Prior to being a mom, my essentials were literally the essentials. I would sip on my bikini, throw a bottle of water and sunscreen in a beach bag with a towel and I was out. Easy, fast, and hassle free! I was all about going to the beach and not wanting to worry about anything, I would even leave my purse in the trunk of my car. But now with a baby things have definitely changed. We have planned our first vacation, and with Baby E only 6 months old, we have to rethink many of the activities we would have partaken in for family friendly engaging day outings. We are spending out time primary at the beach, so we have to take a little more with us, but worth having to end up with a dehydrated, sunburnt, fussy baby.
1. Hat – I received a very colorful wide brim hat for my son as a gift. Its by Melissa & Doug and is oh so cute! This will keep his head and shoulders covered. It is not cloth so I can rinse it off with water if I need to.
2. Sunscreen – Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby SPF 60, is my go to for me. He has not had an allergic reaction to it which is great. We have noticed his skin has gotten more sensitive.
3. Water Diaper – we are going to try disposable diapers on this trip because even though he is 6 months we are not planning on putting him in the water. He will probably be carried and touch the ocean a time or two.
4. Swim suit – nowadays these are awesome! Ours will protect him from his neck to his knees. It reflects the sun up to 50 SPF, and looks adorable with Nemo on the belly.
5. Nursery Water – for formula fed babies or to even rinse off your baby feet, hands, or face. It is better than trying to find a tap or bathroom on the beach.
6. Sandals – I cant tell you the amount of times I thought the san would be nice and had the bottom of my feet burned. The sun will burn you and the sand will too, so make sure to grab a pair of flip flops or sandals that let little breath.
7. Beach Umbrella/Sun screen – just a little bit more protection from the sun. Baby skin is very sensitive, so even though I want him to enjoy himself we need to take every precaution that we can. An umbrella can be as cheap as $5 and as expensive as $100, so do your research. Our umbrella will be primarily for when we have our sun in one of our laps. A sun screen is great because it will protect him from wind and give him shade. Ours has flaps that can go up and down and resembles a kid tent. We purchased ours the from Ozark Trails at Walmart and it had great reviews .
Have fun at the beach!
thatsnotmyboob 