My Tips and Tricks for Traveling With an Infant
Uh oh. It’s time to FLY with a baby!
YIKES. I know, the first image that probably comes to mind is you with a screaming baby on a 4 hour flight with everyone rolling their eyes at you. I encourage you now to STOP and take a DEEP BREATH. No matter how the trip goes, you and your baby will survive :) I promise!!
I have a 4.5 month old and had to fly with her when she was just 6 weeks old and again when she was 4 months. It was two very different experiences but I feel like I learned a few tangible tips that could hopefully make your upcoming trip less stressful!
For the first trip, I had to fly with Adeline (she was 6 weeks at the time) from Alaska to Kansas. Our trip included 3 different airplanes + layovers. I was extremely worried but had no choice (my Dad was in very bad health). We got her 2 month shots early and left the next day. She did AMAZING. Basically cried just a little when the first flight took off but then slept the entire rest of the time. Every flight. She did much better than we imagined she would! We stayed for a week and on the way home she pretty much did the same thing. I was worried because the Dr. had just told me she probably had colic (which is just what they say when a baby cries all the time and they can’t figure out what’s wrong…). Before our trip she was crying ALL THE TIME and just didn’t seem very happy. I was super worried she would be screaming the entire flight but lucky for us, she just fell asleep. Perks of having a super tiny baby ;) They still sleep A LOT!
The second trip was from Alaska to Hawaii and did not go near as well. I’d say the the flights TO Hawaii was slightly better than the flights home, but she still got really fussy and it was difficult to soothe her. Everyone says to feed the baby when you take off and land so it can pop their ears but she doesn’t comfort nurse. She only eats when she wants to, so that was not an option for us. I think she struggled a lot more this time because she was older and much more aware of the world around her. Probably overstimulated as well.
I will say that on the second trip she did get upset more but everyone around us seemed to be really understanding. I get anxious when she cries in public (especially on a small airplane where nobody can escape lol) but it wasn’t HORRIBLE. We survived :)
Making sure you’re prepared is KEY when traveling with an infant. Here are some of the things I brought with us:
1) Diaper bag FULL of diapers/wipes and all her medicines (vitamin D drops, probiotics, tylenol since she just had shots)
2) Extra pacifiers
3) 3 extra outfits—blow outs happen OFTEN for this little one so I didn’t want to be stuck in the airport or on the plane without plenty of extra clothes.
4) Baby Shusher (this is CRUCIAL) ** any white noise machine would probably work but we love the baby shusher and it seems to instantly calm her while being easy to take on the go.
5) Stroller (seems obvious but on the first trip we didn’t bring it and I did really like having it for the second trip!). This also makes it easy to get around the airport. She’s too heavy in just her carseat and she doesn’t totally love to be baby worn. If your baby likes to be worn then I’d definitely recommend bringing your fav wrap/sling/carrier.
6) Blow out bags!!! * Special thanks to my friend Kristen who told me about them. Adeline actually only had 1 blow out on the plane, but they are still great to have incase you need to change your babe during the flight. You know how hard it is to change a baby on the microscopic changing table, right? Having a blow out bag is essential! All I put inside the bags (I made 2), was a few diapers, a change of clothes and some wipes in a ziplock baggy. This made it so easy for us to simply pull out the bag and take her into the bathroom with it instead of bringing the entire bulky diaper bag in there.
7) Teething ring or small toys they might like to look at during the plane ride.
8) Small muslin blankets or swaddle (if they aren’t to old for it) so you can swaddle them and help them feel more safe, possibly sleep better ;)
9) Stock up on travel size hand sanitizers & lysol wipes. I was a psycho and wiped EVERYTHING down because airports and airplanes are disgusting. End of story haha.
**I also recommend walking up and down the aisle with your babe if he/she gets fussy and nothing else seems to work. On our flights most people had headphones in and were sleeping anyways, and the walking motion calmed her down. It’s worth a shot!
All in all, it will be OKAY! I promise. It definitely helps to have all the items I listed above so you can use them as necessary. If all else fails, just remember that you’ll get to your destination sooner than later and it will be all worth it!
I hope this blog helped you if you have an upcoming trip. If there is anything else you’d recommend, please comment it below!
xoxo,