One of the things my husband and I looked forward to the most about having kids is being able to travel and take our kids places. It is no secret that both Mark and I love to travel and we hope to instill that in our kids as well. Levi has already started on the course to having the travel bug, he has been on three flights in his six months of life. We tease him that in his first year, he will be more well traveled than some adults!!
The first time we took Levi on a flight, he was almost 4 months and I was terrified! I don’t know why I was so anxious about it as he can’t run around and he pretty much eats and sleeps, but I was. Turns out all my anxiety was for nothing, he did AMAZING on both flights we took getting to California for Thanksgiving. Even the flight attendants mentioned how amazing he did. I don’t think he cried once. Our second trip – he was popping his first tooth – it did not go as smoothly as the first. Third trip – he was a happy little guy. He ate, he played, and he loved handing out smiles to everyone who would make eye contact with him.
Anyway, I wanted to share some of my tips, tricks, and things to pack while flying with a baby in hopes to ease that first time anxiety for other Mommas out there.
SECURITY
We make it a point to always leave plenty of time to get through security, but especially with a newborn or if you are a pumping Momma. I’ve had mixed experiences getting through security with my pump, etc. Some airports have needed to swab EVERYTHING in my bag and some have let it go through without any issue.
Regulations that limit the amount of liquids you can bring DO NOT apply to required liquids like breastmilk or formula. You do need to let the TSA agents know you have breastmilk or formula beforehand. They will need to hand check/swab it though, so be aware of that. Whenever we travel with formula, we usually take a pre-measured out bottle without the water and then buy a room temperature water once we are through security. If I have any breast milk I am wanting to save and take home with me, I usually put that in my checked luggage just to avoid the hassle at security.
I always wear Levi in a soft sided carrier when in the airport versus using a stroller. Note that they will want to swab your hands if you are carrying baby in a baby carrier/wrap. For more information on which carrier(s) I use, visit this post.
BAGGAGE
Your diaper bag counts as a personal item, not a carry on. I have a backpack style of diaper bag that I love for travel. I can throw it on while I am carrying Levi in front, STILL have two free hands, and I am not weighted down by a heavy bag on one side or another. We probably pack in excess in our diaper bag for travel BUT we’ve also been that person with a teething baby while traveling and nothing to give him so… there’s that! I’ll list my diaper bag packing list below!
We also typically have a roller carry on that includes any other ESSENTIALS we need in the case that our checked luggage does not make it. I always have an extra change of clothes for both myself AND baby (because baby spit up and blowouts happen) in there as well!
If we are taking a stroller or car seat, we check it with our luggage at the check-in counter (for free) so we don’t have to lug it around the airport with us. Plus I like having him in a carrier on me as it helps to avoid the “stranger danger” of people wanting to touch him! EEKK! Most airlines allow car seats or strollers to also be checked at the gate if you are wanting to bring it with past the check-in counter too. I would also recommend putting your car seat or stroller in a cover, I found ours on Amazon for cheap and it is worth it to save your precious baby items from the destruction.
BOARDING
Most airlines offer pre-boarding for people traveling with children under the age of two. While I recommend taking advantage of this time to get everything situated, I typically don’t sit down with Levi until RIGHT BEFORE we takeoff. Typically I will congregate in the back of the plane and walk, bounce, etc. in order to keep Levi entertained for as long as I can before we are confined to our seats and have to sit down. He has even fallen asleep during this time, which is even better.
SEAT ASSIGNMENT
Note that depending on what type of plane you are flying, the gate agent or flight attendant MAY move your seats, depending on where there are extra oxygen masks (if flying with a child on your lap). If you purchased a seat for your infant then it isn’t an issue.
You do have the option of purchasing a seat for your baby and keeping them in their infant seat/car seat during the flight. This is recommended for safety concerns, however, it is at the discretion of the parents. Levi isn’t a huge fan of his infant seat, so we have always held him as a lap infant when flying and checked his car seat. If you choose to have your infant in your lap, you do not have to purchase an additional seat and baby flies for free.
BEFORE BOARDING
Make ready anything you will be needing during the flight, such as bottles or pacifiers or toys. Once they make the final announcement that boarding will begin soon, I usually take Levi into the bathroom to do a final diaper change BEFORE we get on the plane. They do have a changing table IN the plane bathroom but I avoid plane bathrooms at all costs, let alone WITH my baby!
Speaking of diaper changes, I have also plopped down on the airport floor and laid my changing pad on the floor in an inconspicuous corner and changed his diaper. I honestly LOVE our Skip Hop changing station. I’ve changed him in the back of the car, in bathrooms, pretty much anywhere with it and I don’t have to worry about him touching all the germ filled surfaces.
