Five Essentials for Stress-Free Airplane Travel with a Baby
We did it!!
My baby’s first time on an airplane, and we made it to our destination without any accidents, major meltdowns, or breakdowns!
It might just be luck (hopefully not, as we still have the flight home)! However, I thought I would share my five essentials for stress-free travel with a baby.
5 Must-Have Items to Make Airplane Travel with a Baby a Breeze:
A Seat
This is important for both safety and practical purposes. Yes, if the plane falls out of the sky we’re all in trouble. However, if the plane skids off the runway, an unsecured lap baby is nearly impossible to hold safely. Not a chance I was willing to take to save a couple hundred bucks.
Second, holding a baby who LOVES to stand, jump, roll, and reach for things on the ground for three hours is physically exhausting. I did get AB out for a while to stretch, but her car seat gave her a place to relax and let my arms have a break.
Sippy Cup
Friends suggested I nurse during takeoff and landing to prevent my baby’s ears from popping, but since she had an assigned seat I would not be allowed to do so (I believe it is a liability issue.) AB ditched her paci months ago, so that idea was also out the window.
AB is fairly new to the sippy cup, but starting to take to it. The NUK 5-Ounce Learner Cup in the photo below is is the ONLY sippy cup she’ll use. She drank and chewed on it as we ascended and showed no signs of obvious discomfort.
The picture below is immediately after touchdown. Somehow landing put AB to sleep — surprisingly, the only shut-eye of the trip. Apparently flying is too exciting!
Snacks
I was prepared to nurse if necessary, but let’s face it, West Virginia isn’t a major travel destination so our plane was tiny. Trying to wrangle a twenty pound squirmy baby while avoiding the by the beverage cart and flashing everyone is tricky business!
I fed AB some of my burger at the airport to fill her tummy with protein and brought a variety of snacks for the flight. Puffs, teething biscuits, and fruit melts kept her satisfied.
Paci Wipes
I had some of these left from the pacifier day — I’d lose count of how many times it hit the ground! If there’s no soap and water nearby, these wipes really come in handy.
It was actually ME who dropped the lid for the sippy cup on the plane, and it rolled all the way under my seat. Fortunately a quick swipe with the paci wipe meant I could make sure AB’s cup stayed clean for when it was needed during our descent.
Trendy Teether
One of my top five must-have baby products is the Zipadee-Zip. I love it so much a wrote an unsponsored review a couple months ago simply because I wanted share what has been a total lifesaver for us.
Stephanie from Sleeping Baby was so kind as to send us one of their new creations, the Trendy Teether, which is a teething necklace for mom to wear. I knew it would be perfect for traveling, as I could toss it around my neck and not worry about AB dropping it, or it falling out of my purse like other toys.
As soon as AB saw it she HAD to get her hands on it and she clutched it pretty much the entire flight — a total hit! It is not obvious that that the Trendy Teether is a baby toy. One of my relatives saw me take it off to hand to the baby and commented “ahh, so that is actually the baby’s necklace!”
AB is cutting tooth number seven at the moment, so she is brutal on toys, but the Trendy Teether is very durable. I’ll definitely be using it on a regular basis!
I probably goes without saying that I was also equipped with a fully-stocked diaper bag (I love my Skip Hop Cross Body because it is light, easy to carry, and unobtrusive), extra toys, books, and a blanket (though our plane was HOT). However, I relied most of the 5 items above to make it to our destination as a sane mommy and happy baby.
I got lucky, as AB did not mess her diaper, but she also did NOT nap, so it took a little work to keep her occupied and in one place for a long stretch of time. Flying with an infant really isn’t that bad IF you are prepared, so hopefully my experience can help some other brave mamas in their upcoming travels!
More Family Travel Tips
10 Packing Hacks for Traveling with Kids
7 Dangerous Car Seat Mistake Parents Don’t Know They’re Making
How Long Does my Child Need a Booster Seat?
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Great tips! I’ll be using them for our family vaca! I’ve seen that kind of necklace in Buy Buy Baby and thought does that really work? It seems to be entertaining Annabelle as well! She’s so cute!!
You should totally get one! They’re $16 on the website and it’s such a great company that I’m happy to support them. When is your Bahamas trip?
The beginning of May! Can’t wait 🙂
Awesome! That’s when we’re going too. I’m getting so excited!
Me too!! I need some sun now!
Thank you for writing this blog. I’m traveling with my baby in two weeks and am quite nervous. While my baby is not as old as Annabelle, many of your tips are still relevant. Glad you guys made it safely to your destination
Glad it was helpful–feel free to ask any questions you might have! Don’t be nervous– it’s not as hard as you would think. There were other babies on our flight and one of them was crying, so it made me worry less if Annabelle were to cry. Also, be prepared to send your carseat & stroller through the security scanner if you bring them. If you know ahead what is required you’ll be ready and it will go quickly.