harming anyone or crashing in an exhausted heap, download my free travel guide for all you need to know..

The bit nobody really wants to hear

Travel with small children is not relaxing. At its best it's a manageable adventure, and genuinely a fantastic one (especially if they're not mobile yet!), but it is not a holiday in the way you remember holidays being. Pack your expectations lightly alongside everything else, and know that somewhere in the middle of it all (probably at a restaurant where the baby has finally fallen asleep in the carrier and you've got something cold in front of you) it'll feel completely worth it.

Lisa is a paediatric nurse, IBCLC lactation consultant, and certified baby & child sleep coach based in Dubai, supporting families worldwide through pregnancy, feeding, baby massage and those chaotic early years through Lullabies.

‍