TAKE OFF & LANDING
Nurse, feed a bottle, or give baby a pacifier during takeoff and landing, this helps them to regulate the pressure in their ears. I have noticed with Levi, if he is asleep, I let him stay asleep and he doesn’t seem to be bothered by takeoff and landing.
KICK THE IN FLIGHT ANXIETY
Nobody wants to be THAT person with the screaming baby on the flight BUT as I have learned, SHIT HAPPENS and sometimes there is nothing you can do. I have become THAT person…. And as a result, I was mortified and so stressed our entire flight. Amazingly, after the flight as everyone was deplaning, we got SO MANY compliments and well wishes from other passengers telling us we are doing a great job parenting or that Levi was so good even though he cried or some “hang in there Mommas”. It was so encouraging and put me at ease the next flight when Levi maybe had a little fit. I didn’t feel so anxious about trying to keep him quiet knowing that there are lots of kind people out there who have “been there” before and are understanding.
If you want, you can also prepare a few “traveling with baby packs” to give to your neighbors. I included a little note from Levi thanking the passengers for understanding, some small candy bars, and some ear plugs in a small ziploc bag. Or offer to purchase alcoholic drinks for your neighbors… 😉
FEEDING & PUMPING WHILE TRAVELING
Some airports are now starting to offer Lactation Suites or Pods/Nursing Rooms/Mommas Lounge which is AWESOME! The one in Denver is great (that’s the only one I have used). You have to use the intercom on the wall to get a keycode to enter it. Once inside, there is all the amenities you need in order to nurse OR pump!
Typically if Levi is with me, I will feed him wherever. There is so much activity in the airport, most people don’t even realize what is going on. If he is too distracted to nurse, we will make up a bottle and give it to him while he can look at everything going on.
Once you are on the plane, the flight attendants are more than happy to help you warm up a bottle or provide you with bottled water to mix a bottle. In the airport, I find a coffee shop and ask for a large cup of hot water to heat bottles.
If you are needing to pump, you can either seek out the lactation suite, pump in the bathroom stall, or brave it all and pump in the terminal. I have also pumped in my seat while on a long flight – luckily the person next to me was sleeping and never knew. I recommend IF you are traveling with your pump and without your baby – bring extra pump parts AND a hand pump for emergencies. You don’t want to be without a way to pump while being engorged.
WHAT TO PACK FOR TRAVEL
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DIAPER BAG
- Diapers & Wipes – Typically we carry what we will need for travel and when we get to our destination, we hit up a store for what we will need while we are there.
- Ointment – We like Aquaphor
- Tylenol & Other meds – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used the Tylenol in our diaper bag, it is a permanent mainstay in there
- Thermometer – This isn’t necessary for short travel, but we like having our thermometer for long travel
- Swaddle Blanket – Lightweight and easy to throw anywhere to lay Levi down or wrap him up. My favorites are from Little Unicorn.
- Toys – I actually have a set of “travel toys” that stay in our diaper bag. Our current favorites are Teething Ring, Sophie, Noggin Stick, and a Munch Mitt
- Skip Hop Changing Pad – I mentioned this thing above, it goes with us everywhere.
- 2 Sets of Extra Clothes – In the case that TWO massive spit ups or blowouts happen, you have backup
- Bibs – right now I carry 3-4 as Levi can soak through them in no time.
- Burp Cloths – I carry one of these large ones from Little Unicorn as well as a couple cloth diapers I use as burp cloths
- Travel Bottle Warmer (optional) – You can ask a flight attendant or coffee shop to fill with hot water once you get past security to warm bottles. Or you can just use a large coffee cup.
- Hand Sanitizer and Wipes – this is a no brainer, babies put EVERYTHING in their mouths so having these helps (at least you’d hope) to eliminate SOME germs
- Scarf or other Nursing Cover – I keep a big infinity scarf in my diaper bag all the time, it functions as my nursing cover
- Formula & Bottles
- Diaper Disposal Bags – Nice to dispose of diapers OR carry dirty clothes, wet bibs, etc.
- Pacifier (if baby takes one) & way to secure it from falling on the ground
CARRY ON LUGGAGE
- Extra Change of Clothes for Mom
- Extra Baby Clothes – in the instance our luggage gets lost or we get stuck somewhere, we have extra clothes for Levi
- Extra Blanket – never know when you’ll need one and typically this is Levi’s MUST HAVE sleep blanket
- Pump, Extra Pump Parts, & Hand Pump
After three flights, we’ve pretty much perfected the packing and flying routine with a baby. As I said before, we probably roll heavier than most, but necessity and prior experiences have left us wanting when it came to needing meds, etc.
What are your best flying tips when bringing your baby?
