Flying with an infant can seem like a daunting task but with 3 trips and 10 flights under our belts before Galia turned 6 months, I think we have a few tips that may help ease the stress and set you up for success.
Plan Ahead
- I know this seems SO obvious but it cannot be stressed enough how much planning ahead saves you in the future. Specifically I mean planning feedings ahead.
- We have followed BabyWise since birth so Galia has always been on a schedule. For days where we are flying, we take a look at the Take-Off/Landing times and try and move feedings up or back based on them to have her either feeding or napping on both ends of the flight. This way, her ears don’t bother her with the pressure changes. Sometimes you can’t help a feeding in the middle of the flight, but if moving something up 15-20 minutes means a relaxed baby, it is worth the effort.
- Plan for time changes too. When we have traveled to see family we have had 2-hour time differences. Instead of trying to switch her schedule for a week or less just to go back to her normal one at home, we bit the bullet and kept her on the same time-zone. This meant waking up at 4am to feed her on vacation but it also meant we never had a cranky baby on any trip.
- We like to write it down in the notes app on our phones for easy reference during the day
Baby-wear
- Gate checking your stroller may seem like a great idea but it can be quite cumbersome to have to deal with keeping a hold of that and any other luggage you may have. Wearing your baby keeps both hands free, lets them either see what is going on or catch a quick nap, and keeps you from having to wait on the gangway for your stroller to be unloaded.
- If you plan on keeping your infant in their carseat on the plane (in their own seat) then obviously you will want the stroller. This is probably best for long flights but all of ours have been 1-3 hour flights.
Pack extras
- We always pack a back-up outfit in the diaper bag but on flights we pack two – you never know when a blow-out will happen, and we have gone through multiple outfits on some of our flights.
- We also pack extra diapers and wipes because if we end up getting an extended delay we don’t want to get caught running around trying to buy more products
- While you are stuffing the diaper bag to max level, pack some extra toys in there – just not annoying noise making ones.
Water
- Did you know you can bring un-opened bottles of water through TSA for the baby? It is so you can mix it for formula (you can also bring breastmilk through TSA). Even though we don’t use formula I make sure we pack some waters in there for me to drink so I don’t have to worry about the $6 airport water since I drink so much!
Diaper trash bags
- Just like dog-poop bags, we keep a roll of plastic bags for dirty diapers to keep bathrooms from smelling. On airplanes, if it is a poop diaper, they will ask you not to throw it away in the bathroom trash since they don’t get changed out as often as the ones in the galley. We put the diaper in the plastic bag and hand it to them to put in a different trash.
Bring cleaning supplies
- Even if we weren’t living through a global pandemic, wiping down the surfaces that you and your family will be touching will give you all some peace of mind. As soon as we sit down anywhere (gate waiting area, airport restaurant, plane) we take a clorox wipe or two from a ziplock bag and wipe everything down. It is hard to remember to use hand-sanitizer every time you touch something so this helps get things clean first.
- I also bring one to the airplane bathroom to do a quick wipe of the changing tray and wall before we put the changing pad down just so we’re not picking up all the crap from the bathroom just to put it into the diaper bag.
Carseat Travel Bag
- If you are checking your carseat, it is worth it to buy a travel bag for it. You know how nasty and beaten up your luggage can get; every time I see an exposed carseat on the luggage belt I cringe a bit thinking how much dirtier it must have gotten. The fact that on our last trip our travel bag got a tear in it just confirms how much they treat your luggage like crap.
Try and Relax
- I have heard so many stories about people getting shady looks from other passengers but we have not personally experienced that. Part of that I am sure is that she hasn’t really cried on the planes but the other part is I just don’t pay attention. My baby is on the plane. Nothing we can do about that now, so deal with it people.
- Make friends with the flight attendants if you can. It is nice to have them on your side and help in a pinch. One flight my husband was changing her in the bathroom and she had a blowout and the flight attendant came to my seat to get a new outfit for him to put her in. Little things like that are sweet and helpful. We also like to dress her in flying-themed outfits which definitely draws them to her.
Hope you find this helpful and it helps you with your upcoming travel! Questions? Post them in the comments below!
Xx
Kali
