Flying with a Baby- Tips & Lists for Smoother Travels
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Flying with a baby can be intimidating and nerve wracking. There are few things worse than a baby crying on a flight, especially if that baby is yours. If you are feeling stressed and anxious about an upcoming trip, know you are not alone! Here are some tips and tricks we are found helpful during our flights (including an airplane packing list!)
Tips for Flying with a Baby:
- Try to get baby to nap before the flight. I prefer my baby to not be over-tired on the flight because typically that makes him fussier and harder to calm. Baby wear and walk around the airport, push back and forth in the stroller or whatever you think will help get your baby to sleep while you’re waiting for your flight. At the same time, there is only so much you can do to get them to sleep when they are off routine so if they aren’t falling asleep- it’s okay!
- Nurse or bottle feed during take off and landing. I like to try to nurse once I feel the plane ascending so that the baby is still nursing when we are changing in elevation. A few times I have started nursing too early and then he’s done by the time he actually needs to be suckling! In that case, pop in the paci and do paci “tug of war”– gently pull the paci and let baby try to pull it back in. All of these are options to help baby’s ears not pop with the elevation change.
- Baby wear in the airport vs use a stroller. It allows me to be more hands free and I feel like my baby is happier and calmer when babywearing vs strapped in the stroller. You don’t have to take baby out to go through security. However, you do have to take baby out during take off and landing.
- Minimize the amount of things in your hands when boarding. Put all snacks and drinks in a bag, phones in pockets, etc so you have both hands available for dealing with baby and getting situated. We once made the mistake of getting Starbucks before a flight and it was stressful having to hold our drinks and get everything done. Now we only get drinks we lids we can throw in our bag.
- Board last. Most airlines allow people with small children to board early. However, I prefer to board towards the end to minimize the time on the plane for baby. If you’re anxious about claiming your overhead space for your carry on, send one person on the plane earlier to get bags situated and board with the baby later.
- Change diaper right before boarding. It won’t always work out but I dread changing a diaper in the airplane bathroom. I always change his diaper before we board so that it’s fresh and will hopefully last until we land. This is not a fool-proof method, but it may help you get by without squeezing into the tiny bathroom on the plane.
- Bring (so many) snacks. If baby is old enough to eat snacks, they will be your best friend. Use them as entertainment giving only one at a time and really dragging it out throughout the flight
- Wipe everything down before you get settled in the plane. I wipe everything baby could touch including seats, seatbelts, arm rests, the wall, the window and the tray to minimize germs since almost everything is going to go in baby’s mouth one way or another.
Diaper Bag Packing List:
Keep all of the following in your diaper bag. Diaper bags DON’T count towards your personal item or carry on and you’re allowed one per child.
- All diapering supplies including diapers, wipes, butt paste
- Extra pacis
- Extra outfit for baby and extra shirt for mom
- Nursing cover
- New or “special” toys: maybe you buy a few cheap toys they haven’t seen before or you have a special stash of “plane toys” to keep them exciting
- Tons of snacks
- Sound machine
- Copy of birth certificate
All of these are things that I feel help make you the most prepared for flying with a baby, but we all know babies can be unpredictable. The best advice is to be prepared but also try not to stress too much and just go with it. If the baby cries on the plane unfortunately the parents will be more stressed about it than the other passengers. They are babies and they just cry sometimes! Traveling can be so hard on families but it so worth it for the memories that are made and the experiences to share.
