Aaah, getting on a plane with a baby…
Since we have now done the NYC – LA trip twice with Scarlett, I’ve been getting a ton of questions around traveling with a baby. If you’ve been following my Instagram stories, you may have seen that my second trip was not nearly as successful as my first trip. I’ve learned a lot from both experiences so sharing my tips and a checklist of what to bring:
What to bring:
- Car Seat: Unless you have driving arrangements that include a car seat (to and from the airport both ways) you will likely travel with your car seat. I have this one and it has worked well. An important feature of a car seat for travel is the ability to strap into a car without a base.
- If you are getting the baby her own seat, you can strap the car seat into the plane seat. I do not recommend this for flights longer than 3 hours for a few reasons. It isn’t great to have a baby in a car seat for an extended period of time and they’ll already be in it in the ride to and from the airport.
- Unless you plan on bringing your car seat in the cabin with you, you’ll need a car seat bag. I highly recommend buying a padded one. We have this one. If you don’t get a padded bag, you risk someone throwing the carseat and damaging it. A damaged stroller is one thing, but a damaged car seat can actually effect the safety of your child in a car.
- Travel stroller – You’ll also want a stroller that is lightweight and easy to fold to travel with, and one that you can strap your car seat onto. If you can’t buckle the seat onto the stroller you’ll be walking around the airport with a car seat as a backpack (see photo below) and it’s annoying! I highly recommend this travek stroller. Some people also travel with the Doona, but there are a few reasons I like the Yoyo instead. 1. The yo-yo can fold up and fit in the overhead bin. I’ve done it four times and have never had an issue and 2. When you get to your destination, you can take the carseat off and use it as a regular stroller. There is a bassinet adapter if your baby doesn’t have neck strength yet – but we just put Scarlett in the seat.
- If your plan is to put the car seat onto the stroller, make sure you have whatever adapters you need! To put the Nuna Pippa on the Yo-Yo, I used these adapters.
- Pacifier wipes – Babies that can grab things are constantly throwing things on the floor. Even if your baby can’t grab, I guarantee you something will wind up on the floor of an airplane. I tried my best to bring extras of everything (from pacis to toys) but eventually I definitely had to wipe down her toys a few times.
- Pacifier clips – These are the greatest things ever invented. Scarlett actually likes the strap way more than whatever I have attached to it, but it’s perfect for travel because you can clip a paci or teether right onto their shirt and not worry about it dropping on the floor. It still might drop onto the seat, though, which is why I always have paci wipes
- Antibacterial wipes – Not sure how much these actually work, but I always wipe down the tray table and seat arms (and any anything else I might be resting Scarlett or any of her stuff on). I also never put any of her stuff directly on the airplane (I’m crazy) and usually lay down a burp cloth or blanket (think about making a bottle.. you need somewhere to put the pieces. I’m all about exposing children to germs, but not plane germs!!
- Feeding:
- We ended up feeding Scarlett more bottles than usual (I’ll explain below) so bring at least 2 extra bottles and extra formula. I just pack a large unopened package in my carry on.
- Travel sized Dapple (what if your plan diverted and you got stuck somewhere and didn’t have a clean bottle with you! I’ve heard of crazier things…
- Carrier – We used this a lot on the plane. You really don’t have anywhere to put the baby down, so it’s important to have a carrier with you if it is a longer flight so you can have your hands. My husband took a light nap with Scarlett laying on his chest in the carrier. This one is actually on sale now.
- Spare set of clothing for YOU and for the baby
- Changing table pad – I use the one that came with my diaper bag, but I’ve heard good things about this one, too.
- Disposable changing table pad covers. Scarlett pooped everywhere on the plane!! All we had was my changing table pad (which is like a towel fabric) and it was so hard not to make a mess. It would have been much easier if I had a disposable pad to place on top.
- Diapers – Not a bad idea to use an overnight diaper for the flight to avoid a leak through on the plane
- Travel mobile (especially if your baby is under six months) this was a lifesaver for me!!
- Snacks – if your baby is eating. Even though my doctor says they have no nutritional value, Scarlett loves eating these wafer banana crackers and they are a good distraction if she were to be fussy
- Extra bibs and burp clothes (bring more than you think you need! I think I traveled with 8 burp cloths and used almost all of them. I was also dealing with a big drooler. Scarlett also spit up more than usual on the plane)
- Blankets, for the plane – At least two. One to sprawl out on a seat if you wanted to lay her down and another to wrap her in if it gets cold
- Toys – you know your baby, if your baby responds well to toys, bring a few different ones in your bag to distract. The first time we traveled with Scarlett, she was too young and didn’t really care about toys (aside from the mobile), the second time we were a little more successful distracting her.
- Baby Tylenol (just in case) And make sure you have the dropper!
- Saline spray (in case their nose gets very stuffy – unlikely)
- Pacifiers – even if your baby doesn’t take them, bring one. I’ll explain why below. Also, if you haven’t used a paci in a while, make sure you have the right size paci for the age of your baby!
- Baby Aquaphor and Diaper Paste (and anything else you keep in your diaper bag)
- Nail file – It’s annoying if you forget this because every few days, your baby’s nails get long and they can scratch themselves.
What to do
- If you have flexibility around booking flights, try to book a flight that takes off during bottle time!
- If you have the budget and are flying with someone, try to book a whole row or fly in business class (the seats are bigger you have more space to spread out) In business class you don’t need to get the baby a seat (that would be a funny picture though..)
- The key to traveling with a baby is to stay very organized. Make a list in advance of everything you need (which I laid out above, and double check in the morning that you have everything)
- Show up to the airport a half hour before you were planning to. Getting through security takes longer (you have to take the baby out of the car seat, fold up the stroller… it just takes longer, trust me on this
- Grab a room temperature water bottle before you get on the plane (or ask the flight attendant for one when you board (if this is how you make your bottle)
- Make a bottle to feed your baby right before take off. Do not start the bottle until you are literally in line to take off. I don’t need to remind anyone about last minute, unexpected delays. Maybe I’m crazy, but I start feeding the bottle right as the pilot says “flight attendants prepare for take-off” and make sure she is actively sucking on the bottle until we break through 10,000 feet. I try to feed for the first 30 minutes, so through the whole ascent. Apparently, sucking during take off and landings helps prevent their ears from hurting. Even if this isn’t true, which I think it is, it also prevents your baby from crying which is always a positive. If take off isn’t near a time when you typically feed, you can try a pacifier OR you can make 1 – 2 oz and try to get the baby to eat anyway.
- Babies (usually) get sleepy on planes, especially after a bottle. So if you feed during takeoff, you have a higher chance of your baby napping once airborne.
- If your baby wakes up crying in the middle of the flight, try walking up and down the aisles to calm her down (this really helped us) and distract with anything you can (toys, snacks… etc.) FYI – Babies apparently love playing with the plastic cups and straws the fight attendants have so if you’re in a bind (I was) ask them for some! They’ll want your child to relax even more than you will 😊
- If you’ve tried to relax and nothing is working, try feeding an ounce or two to make them tired (MAKE SURE YOU DON’T FEED TOO MUCH OR THE BABY WILL START SPITTING UP A LOT… This happened to us)
- If you have to change your baby’s diaper (this is a weird one) you can either try to use a spare seat next to you (I did this when I knew there wasn’t poop) or you have to go into the bathroom and there is a changing table. Just make sure to bring your own pad and everything else you need!
- Some parents use Benadryl to make their children sleepy on planes, I didn’t do this so can’t tell you about it. I think before six months old it is best to avoid, but definitely check with your doctor on it!