Guidelines for Packing Items for your Take Home Trip

Helpful Hints Baby Items to Remember for your Visit in Guatemala

This is meant to give you a starting point for packing your suitcase. Your situation and your comfort level as an International traveler, may warrant leaving some of these items off or adding a few. I found it to be helpful and I hope you do also.

If you think something would be helpful that I have left off, please email me and let me know and I will add it. The ** means I put this type of item in the diaper bag for everyday use also. Please feel free to email me at laafgroup@gmail.com or comment below if you have questions about items I have mentioned).

• Baby Tylenol (make sure to get a chart from your Pediatrician prior to travel, as to the right dose for the weights around your baby’s age)
• Baby/Infant Benadryl Elixil (make sure to get a chart from your Pediatrician prior to travel, as to the right dose for the weights around your baby’s age)
• Pedialyte (make sure to get a chart from your Pediatrician prior to travel, as to the right dose for the weights around your baby’s age)
• Thermometer
• Medicine Dropper
• **Diapers – (I was told to expect to use 10 per day-I used only 5-7 a day) - our Foster Mother brought approximately ten (although 2 sizes to big), but I would not expect your Foster Mother to do this.
• **Diaper rash ointment
• Baby lotion
• Baby wash
• Formula
• Rice cereal
• Orange or yellow vegetable (one kind)-This of course would be dependent upon the baby’s age.
• Bottles – (I used bottles with liners because it is easier in the hotel to not have to clean bottles).
• Bottle liners
• Nipples – (the baby will probably not want the “Breastfeeding nipple” that comes with a new bottle as they are not used to that-I bought the “Round nipple”).
• **Travel formula container – (this separates one feeding (measured amount of formula) into separate compartments until you are ready to feed)
• **Baby wipes
• **Pacifier
• **Pacifier clip
• **Comb and brush
• Hair dryer – (you may not need to bring with you if the hotel has a hair dryer).
• Umbrella Stroller – (we met several Adoptive Parents who wished that they had remembered this –they are very expensive to purchase in Guatemala-we were told the best price near the hotels was $40.00). If you do not want to take a stroller you might think about a sling. I found the stroller helpful as an additional rocker or “helper” to get the baby to sleep.
• **Clothes – (I chose to take 2 outfits per day in case of spit ups-I did use them all). You will need to check with your motel as to whether they have a laundry, usually they will do it for you for a nominal fee.
• **Bib for each day – (Pampers Bibsters weren’t out on the market yet-I would take those now, you use them once and then throw them away).
• **Blanket
• **Ziploc bag-to put soiled diapers in
• **Rattles
• Gum Massager – (our baby was six months old and teething, this is an item dependent on age of the baby).
• Teething Gel – an item dependent on age of the baby).
• Nail clipper
• Emery board
• Antibiotic ointment
• Bandaid
• Safety pin – (in case you need to enlarge your bottle’s opening)
• Disposable cameras. The Foster Mother may be willing to take photos of your baby while he/she remains in their home while you are waiting for the final pick up trip! You may then collect them on your return trip and develop them once you get home.
• Loveys, clothing, baby supplies you would like for the Foster Mother to have.

Notes:

• We sent our baby several “loveys” for the Foster home and we had an exact duplicate of this lovey with us so that our baby might feel more comfortable having something that she had had at her Foster home.
• Ask your Foster Mother about your baby. Anything, firsts she remembers, what songs she sings to baby, favorite memory, nicknames, did the birthparent express any final thoughts about the baby that the Foster Mother would like to tell you, etc. You can get a lot of information now while it’s fresh in her mind. This may be a more relaxed time to ask. There is a rush of emotions on both sides during your pick up trip and these types of things may be overlooked.
• A few more thoughts regarding the formula, some Foster Mothers have been feeding the babies rice cereal (about a teaspoon) in the bottle with the formula. The nipples need to have a larger hole to get the rice through-if you are going to do that. Your baby may also have started eating some foods beginning around 2 months, as a result sometimes the babies like the Carnation follow up formula because it is a little sweeter and more like a milkshake-more like foods they have been eating. Sometimes formula like Similac is not sweet enough compared to what they are getting. We used Enfamil with Iron, our Doctor said this was perfect and our baby liked the taste. I found the most reasonable priced formula at Walmart. One large can of formula I find lasts about a week, of course this is dependent on the age of your baby, etc. (I took two cans in case of emergency-packed in separate suitcases in case they lost our luggage) The Foster Mother at times will give you the formula can she is using. As you can imagine, this could be full or only partially full, or the foster mom may not think to bring it. It is a good idea to take the amount you think you will use, just in case. You are able to purchase formula there. However, dependent on your traveling, you may want to take formula with you. We ran into a situation of arriving, via plane from the States, twelve hours later than we anticipated and only having about two hours to get to our hotel and prepare before our baby arrived, not enough time to run out and go shopping, and she ate immediately upon arrival to our hotel.
• A few more thoughts on rice cereal; some Foster Mothers believe in using rice in the bottle or feeding the baby early to sleep through the night. You may decide to follow this procedure or not. Our Doctor discourages the practice of mixing rice with formula in a bottle. A thought on the subject; if the baby is used to eating rice they should still eat rice while they are with you or the trip may not be a pleasant experience with an unhappy and hungry baby.
• If you are not fluent in Spanish. Learn basic phrases. One of the most immediate and helpful (we found) upon arrival was, “my luggage is missing” (learn not only that phrase but also the word for the color of your luggage, etc.) The airline lost track of our luggage, and that was the one language area my husband was rusty, our baby bag almost went on to the next destination! We were very thankful to have a Spanish dictionary with us.