Millie Mackintosh crowdsources tips and advice for taking a first trip abroad with her baby daughter
Millie Mackintosh has turned to parents of Instagram to seek advice about taking her new baby abroad for the first time.
The new mum, who welcomed her daughter, Sienna Grace, with husband Hugo Taylor back in May, explained that the family are planning on going on holiday abroad and was keen to hear if other parents had any tips to help the journey run smoothly.
“We are planning our first trip abroad as a family later this summer and I would love to hear from other parents who have travelled with a young baby,” the former Made In Chelsea star wrote.
“What is essential to pack? I am not the best at travelling light! Thank you In advance,” she added.
From what essential baby kit you will need to take to the thought of spending the entire journey trying to soothe a screaming baby, for many new parents the idea of taking little ones on a trip overseas can be daunting.
But thankfully, Mackintosh’s followers had some top advice for the new parents.
“Breastfeed on take off as it stops the baby’s ears from popping!” one user suggested, with others pointing out that the tip works for bottle fed babies too.
Others suggested items to pack that might not be as easily available in another country.
“Depending on location: nappies - they were hard to find in Bali for example,” one user wrote, with another suggesting swim nappies are another essential to pack.
Some parents offered tips on the travel buggies they swear by, with the Yoyo babyzen being suggested several times.
A black out blind also seemed to be a travel-kit must.
Read more: Usain Bolt gives his daughter a truly fitting name
Another user thought a white noise machine could help soothe babies while travelling.
“[It] can clip to pram for sleeps on the go or plug in for sleeps inside but will help with noise and soothes,” she wrote.
The same user had some other travel tips for new parents too.
“Sheet from home for the cot. A sling or carrier for the airport and a nice little compact holiday pram for getting around! A snoozeshade for the pram (I found parasols rubbish and shouldn’t drape a blanket or anything!)” she added.
Other users also claimed having a baby carrier for the airport is helpful as it enables you to keep your hands free.
Depending on the temperature of the country the new parents will be travelling too, some users thought a handheld fan would be a useful item to pack to keep baby cool in the heat.
And steriliser tablets also featured heavily in the advice given to the new mum.
In terms of packing a baby wardrobe, some mums and dads suggested keeping things simple with vests and rompers.
“If its somewhere hot don’t bother with too many fancy outfits just lots of loose vests/rompers and a giant light muslin blanket perfect for swaddling, covering them for comfort but not too hot for them,” one parent suggested.
Read more: Becoming a mum rewires your brain to put your baby first
It seemed that packing too many clothes was a common faux pas many parents made on first trips with little ones.
“I took way to may clothes for my little girl when she was 8 months we went to Tunisia, she didn’t wear half of it too busy in her swimming costume or just the swim nappy half the time,” one mum shared.
Since welcoming her daughter on May 1, Mackintosh has been documenting her motherhood journey via social media and recently opened up about how she feels about her postpartum body.
The former reality tv star said it would be a “lie” if she said she felt happy with her post-pregnancy body and that comments she has received online have made things harder.
Alongside the relatable caption, she shared a photo of herself in underwear holding her nine-week-old daughter.
The new mum also recently shared an image of her “multi-tasking” which saw her pumping breast milk while holding, what appears to be a glass of wine.
The 30-year-old was also praised throughout her pregnancy for talking openly about the realities of being a mum-to-be, covering everything from “soaring hormones” to “emotional challenges” in her Instagram posts.