My top tips for flying with a baby: I learnt from the poop explosions so you don't have to

Derek and I are pretty experienced in the art of flying with a baby by now. Maya, who is now 14 months old, went on 20 individual flights before her first birthday. Crazy, I know?

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We’ve flown both domestically, around the USA, as well as internationally – from Atlanta to British Columbia as well as the big one, Atlanta to Cape Town, South Africa. In fact, as you’re reading this, we have just made our second trip across the Atlantic and down to Cape Town, so the tips and tricks I have learnt are very prominent in my mind.

Our first time flying with a baby

I still remember our first flight. I googled incessantly, asked all my Facebook mom friends for advice, and applied the things I’d learnt as if I was going to be quizzed at the end. This first flight was a quick one – Atlanta to Grand Rapids, Michigan. However, Maya was only 6 weeks old and, seeing as she was our first baby, we felt as if we were carrying, and trying to keep intact, a sandcastle replica of Buckingham Palace.

The flight went over without a hitch. Funny how, when you’re working with your first newborn, you feel as if it is going to be the hardest thing ever. In retrospect, I would far rather travel with a newborn than a toddler. Way simpler. Ah, the wisdom of time.

Valuable lessons are learnt through giant poop explosions

You cannot fly over 20 times without picking up a few tricks along the way. As life tends to be, we learn the most when things go wrong and, trust me, we have encountered it all so far. Or at least I hope we have. Screaming, bucket loads of vomit (Maya used to spit up her body weight in milk when she was younger), poop explosions, grumpy passengers, mom-emotional-breakdowns. I even lost a breast pad while walking off the plane once. That must have looked strange to the people behind me. Lol.

I have breastfed in the air, at the gate, in public bathrooms. I’ve never used one of those cool breastfeeding pods that some airports have. Maybe with the next baby.

I’ve sat through a whole flight covered in pee. Been forced to dress Maya in a vomit-soaked outfit, because the only change of clothes I brought was now covered in poop. And I’ve used the airplane restrooms countless times with Maya perched on my lap – trying to pull your pants up while holding a baby in a tiny airplane bathroom is worthy of special mention.

The coolest flying moment was when the captain came out to hold Maya so I could get the pram (stroller) sorted. So wish I’d gotten a picture of that one.

With all of these experiences, I have come up with a good list of how to approach any flight – whether domestic or international.

20 Tips For Flying With A Baby

1. Pack early. I made this mistake a handful of times before I realised that leaving packing to the day before or day of is just not wise. As a parent, you know that things happen – random events that throw everything you had planned out the metaphorical window. Its best not to start tempting this window too early on. My strategy now is to pack during any gap I have in the preceding 5 days. You may have to pack in stages, so its best to get started when you can. A little extra tip: keep the partially packed luggage away from tiny, baby hands. They are so good at rearranging perfectly organised suitcases.
2. If you are flying internationally, try and secure a bulkhead seat with a bassinet. Depending on the airline, the procedure for this is different. We usually fly Delta and have to request it at check-in. Do what you can, because it is a huge help. I cannot guarantee that your baby will sleep in it for long periods of time, but it may just give you 30 minutes with both your hands available.

   

3. If you cannot get a bassinet, try and request a seat with an empty seat next to it. Again, you will be able to put your baby down on it to sleep for a bit and give yourself a break.
4. No matter where you are flying to, stick on the aisle. You will no doubt be getting up and out of your seat a lot. You don’t want to have to disturb your neighbour anymore than is absolutely necessary.
5. This may sound a little weird, but can be hugely helpful. Maya is quite attached to me, seeing as I am a stay-at-home mom. As such, even with Derek sitting next to me and offering to hold her, she will still insist on sitting with me. This can be exhausting. As such, it can be helpful to have your partner or mother etc sitting in a different row to you. That way, you can take it in shifts. Particularly if it is a long flight, it gives you the chance to close your eyes, eat in peace or watch a movie. Keep it as an option.
6. When it comes to getting to and from the airport, check out your options before you lug your car seat with you. In many US states, it is legal to put your baby in a baby carrier (ergo/wrap etc) in public transport. This is our go-to option. We have rented a car seat with our rental car a couple times and that has worked out pretty well. There are also rental companies where you can rent baby equipment for your trip at the location you’re travelling to. We haven’t tried this out yet, but have friends who have.
7. Staying with the baby carrier, try keep your little one in the carrier as you go through security. If your baby is in a pram/stroller, you will have to take him/her out. If baba is asleep, this will suck big time. However, your baby can stay in the carrier as you go through security. Bonus.
8. Even if you don’t plan on putting your baby in your pram, still bring it with you through the airport. It is a great place to put other carry on bags and to hold your travel coffee.
9. As soon as you get on the plane, start to get friendly with your neighbouring passengers. Introduce yourself, your baby etc. It helps to make a great first impression so that, should things head in the no-longer-fun-to-be-around direction, most will be more forgiving and patient.
10. Same goes for the flight attendants. Be friendly and grateful. You never know when you may need some extra snacks, random play items or, especially if you’re flying alone, someone to hold your baby when you go pee.
11. Flying with a baby no doubt involves a lot of equipment, so try and cut back where you can. One place you can sacrifice is with toys. In my experience they prove to be a waste of space. Most little ones will prefer to play with anything shiny and new so take advantage of things around you that are safe – cups, water bottles, safety magazines etc. We still do bring some toys, but stick to the high-repeat items (things they tend to play with over and over at home or for a long time). This, in Maya’s case, are books. * I have a funny story that happened on our most recent flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town. As a parent you know that, if your child finds a “game” that keeps him/her occupied for longer than a minute, never mess with it. At some point during this last flight, the “game” for Maya was to repeatedly put in and pull out rice cakes from my cleavage. I was getting completely covered in sticky crumbs, but she was content and I could sit still. Have to pick your battles.
12. Backups are key. Backup nappies (diapers), backup wipes, back up burp cloths, and back up outfits. For an international flight, we take at least 3 backup outfits. If your baby uses a dummy (pacifier), don’t forget to bring backups of those as well. If your baby is on solids, don’t forget a couple of bibs to try and save the outfits for as long as you can.
13. When it comes to packing the diaper bag, I have adopted the bags-inside-of-bags approach. So, within the

