When Ben was just shy of six months, and I was just shy of a meltdown from being stuck inside with a little guy all winter, my husband and I decided to take a short trip down to Florida. We figured a two and a half hour flight could be doable, as long as we planned well.
Little did we know just how much planning was required when flying with baby. First we had to decide if we should pack, rent or ship the big items like his stroller, car seat, pack and play, etc. Then we had to research the specific airline’s policy on bringing these items on board. Once we had that all worked out (we opted to bring the items with us since it worked out to be cheaper than shipping), there was the long checklist of necessities – sheets, diapers, wipes, toys, sunscreen, bathing suit, sun hat and glasses, baby beach tent, and let’s not forget bottles, the pump and the cooler. Phew. Remember when vacations were less stressful than real life???
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But the thing that caused us both the most stress was definitely the anticipation of flying with a baby. If we got to Florida and had to buy diapers, no biggie. But there’s no easy fix for a screaming baby when you’re soaring through the stratosphere. So of course from the moment we booked the trip, I took to obsessively Googling “how to fly with baby,” “tips for flying with baby,” and every other variation of the “flying with baby” query. I found some great advice, some of which really worked for us.
And now that we’re safely home and we’ve officially survived our first flight with baby, I’m happy to share the tips I found most effective:
1. Nurse during take off and landing
You know that annoying ear pop that occurs due to pressure changes as the plane ascends and descends? It can be more than a minor inconvenience for your baby, whose little ears are extra sensitive to changes in altitude. The best way to mitigate pressure changes is to swallow, which means nursing or giving your little one a bottle during takeoff and landing can be the best solution. If you’re wary of breastfeeding on a plane due to the lack of discretion, grab the window seat and have your husband sit in the middle to provide some blockage. Wear a nursing top or shirt with a zipper, or consider nesting in a good nursing cover you can wear as a scarf or throw in your carry on bag
2. Bring familiar toys… and one or two new ones.
Give your baby a sense of comfort by bringing his or her favorite toys. But also bring along something totally new that your baby hasn’t seen yet. It will be a nice distraction when baby is too stimulated to care about his or her old stand-bys. But keep in mind that some or all of these toys will end up on the floor of the plane at some point. So bring plenty of them, and pack wipes in your carry on to clean them off when they inevitably fall. We also brought a few stroller hangers and hung a few toys from the seat back in front of us.
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3. Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on… for both of you.
Nothing is more humbling than sitting through a nearly three hour flight with a poop stain on your pants because a pre-flight poopslosion left its mark. Don’t just pack a spare outfit for your baby–leave one in your carry on for you as well.
And while we’re on the subject of extra clothes, be sure to consider any temperature differences between where you’re departing from and where you’re headed. We left Philadelphia during a massive snowstorm, and arrived in sunny Florida in hoodies and jackets. Plan your baby’s wardrobe accordingly, and consider layering to accommodate temperature shifts on the plane, in the airport, and at your destination.
4. Check rules on breastmilk… and bring one or two bottles.
Having a bottle on hand proved to be a lifesaver when we were at the airport, a few minutes away from boarding, and Ben decided to (very loudly) voice that he was hungry. The nursing pod was occupied and I just wasn’t comfortable nursing in such an open area. Not to mention, I had to use the bathroom and was trying to snag some snacks to bring on the flight. Having the bottle meant that my husband could feed Ben and keep an eye on the boarding status while I took care of the rest. He just grabbed a cup of hot water from the Starbucks stand, warmed the bottle up, and got to it. Of course, with a six month old, my milk supply is stable enough to allow a few missed sessions here and there. But if you’re baby is younger, you may want to consider bringing along your pump.
Most airports will allow you to bring more than three ounces of breastmilk in a cooler through security, but I’d advise that you check ahead of time. On the way to Florida, we had no issues whatsoever, but on the way home we did get flagged by security and had to explain what we were transporting. The security officers recommended that next time we pull the cooler out of the carry on, and they’d know right away.
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5. Bring a bag to cover your car seat or stroller on the flight.
If you do plan to bring along some of your bigger baby gear, consider investing in a large bag to place it inside. Our stroller and car seat came out of the cargo cabin looking like it had been through war. It screamed germs. We had to give it a massive wipe down before we’d let Ben get anywhere near it. A cover would have ensured that it was a little cleaner when it came out.
6. Invest in a nursing/teething necklace.
Even if your little one isn’t quite teething yet, these are great distractions. Ben played with mine the entire flight, whether it was in his hands or in his mouth. And, when my legs went numb after holding him so long, I just handed him and the necklace over to my husband, and it continued to work like a charm… as long as anything will.
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7. Don’t let them bring you down.
On our return flight, we watched as a husband and wife fought over who would have to sit next to us since we had a baby with us. Once the woman lost that fight, she flat out refused to acknowledge us. And even though Ben was as good as you could expect any baby to be, she looked aggravated at every cry, giggle and shriek. And don’t get me started on the eye rolls she exchanged with her husband every time we had to get up to change a diaper.
At first, this stressed me out, and I found myself counting minutes till the flight’s end so that we would stop annoying her. But then I realized she’s the jerk. If she had offered up a smile when she sat down, or thanked us for doing our very best to keep him quiet and happy, we might have apologized for the times that he wasn’t. But she didn’t. And guess what? Babies cry. Babies make noise. Babies make diapers. It’s what they do. I just told myself that in two and a half hours, I would never have to see this woman again so there’s no point in stressing out.
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