At 7-months-old, Ryan and I are proud to say that Roselyn is a seasoned traveler, having spent over 50 hours traveling across the U.S. thus far.
That being said, we never had the opportunity to fly with Rosie before, so this month we experienced another "first" – our first flight with a baby!
Thankfully, our first experience flying together was positive and we solely attribute that to the many tips that we received from our fellow family travelers and friends.
We put a list together of the top strategies we used to ensure a pleasant and successful flight, that we hope will help you on your upcoming travels:
How to Fly with a Baby
1. Only pack in your diaper bag what you will need for your travel day.
I tend to be that Mom that over-packs and prepares for everything, so it took some time for me to narrow down what was actually coming with us to the airport:
- 1 carry-on: That held our chargers, electronics and extra outfits in case of a baby accident or spill, etc.
- 1 checked car-seat
- 1 checked suitcase: That held all our outfits, toiletries and extra bottles, food, diapers and wipes for the baby.
- 1 diaper bag: That held:
- A bottle, sippy-cup and utensils.
- Food pouches and snacks.
- 8-10 diapers to get through our travel day, from the airport and airplane to the hotel that evening.
- Pacifiers to ease her ear pressure during take-off and landing.
- Soft books and toys that wouldn't make too much noise on the plane.
2. Prepare for playtime.
First, we packed an accessible blanket in our diaper bag, so that Roselyn could get her wiggles out at the airport before we boarded. Then, we packed 4-5 soft books and toys that she could enjoy playing with, both at the airport and on the plane ride.
These included toys like:
3. Prepare for pressure on the plane.
We wanted to relieve Rosie's pain from the pressure of the altitude changes on the plane, so we timed our feedings for takeoff and landing and packed an extra pacifier or two, so she could suck and swallow and not feel so many pressure changes.
4. Snacks, snacks, snacks!
We were so thankful that we packed extra snacks, because Roselyn didn't sleep on either flight as long as we had hoped. When she was done playing, we would give her finger/snack foods that were both easy to eat and healthy too:
5. Remember to smile.
It's easy to get overwhelmed on travel days, but it's important to remember to enjoy the experience and to smile through it too.
We had a few hiccups that began to overwhelm us – TSA testing us (and each bottle and pouch in our diaper bag) and our rental car not being ready when we arrived at our destination – but there were more positive experiences than anything. Roselyn reminded us to enjoy this experience with her by doing things like laughing at the automatic sinks in the bathroom while I was changing her, and by smiling at every airline attendant and personnel we encountered during our travel day.
We understand that each baby is different and his or her needs are unique, but hopefully these tips will make for an easier flight for you and your family during your upcoming travel day!
Baby Blanket: Eddie Bauer
Bandana Bib: Carter's
Bow: Handmade at Amazon
Onesie: Carter's