    

    diaper bag is another separate bag that contains all toys and whole different bag for all food items. This keeps things a bit more organised and prevents a lot of the scratching around. It also helps if you go through a security where they ask you to take out all your food items. This often happens and its so much easier to just have to pull out 1 bag, rather than scratch around for random bits and pieces.

14. When kids are little, they do not know how to unblock their ears. I’ve been lucky in that Maya doesn’t seem to have ear issues on planes (not all babies do), but just in case, I always try and nurse her on take off and landing. She doesn’t nurse much anymore, but the simple sucking action will keep her ears clear. If your baby doesn’t breastfeed, a bottle or dummy will work as well. If you are flying with a tiny baby, try and time your feeds so they coincide with take off and landing. This may mean that you have a screaming baby as you go through the gate, but rather that than blocked, painful ears on the plane.
15. I always travel with the big 5: infant tylenol (pain medication), teething gel, baby eye drops/gel, hand sanitiser, and my go-to, all-natural bottom balm. This bottom balm is made with tea tree and lavender so is a great antiseptic for just about anything, over and above nappy rash. Maya did once pick up a small rash from a plane, but this bottom balm cleared it up pretty quickly. I am a huge supporter of this stuff – in 14 months, Maya has NEVER had a nappy rash (click on the image below to purchase).

16. If your little one is already on solids, but not quite on finger foods, then I highly recommend food pouches. You can of course stock up on the grocery store options, but check the sizes to make sure they comply with security regulations. I am a bit of a stickler for hidden, added sugars so instead prefer to make my own. I purchased these reusable food pouches, which I fill with smoothies, purees and so on. They meet regulations (be sure to buy the 3.4fl oz. ones) and aren’t too bulky to transport. Click on the image to buy.

17.  If your little one is happily eating finger foods then snacks are going to be a life saver. Pack as many ready-to-eat finger food snacks as is reasonable. Bring variety and have them all cut up and ready. My go-to’s are Goldfish Crackers, mini rice cakes, cut up peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, and blueberry pancakes. Bananas are also a good choice because they stay neat in the skin, but typically you can just ask a flight attendant for those. As an emergency, I also always pack some dry, whole grain oats. That way, if hunger strikes, I can just request some water and mix it up.

18. Take help when it is offered. I wouldn’t go so far as to say leave your child with a stranger while you go to the bathroom in the airport, but people will offer to help and, if its safe, accept. You may need someone to hold your baby while you fold up your pram, or pick up something you’ve dropped on the floor. Say yes. These little acts of kindness not only make your life easier, but they also renew your faith in humanity, which can be handy to draw on later in the flight.

19. Mentally prepare. You may very well have a tough time on a particular flight. Things can happen, as we all know. If you go into a long flight knowing that you are probably not going to get any sleep, your baby will cry at some point, and it is going to be physically demanding, you will be far better prepared and ready. Short flights are one thing, but for the long ones, accept that it is going to be a lot. Good news is that it will come to an end.

20. Make sure to pack a little bit of humour. So, if you are flying with your baby and the dreaded poop explosion happens, try laugh it off. In 5 years time, you will look back and laugh anyway, so why not start now?

Flying with a baby definitely takes a bit of extra planning and prepping, so I hope this helps. If you have any questions or want to offer up your own flying tips and tricks, please share.

And remember, as parents we are a part of a community, so be sure to help one another out whenever you can.

You got this guys.

Tara 

Did you enjoy this post? If so, then you may also enjoy:

How I got my baby to sleep through the night

Why is your 1 year old throwing tantrums and how to handle it

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