Adopting Domestically? We’re sharing our top packing tips!
So many private domestic infant adoptions happen across state lines these days. Adopting from another state, can take anywhere from a few days to a week or more for paperwork to be completed. More often than not new parents are spending the first week or more of their baby’s life in a hotel room.
We can talk about choosing accommodations in another post but I would just like to recommend choosing an Airbnb or choosing a hotel that offers suites that include different living and sleeping areas and a full kitchen! I’d also look for a accommodations that are located near things you know you will need like a grocery store. It will make things more convenient during your stay. We hope our recommendations on what to pack and what to purchase once you are there help you and your family!
Our Packing Tips:
- Bring more clothes than you think you need, for everyone, including yourselves.
- Bring a pair of shorts, even if traveling to cold areas. The places you stay may be overheated.
- Bring slippers to walk around in. You may not want to put on shoes to run down to breakfast.
- Bring at least 1 or 2 premie sized outfits and 1 or 2 newborn outfits. A small baby will be swimming in a 0-3 month outfit.
- It is best to wash clothing and towels before using them.
- Bottles, nipples, and rings need to be sterilized (in a microwave sterilization bag or boiled) before their first use.
- Bring anything that you think you can’t live without.
- Don’t bring a ton of work to do or books to read. You will want to spend all of time staring at and bonding with the baby.
- The hospital should send baby home with enough formula samples to last a few days. However, if you plan to use a specific formula, bring some with you or pick some up at a local store.
- If you’ll be flying, you may want to just buy what you need when you arrive. With how amazing Amazon is you can even have items shipped to where you are staying for added convenience.
- If you purchase too many things and don’t have enough room in your luggage you can always ship home whatever you can’t carry.
- You will likely need a medical release to fly home with an infant under two weeks old!
Our Recommendations on What to Pack:
- Baby bath product travel-size pack
- Baby carrier, such as a ring sling, Moby wrap, etc
- Blankets, at least 1 for each day you think you’ll be in the hotel
- Bottles
- Burp cloths—lots and lots (washcloths work well and are much cheaper)
- Camera & camera equipment
- Cell phone & Charger
- Diaper bag
- Gifts for birth parents/family (but ask your attorney first!)
- Hand sanitizer
- Hats (2-3)
- Hooded towel (1-2)
- Journal (This is nice to have!)
- Laptop computer (Check with your hotel that they offer free Wi-Fi!)
- Nightgowns (2-3)
- Onesies ( 5)
- Pacifiers (2-3)
- Reference books (1-2) about babies
- Sleepers (1 for each day, bring 1-2, then buy more when you know what size to get)
- Socks & booties (1 pair for each day you plan to travel out of the hotel)
- Undershirts that snap up the side (at least 5)
- A Swaddle or a few. Some options are the swaddleme, ollie swaddle and lovetodream. Having one with velcro or a zipper will help keep baby’s arms in.
-A sound machine! Actually I would recommend two. One for the room and one for when you are on the go. I like the Dohm and the Rohm but there are a ton to choose from.
What we recommend you purchase there:
- Bottle brush
- Car seat
- Changing pad
- Diapers
- Food for parents
- Formula
- Laundry detergent
- Travel crib (some hotel/Airbnb’s will have them)
- Wipes
- Ziploc bags or wet bags (for dirty diapers, dirty outfits, or to keep clean outfits clean)
*BabyQuip is a company that will rent you all the baby equipment you need when you are traveling. Here is a link to their website if you would like to take a look around and see if this would be helpful for your family. https://www.babyquip.com/
Let us know if this list was helpful and if you would add anything to it!