Ruthie's Tips for Traveling with a Baby on Board

Ford is 16 months and I've lost count of how many flights he has taken, I am pretty sure it is upwards of 25-30 airplane rides! He was exactly 6.5 weeks old when we took him on his first plane ride to Indianapolis, tagging along with mama to the Influence Conference. Part of me thought we were absolutely nuts for traveling with him so young but then again it seemed like a great time to travel with him when he is still small, cuddling, and will sleep anywhere. I can tell you right now that he was an ANGEL of a traveler....until he turned a year. He became mobile, we stopped nursing, and he stopped sleeping on the go which made things a little difficult. So. This post is to encourage you and give you tips about flying with a BABY... a toddler is a whole different story (I guess my advice for flying with a toddler is don't do it! Kidding..kind of). 

• Bring a carrier! We bring the ergo on every trip and because it allows me both hands for luggage, carry-on's, etc. Luckily rules have changed and you can wear a baby through security as long as you get your hands tested (just takes a minute or so). 

• Bring a copy or phone photo of baby's birth certificate to verify that they are under the age of 2, unless you bought them their own seat. I thought it was silly to have prove my newborn was under 2 but it is protocol. If you get to the airport without it, call your pediatrician and have them send you baby's shot record.
• You are allowed to check carseats, strollers, and pack and plays for free on any airline, even if it costs to check a bag. I recommend the reusable/durable bags for your carseat because they are only covered if they are lost by the airline, not damaged.
• When you are checking in, check with the front desk to see if there is an extra seat on the plane. If so, bring your carseat through security and onto the plane. Baby will sleep so much better! If not, check it so you don't have to deal with it. 
• Bring your stroller through security to gatecheck. Since I always wear Ford through, we use the stroller for our carry ons, diaper bag, laptop bags, etc. This is nice if you have long layovers and want to stroll around the airport. 
• Preboard and sit in the back. Most airlines allow families to board after their highest ranking passengers and if you have the seat of your choice, sit in the back. It is louder in the back so if your baby screams, it is muffled by the plane sounds. You are also closer to the bathrooms.
• Pack extra diapers. If you think your baby will go through 5 diapers, bring 10! You never know if your bags will get stuck or if the altitude will cause extra poops. Be prepared to change diapers in the tiniest of bathrooms too.
• Pack 2-3 extra outfits. A friend of mine packed 2 backup outfits that her sweet baby pooped through and she had to wrap her in a sweater for the rest of the flight. We did end up having 1 blowout on the way there and I was prepared with 4 extra sets. 

Ford was really interested in the couple across from us haha

• Pack warm clothes for baby. Remember airplanes are cold, pack socks, footies, or extra blankets to keep them warm.
• For nursing moms, pack a travel nursing pillow. I have a cheap pillow I got for "free" from here that I keep in the car and decided to bring along with us. This was INCREDIBLY helpful for nursing and also just laying Ford on my lap. 
• Nurse, nurse, nurse. We nursed on take off and landings and in between. Even though we were used to a strict nursing schedule, I let him eat at his own discretion. The suckling helps baby's ears from getting clogged and nursing helps pacify an upset baby. If you don't nurse, bring bottles!
• Bring pacis. Ford didn't take a paci on his own but if you held it in his mouth he will kind of knaw/suck on it and if baby doesn't want to nurse during takeoff/landing, the paci will help their ears. 
• For older babies pack lots and lots of snacks and toys. Offer SMALL amounts of snacks eat each time so it keeps them busy (ex. 1 cheerio at a time). When they get bored of a toy, bring out another. Ford loves going through the airline magazines and playing on the Fisher Price app on our iPad.
• We did not bring a pack and play on our first trip and assumed Ford would sleep in the crib provided by the hotel. Well... those things aren't made for short people. I couldn't reach inside the crib because the rails were too tall. And the crib sheets I brought didn't fit. Ford ended up sleeping in his stroller laid back or his carrier the whole weekend. Just keep this in mind if your baby requires certain sleeping conditions

• Pack your sound machine. We have this one and it is the best thing ever invented. 
• If you feel like you've packed enough, pack a little more. Although we were in a city where we could easily go buy diapers or clothes, I wanted to be stocked and prepared. I brought a sleeve of 75 Costco diapers and we used all but about 20. Pack extra jammies in case of blowouts (but hotel soap DOES get out poop stains!). I am glad I packed an array of outfits because we were expecting cold and it was actually pretty warm.

If you have any additional questions about flying or traveling with babies/toddlers, please let me know!