I don’t know how we did but we survived our first trip with our baby. We boarded five flights (I’m including our connecting flights) and somehow maintained our sanity.
I’ll admit it, I was terrified of flying with a baby. All I could do was imagine how difficult it would be to be traveling with a baby. I agonized for hours over what to pack and pored over articles, praying and hoping for some secret formula.
Here’s the secret formula….
There is no secret formula! *insert audible gasp here* I found that different friends had different tips because each baby is different. I’ll share what I’ve learned but keep in mind that each baby is different and each situation is different.
- For longer trips, bring a car seat. I researched and found that most rental car companies provide car seats for a fee. On average it’s around $10-15/day. I purchased a Cosco Scenera car seat for around $48 and was able to check the car seat for free. This entirely depends on the airline but both American Airlines and Delta Airlines allow you to check a car seat for free. **if you purchased a seat for your baby, then make sure your car seat is airline approved!
- Most airlines allow babies under 2 years to travel for free. That meant baby Fig was on my lap, which had its cons, but I was happy that we didn’t need to purchase a third airline ticket. Some airlines are stricter and if the baby is over a year old, they need to have their own ticket purchased.
- Bring a baby carrier. With all the running around we had to do in the airport, wearing our baby meant we were able to get to where we needed to go without pushing around a stroller. Some airlines let you bring a stroller but we decided we could do without. I brought a buckle soft structured carrier (which didn’t have any metal parts) to make it easier to get through the TSA check point.
- Bring the minimum amount of diapers. If you’re staying somewhere for several days, bring 5 diapers to last you through the day until you can buy some at the store! I actually packed too many for my trip and I was so stressed about fitting everything in four bags for 2 adults + a baby.
- Plan on nursing or bottle feeding baby on the plane. The sucking motion is supposed to them with the changing pressure in their ears. If you’re nursing but you’re not comfortable with the possibility of feeding in front of strangers, definitely plan on bringing a bottle for the baby. Baby Fig never took to a pacifier but I would have brought one if he did to help with the pressure.
- Download your baby’s favorite video to watch on your phone. Baby Fig loves Little Baby Bum on Netflix so I downloaded an hour long episode for him. He will only watch it for 30 minutes at a time but it’s 30 minutes I can keep him distracted while the plane is taking off.
- Bring along large headphones. This is optional but I was really appreciative of having the headphones. We brought large cushy Bluetooth ones for the baby to use. It was great because we didn’t distract other people with loud children’s music.
- Snacks. You could never pack too many snacks!
- Bring official documents for the baby. One airline we traveled one didn’t require to see any documents but another one specifically wanted to see his passport OR birth certificate. Luckily, I brought his passport just in case and it worked out for us!
I know that my travel tips is geared specifically towards airline travel. I’ve taken long car rides with the little dude but I honestly was so anxious about actually flying with him. Some airlines allow you to bring a separate diaper bag for the baby, some airlines won’t – especially if you didn’t purchase a ticket or a seat for the baby. We were able to pack everything we needed for 2 adults + 1 baby in 2 carry-on bags and 2 personal items (backpacks). It was certainly challenging but traveling with a baby was so rewarding!
figs and family 