I always said when I had a baby that I would want them to be well traveled. We have always traveled quite a bit and living out of town, I knew I would want my child to get used to flying. If I’m being quite honest, when the time came I was super anxious about traveling with baby! I have traveled with Rambo a million times, if he could collect points there’s no doubt he would be a frequent flyer by now lol! Throwing a baby into the mix made me a little nervous, especially since it was our first time. I made sure to make a list of things to bring, thought of pretty much every scenario and did a lot of research! We were flying from Orange County to Cleveland for Christmas, so we had a connection both ways of our trip. Literally making it the longest travel day ever! We really ended up lucking out because he did so well, to be honest, he slept most of all the flights. When he wasn’t sleeping we were feeding him a bottle or keeping him entertained with a toy. These are some of my top tips and things to pack when traveling with baby.

1. Bring a pillow for them to lay on during the flight

We brought a pillow that I put across my lap and he could lay on during the flight. It made it more comfortable for him to sleep and for me to have some use of my arms. We brought an actual small pillow, but any of the Boppy pillows would work too. Just make sure it’s not too big because we all know how small the seats are on airplanes. You don’t want to be overtaking your neighbors seat.

2. Have a bottle or pacifier ready at all times

The one tip for traveling with baby that I kept hearing was to have a bottle or pacifier ready for takeoff and landing in case his ears popped. We didn’t have any issues with his ears popping, but I think it’s a great idea. I actually feel you should have both accessible at any time during the flight. There were times where I could tell he was going to get a little fussy and I would pop open a bottle or grab his paci and he quieted down and was happy. Whatever keeps them happy and quiet!

3. Keep a bag of necessities close by

This kind of goes along with having the bottle and pacifier ready. I also think it’s smart to have a small bag with anything you may need during the flight easily accessible. Things like snacks, headphones, a book, a small baby toy etc. You don’t want to have to be digging in the overhead bin if you don’t have to. My Freshly Picked Backpack Diaper Bag was great for travel!

4. Use carry on bags with rollers

I made the mistake of bringing a duffle bag with all of my baby needs in addition to my diaper bag. While it was necessary (I had to bring my pump), it would have been easier to have a small bag on wheels instead of lugging another bag over our shoulder. You’re hands are already pretty full, so if you can roll the bag it’s much easier.

5. Research where there are airline lounges and/or family nursing rooms in the airport

I had to pump while we were traveling, so it was important that I could find a place where I felt comfortable to pump. John Wayne airport in Orange County had a special room specifically for nursing Moms that was so nice! We also usually go to the United Club when flying so we can grab a snack and something to drink. There were small family rooms in the lounges we went to as well, which were nice to just set everything down, take a break and unwind a bit. I do think breastfeeding may be a little bit more convenient, but do what you’re most comfortable with.

6. If you’re bringing bottles, prepare for TSA check and bring a cooler bag

I was pumping so I brought a bunch of bottles for the day and a cooler bag that I could store them in to stay cold. When you get to security you are allowed to bring the milk through, but you have to disclose you have it with you. Both times the TSA couldn’t have been nicer about it. They do some extra security precautions to make sure it’s safe and then send you on your way. If you are bringing formula in the plastic individual containers (like the Enfamil ones), because they are not opaque (and if you are not in TSA precheck) they have to do a pat down for extra precaution. Overall traveling with bottles wasn’t a big deal other than making sure I had room in my bag for all of this stuff!

7. Wear your baby

If you have a baby carrier (this is ours here), I would suggest wearing your baby around the airport. It makes it easier and frees up your hands to be able to carry something else. Obviously I think it’s best if you can condense the amount of bags you bring, we had a lot of baggage because we were gone for so long and had to bring empty suitcases for Christmas gifts. We chose not to bring the stroller through the airport with us because we had connections and didn’t want to have to gate check it and wait every time we got off the plane. I will say if you have straight through flights, having the stroller may have made things a little easier.

8. Board the plane early (Personal preference)

We chose to board the plane when they said passengers with children could, but I feel like this is one of those that depends on your situation. We wanted to be able to get overhead space above us and get settled in with plenty of time. If you feel that your child won’t do well spending extra time on the plane then I would wait.

** This ones not a tip, just a bit of information to know**

Strollers and car seats can be checked for free. We brought both and checked them both with our bags. Some people choose to hang on to their strollers and check them at the gate. Just something to keep in mind that both can be checked free!

In the end traveling with baby definitely added some baggage and some time to what we were used to, but overall I feel it went pretty smoothly. The more we travel with him, I know it will become easier and he will become more used to it. Sending all of you mama’s lots of positive vibes on your first time traveling with baby!

Xoxo,

Danielle