Bennett is now 9 months old. In his short life, he has been on 10? different airplanes.. and all have been...well, we have learned from each one! Almost all of the flights, it has been just me and him, flying alone (the joys of being a military wife) so we have really got the hang of this now.
We are prepping for another flight this weekend, and what has, in the past, been a major stress, is now easy peasy! I thought "hey I should share this with other mommies" and so I will!
Let me start by saying your needs defiantly change as your child grows.. Bennett was maybe 8 weeks old the first time we flew home for the holidays! At the time I was pumping, he was TINY, but he was a new born, which meant he slept like a baby! --- now, well, a lot has changed.
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| Bennett first flight (see what I mean by he just slept when he was a newborn) p.s this picture was staged! |
So without any further ado here are my extra smart tips for flying with a baby
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| This is EVERYTHING I pack, plus his blanket, but he is napping with it right now! |
1. PACK LIGHT-
What??!! I am sure I sound crazy, babies need THINGS, sure... but, not really! This list obviously changes a bit with age, but overall, it has stayed the same. (ok so this list actually looks really long- but its mostly advice that goes with the items I promise!)
- ONE change of outfit, that MATCHES what they wear to the airport- I always him in PJs, and then bring a matching pair- that way if he needs new pants, I just have to change the pants, not the whole outfit,
- 1 or 2 SMALL toys (I wouldn't even pack toys if they are less than say 6 months, because guess what? your plastic cup is just as exciting to a baby as a stuffed bunny) for this trip I am packing 1 rattle, and 1 light up ball, and only take them out when they are totally needed! There is LOTS to see at the airport, a baby will (usually) be perfectly content flirting with all the strangers! lol
- a few diapers and wipes- I always pack 2 night diapers, and then about 1 diaper per 2 hours at the airport. we have a long drive to the airport, so we do a quick change before we leave, once when we get to the airport, then switch him into a night diaper for the flight, and then change him once we get off the plane. I know some people are diaper freaks and have to change them every second, but unless its poop, I say, save yourself the headache! diapers take up a lot of space, plus airplane bathrooms are TINY, they do have diaper tables, but, id rather not.
-Formula or breast pump/nursing cover- as far as feeding Mr. Bennett, we have tried it all. After a few weeks I switched to exclusively pumping, and then we flew to Mexico, with a huge layover, and I decided to carry on my huge electric pump DO NOT DO THIS. if you are an exclusive pumper, or any sort of pumper, just bring a little manual one (and pack your electric one) ! Now that we gave up on the breast feeding, I pack pre-measured bags of formula (just how ever many scoops he needs, into a zip lock bag- or you can buy them prepackaged like this, but I just DIY) - always plan for about DOUBLE what they usually eat- you never know about delays and what not, and for some reason Bennett always eats like crazy when we travel- and then two empty bottles (thats it, just two!) and a bottle of water (sometimes I just buy this at the airport, but you CAN go through security with a bottle of water if it is for formula!!) I bring two baby bottles, and then just rinse the dirty one out with a little soap and water when I get a chance!
- a bib/SMALL spit rag (if needed) and also I now bring a jar of baby food and a few snacks
- Tylonal and diaper rash cream- we NEVER use either of these products, I think bennett has had tylonal once or twice in his whole life, and he has had one diaper rash (that ended up being a yeast infection and not a diaper rash) but You better believe the second you don't have this stuff with you is when you are going to need it. It takes up like 2 inches of space, so I always bring it!
-blanket and any comfort items- Bennett use to take a pacifier, so we always brought two when we traveled, one on a pacifier clip, clipped to his clothing and the other one in his diaper bag incase it got lost. now he just goes for his blanket, which is great because airplanes get cold too!
BABY WEAR- I always bring my baby carrier, and wear him through the airport/on the plane! when you go through security you can (usually) just wear the baby and walk through the metal detector (once they made me take him out of it and carry him) while your stroller and car seat have to be checked out like crazy by security! but this also gives you free arms while you are flying, and it makes ME and maybe him, feel safer (turbulence happens when you least expect it, and I always get nervous he will jump right out of my arms when we hit it!)
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| no we didn't pay for this seat- but we got it, and this is what I mean by a pacifier clip! |
VERY IMPORTANT: when you get to your gate, and the attendant is at the desk at the gate, very NICELY ask if there are any open seats, that you could put your car seat- almost every single flight, has had open spots, and they move you to it, and just like that, Bennett gets his own seat (without having to pay for it) this is HUGE HUGE HUGE, I just put a blanket over his carseat and he (usually) sleeps the whole way!
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| getting some play time in at MSP |
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| sleeping through the redeye |
NO EXTRA CARRY ONS- Remember how I told you I brought my whole double electric pump as a carry on?? don't do that! I seriously tried to get on a flight with Myself, Bennett, a diaper bag, a pump AND a suitcase carry on! I looked like a crazy person!! I was stressed and I could not hold the baby and lift my suitcase, and it was just a huge disaster. now I won't bring a carry on (if my things don't fit in the diaper bag I don't need it) or MAX just a small backpack! I seriously felt like a camel, or a mule, or some other type of pack animal carrying all these things!! which made me so stressed, and in turn, made bennett stressed, this was BY FAR the worst flight we took! I literally almost started to cry I was so over whlemed- I know checked bags cost money, but i promise it will be worth the $25-$30
GO POTTY- yes YOU, once you get on that flight (especially if you are alone, and your child has a seat to themselves, its REALLY hard to go potty holding a baby in those tiny airplanes!) so go go go a million times before you board that plane! you do not want to be stuck on a 4 hour flight having to go pee two seconds after take off!
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTATION- if you fly out of the country your baby needs a passport! AND if you are traveling with out the other parent have a NOTARIZED letter stating you can bring the child in and OUT of the country! I thought I had my life together, I had a notarized letter to bring Bennett INTO Mexico, without my husband, however, the US customs were a little hesitant to let us BACK into the country without proof that his parent wasn't still in Mexico (and by a LITTLE hesitant, I mean it took us something like 45 minutes to prove he was a US citizen!)
I hope that helps! if you have any questions, or have any other helpful advice feel free to leave it below!!!
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