10 Tips for Flying With a Baby
Flying with a baby is, well, intimidating! Flying ALONE with a baby, even more so. But travel is a huge part of who I am and I was determined to get over that anxiety and take my son on adventures with me. At 7 months old, he’s been on 4 flights, including a Mommy/son visit to see Auntie Dana in Florida. We planned that trip when I was pregnant and even though I was really anxious about air travel alone with a baby, I am so glad I did. Traveling with an infant takes more planning but is very doable! In this post, I’ll share the top tips that helped me fly stress-free with my baby, the best travel gear I’ve found, and how to prepare for a flight with your infant.
Here are 10 tips for flying with a baby that helped me out:
Wear your baby: This was probably the most helpful thing I did. Having two hands for boarding and deplaning, and while he napped during the flight, was priceless. I had him facing outward while I was moving around so he could see everything going on but when he was ready for a nap, I turned him around so he could cuddle in and with two hands free, I was even able to read my book while getting baby snuggles! I LOVE our baby carrier (this one from Baby Bjorn) because I can easily get it on and off myself. Some of the others we’ve tried require a second person to help get baby in and out. It’s definitely on my list of best baby travel gear. Heads up, most airlines require you to take the baby out during takeoff and landing.
Gate check your stroller and car seat: Most airlines allow you to gate check a stroller and/or car seat for free. Check out the rules beforehand, but take advantage of this. Having the stroller in the airport is helpful to have a place to put your baby (ever try peeing while wearing a baby? Not ideal.) and then it will be there waiting for you as soon as you deboard so you can throw all your stuff in it. We have a couple of stroller options but for traveling with an infant, I found it helpful to have the small stroller base that goes with our car seat. We have a Graco car seat (this one, great for travel because you can easily install it without the base - one less thing you have to bring with you!) and this small stroller base. We love our bigger Graco stroller as well but at the Orlando airport, they made me put the stroller through the conveyor belt and I don’t think the bigger stroller would have fit so I was very thankful I brought the smaller one! Shout out to the lovely older couple behind me in line who helped me break down the stroller since I had never had to put it through like that and wasn’t prepared.
Bring an extra plastic bag: I grabbed a snack before my Orlando flight and then just shoved the bag in the pocket of my diaper bag. I realized at the end of the flight just how handy that was because I could use that bag to easily carry out everything I had taken out for the flight. Once I got into the airport and got my Tiny Traveler back into his stroller, I reorganized the diaper bag and put everything away, but it made getting off the plane so much smoother not having to get the diaper bag out from under the seat, while wearing a baby. That’s now a go-to hack for flying with a baby for me. I highly recommend bringing some sort of small bag like this when you are planning for what to pack when flying with a baby.
Get yourself settled before your seatmates arrive: If your little one isn’t walking yet, or if they are and you aren’t traveling alone, get to your seat before your seatmates so you can prepare for the flight with your baby and utilize the extra space to get yourself organized. I filled the seat pocket with the things I thought I might need - a few small toys, a bottle, a sippy cup, a burb rag (spit up happens!), my water, and my book. That way I didn’t have to rifle through the diaper bag in a tiny seat while wearing or holding my (wiggling) Tiny Traveler. My guy isn’t walking yet, but I’ve heard parents say to wait to board your flight until the end if you have a walker so they can get as much energy out as possible, so I’d say this travel tip only applies to immobile babies or if you’re traveling with someone else who can set up the seat while you walk around with the baby.
Attach small toys to your baby: My son loves to test gravity any chance he gets so attaching toys to him kept me from having to pick up toys from the airplane floor the whole flight (germs, tiny spaces, annoying everyone around me - no thanks). I use these bungees for sippy cups and these for toys. Definitely baby travel gear essentials! You can also use pacifier holders but I like the bungees because my superhuman 7-month-old can rip the pacifier clips right off and then tosses them. I brought a teether and a busy blanket for him to play with since small toys are the best travel toys. I also pack a blanket in the diaper bag in case the plane is cold.
Bring snacks: Is there ever a situation in which snacks don’t make everyting better!? I bring a snack for myself knowing I may or may not be able to eat the airline’s snack depending on what position my baby is in at the time, and I bring small, 2-ounce formula bottles for my baby. I breastfeed on demand, but sometimes, that’s just not feasible - like when he melted down in the security line at the Charlotte airport. I love these 2-ounce bottles of pre-mixed formula that have disposable nipples because you can just pop the top, add a nipple, and hand it over.
Accept the kindness of strangers: I was so fearful that people would be annoyed by a baby on a plane but I’ve had the exact opposite experience. People have been so kind, from the mom who offered to rock the stroller when my baby was melting down so I could put my bag on the machine in the security line to the kind grandmother sitting across from me who played with him on our flight to Florida to the wonderful human who offered to lend us whatever we needed when the airline lost our checked luggage (luckily it was on the way home so we we’re fine but I honestly teared up at this stranger’s kindness) to the solo traveler who helped me get the car seat in the travel bag while wearing my wiggly baby. Flying with a baby renewed my faith in humanity. People are generally good, kind humans.
Don’t be afraid to breastfeed in public: Every parent should feed the way that works best for them. I am a big supporter of “fed is best”. For us, that’s combo feeding. Sometimes a formula bottle is easier (like in the security line) and sometimes breastfeeding is easier. I was a little worried about breastfeeding on the plane or in the airport, and there are nursing stations in most airports but they aren’t always conveniently located. I had a whole argument prepared in my head for people who commented on it because let’s be honest, whipping your boob out in public is… weird. BUT, again, I haven’t had any issues and it feels empowering being able to feed your child when and how they need it. Feeding your baby on take-off and landing - and throughout the flight - can help them deal with ear pain during flights.
Put a reusable swim diaper over your regular diaper: Every parent knows the fear of a blowout in an inconvenient location. I was terrified of this so I put a reusable swim diaper over his regular diaper to add an extra layer of protection in case we had any kind of mess. I love these because they snap, so they are super easy to get on and off. I use them all the time for actual swimming as well.
Mentally prepare for meltdowns: It’s going to happen. No matter how much you prepare, at some point, your baby is going to just be over it (let’s be honest, there have been many times traveling that I’ve been close to a meltdown!). Whether it’s a hot, delayed airplane (thanks Florida), fighting a nap, overstimulation, or just generally over the experience of traveling, if you know it’s coming at some point, it feels much easier to deal with when the time comes. Take a deep breath, you’re doing great!
Ok, I know I said 10 but this is an important one: Have the world’s greatest best friend pick you up from the airport with a beer in hand, just in case ;) I kid, I kid. Kind of.
Flying with a baby can be intimidating but taking your tiny human on your adventures is such a special experience. I hope you find these tips helpful for stress-free travel with your baby. What tips have helped you? Add them in the comments!
Happy Adventures!
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