Tips and tricks for air travel with your baby
Anytime you do something for the first time as a new parent, it can feel daunting. It could be the first time you drove in the car by yourself with your baby or the first time you were on your own overnight. All of the firsts are hard until it is not longer a first. Often the anticipation of an experience is worse then the experience itself. This is never more true then it comes to the first time you go on a plane ride with your baby. Let’s face it, air travel can be kind of a pain in the best of circumstances. There are lines to wait in, shoes and electronics to remove at security and then things that are beyond your control like whether the crew for your flight are all present and the weather cooperates. And then there is air travel with a baby. That is a whole extra level of adventure.
Here are somethings to know about traveling with your baby, at least within the United States. I strongly encourage parents to wear their baby while going through the airport, whenever possible. Whatever carrier your baby is happy in will do the trick, as long as it is a soft carrier like an Ergobaby or the Baby K’tan. There are many things that you will need to do in the airport that require having 2 hands free so baby wearing can be very helpful. You are allowed to wear your baby through the security scanners, which is helpful because you will need to put your stroller and/or car seat up on the x ray conveyor belt. There is no maximum amount of breastmilk or water for formula that you are allowed to take through security. The TSA screeners should not dip anything into your milk, but they may swipe around it to ensure that there is no explosive residue on it. If you are traveling with ice packs to keep breastmilk cold, ensure that they are frozen if they are in your carry-on luggage (which may not be necessary on the way out to your travels until you have pumped milk to keep cold) as TSA agents have been known to consider them a liquid and toss them out. The TSA has information about traveling with children on their website. I often encourage parents to have a copy on their phone in case they need a reminder for a TSA agent.
Once you get your the gate, you will want to go to the counter and let them know that you are traveling with a stroller. They will give you gate check tags for however many pieces your stroller is. If you are concerned about damage to your car seat, you can put it into a car seat bag like this one. These are big enough to hold an infant seat and also a larger convertible car seat. If you have an UppaBaby stroller and are concerned about it being damaged by the baggage handlers, UppaBaby sells a bag that will protect your stroller and warranty it as well. If it is in the bag and is damaged, they will fully replace it for you. If you choose to check your car seat and/or stroller at the front of the airport, this should not count as luggage that you may be required to pay for. Also, your diaper bag is considered you baby’s carry-on so you can technically bring your own 2 carry-ons and a diaper bag. Your breast pump is considered a medical device and is allowed in addition to all of those bags as well. Yes, it’s a lot!
Once you are on the plane, you will want to find out from a flight attendant, which bathroom has the changing table in it. Every airplane has one, but there is variability in terms of whether it is at the front or back of the plane. You probably never noticed it before because sits flat against the wall and comes down over the toilet. This is clearly a small space though so I often will recommend parent have some sort of a pouch or ziplock bag that you can throw in some diapers, wipes and a change of clothes so you don’t have to bring your whole diaper bag into the bathroom. I would also keep in mind that airplane pressure changes can often lead to explosive poops or big spit ups. If this happens and it lands on you, you are sitting in that for the duration of the flight. I often encourage parents to throw in a T shirt and a pair of stretch pants for themselves to change into if necessary.
Often parents are concerned that they are going to be “those parents” with the screaming baby on the flight. Most often it is toddlers who are the unhappy children on flights. They are the ones who want to move around and aren’t easily entertained in small spaces for long periods of time. Babies are generally happy to be held and often fall asleep after not too long. Airplanes produce excellent white noise as well which is often soothing for babies. If you are concerned that the air pressure changes are going to bother your baby’s ears, you can feed them on the way up and/or down or offer a pacifier. If your baby is asleep and unconcerned by the pressure change, it is fine to let them sleep without attempting to encourage sucking.
As with many other things related to being a new parent, once you do something for the first time, you are now a pro! Many parents feel empowered once they take their first trip, knowing that travel with children is very doable! Yes, temporarily gone are the days when you can travel with only a small carry-on suitcase and you can watch several episodes of your favorite show in the plane, but flying from point A to point B with your baby in tow can be done!
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