Flying With a Baby – Tips for Traveling

Family, Lifestyle, Travel

Are you flying with a baby sometime soon and worried about how it will go? I have been there! We recently flew with our one year old daughter and had our fair share of hiccups, but also some successes after crowd sourcing a few tips from friends and family. Here are my best tips for flying with a baby, especially for the first time!

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Get to the airport early!

This may seem counterintuitive, but I would not recommend showing up right as the plane is boarding. Arriving early will minimize one of the biggest stressors of flying: getting there on time! Give yourself time to get your bags checked and to get settled at the gate. This way if you get there and realize you forgot something, or the baby has a convenient blow-out, there is time to purchase items and do last minute diaper changes while you wait.

Gate check your stroller

If you are bringing a stroller with you, most airlines will allow you to gate check this as you board the plane for free. Make sure you check your specific airline prior to traveling for any weight restrictions. Gate check items are loaded onto the plane last, and as a result are lower risk for damages in flight. Also, if you are like me and have a baby who hates the baby carrier, having a stroller is key for corralling your baby in the airport while you wait to board.

Bring a diaper bag backpack

No need to be a hero while traveling. Give yourself extra hands and bring along a diaper bag backpack instead of a shoulder bag diaper bag. The one we have is from Amazon and we use it everyday, not just for travel.

Bring never before seen toys

One of you suggested this and it was so helpful! Grab a few cheap toys from the dollar section for the flight. Non-toy items like post it notes, random sized containers, calculators, and washi/painters tape also go a long way with keeping older infants and toddlers entertained. We brought post-it notes and Kennedy had a blast sticking and unsticking them from the tray table. It’s okay to pack the tried and true favorites when you travel, but maybe save them for the destination!

Pack all the snacks!

This was another lifesaver for us. If you have a baby who is eating solids, pack a variety of snacks for the flight. I brought pouches and dry snacks in these non-spill snack cups.

Board the plane last

Many airlines will allow adults with children/strollers to board first to ensure there is enough overhead storage for all your gear. However, it is really not necessary to have a wiggly baby sit on the plane for longer than they need to. If you are traveling with a partner, have them board the plane first with all your gear. Then, wait until the final boarding group is called and board the plane with the baby last. This was one of the BEST things JD and I did while flying, and I truly believe it helped with preventing overstimulation for Kennedy because there was much less commotion around us as I boarded the plane with her.

Protect their ears

You know that feeling when you take off and land where you feel like your ears are constantly popping? It’s so uncomfortable that we all constantly yawn and chew gum to relieve the discomfort. Babies don’t know how to handle that feeling! Try to feed them a bottle, breastfeed, or offer a pacifier during take off and landing. The action of swallowing helps open up their eustachian tubes (which are small passageways that connect our throat to our ears) and may help minimize some of this discomfort. I know it may be difficult to time feeding with flight times, but even if it is just a small amount it may help! We offered Kennedy 2-3 ounces of milk during take off (it wasn’t her normal time to eat but we did it anyway) and then gave her an applesauce pouch during the landing.

Pack more than what you think you will need

I am including this tip because I did NOT do this and learned my lesson. When it comes to formula, milk, food and clothing, pack double what you think you may need. This will help better prepare you for unexpected flight delays, spit up + diaper accidents, and if the baby gets extra hungry (of course) the day while traveling. While we didn’t have any accidents, our flight got delayed and I ran out of milk in the airport. For whatever reason, it is incredibly difficult to find whole milk ANYWHERE in an airport and after wandering around asking every store with no luck, Dunkin Donuts finally came through and had some. Oh, and this happened to me TWICE, once on the way there and back (you’d think I’d learn after the first time!) 🙂

Give yourself grace

Going anywhere with a baby is stressful, but flying with a baby is even more so. There are so many things to remember, pack, and think about while traveling and it can be difficult to remember how much fun you will have once you arrive at your destination. If you find yourself overwhelmed, take a breath and remind yourself that the memories you are making with your loved ones will be worth it! Communicate with your partner, ask for help when you need it. If baby starts crying, don’t focus on the looks you think you may be getting from strangers. You are likely never going to see these people again, and most people are so kind and understanding when they see families traveling with young children. Expect the unexpected, and realize many things will be out of your control. You’ve got this!