As mentioned in my previous blog post, I am a new mom who’s currently exploring motherhood and all that comes with it. One new experience for Ivan and I was traveling with Emma, our then 3-month-old baby girl. When traveling with an infant, I learned that there are a number of important things that you should know, so I wanted to give you all my tips, tricks, and recommended products based on my family’s experience!
First, let’s talk about common questions that you might have to think about when it comes time for you to travel with your child.
Children under two years old do not need a ticket to fly, instead they must be registered under your ticket as lap children. It is super helpful and reasonable that children under two can fly for free, considering they might spend the entire time on your lap anyway! Just be sure you get them registered to avoid any conflict once you arrive at the airport.
If you are traveling domestically with your child, there is no ID requirement (we brought Emma’s birth certificate just in case - um hello, new mom here!) Don’t worry about the stress of having to provide identification documents for your child, other than your ticket, as long as you’re traveling within the United States. However, this does not apply if you’re traveling internationally - your child must have a passport to fly internationally.
Yes, you can bring formula and/or breastmilk on the plane because these liquids don’t follow the usual liquid restrictions. Don’t stress about this, mama. Bring the tools you need to feed your baby as you travel.
Do a diaper change before you board the plane! While we made sure she had a clean diaper before we boarded, Emma had one of her accidents on the flight back home. You can imagine the experience Ivan and I had trying to change Emma in the tiny, uncomfortable airplane bathroom while not toppling over each other and at the same, keeping her earphones from falling off! It was quite the experience, to say the least! Still, this was only one uncontrolled incident, and I would encourage you to do a diaper change before boarding the plane. It will also help your baby be less fussy.
Feeding during take-off and upon landing can help with the air pressure changes. The changes in the air pressure, as you ascend and descend, can be difficult for babies. Consider feeding during take-off and landing as sucking can alleviate the impact it could have on your baby. If you use pacifiers, make sure you bring one along!
I highly recommend getting the right gear for your baby to keep them as comfortable and busy as possible. Continue reading to find out all about the products that helped me!
To help keep your baby entertained and distracted in a new environment, it was recommended for us to bring gadgets to help. One product that was recommended was a Suction Cup Sensory Toy. The suction cup feature allows you to stick the toy to the seat, the window, or somewhere reasonably available. You just stick it on and let your baby enjoy it for as long as they possibly can! I didn’t get to bring these toys along, but you know your baby best and if these would work, then I highly recommend them!
Another product that was recommended and I did use for this purpose was a Sensory Teething Toy. It is great for our little munchers. Not only will it help with soothing teething babies, but as a sensory toy, it also encourages strong brain development at the same time.
We used earphones to tune out sound which ended up being a huge help for us! Emma is a light sleeper and even the smallest of sounds will wake her. Using Baby Ear Protection Earphones, we were able to feed her during take-off and upon landing and she was able to get some sleep. Us parents know that a lack of sleep can make children fussy and we wanted to do our best to avoid this by bringing this tool along.
The next tool isn’t for the plane, but for when you arrive at your destination. We used a Portable Sound Machine to produce white noise to help Emma sleep. Being in a new & unfamiliar place can make it hard for babies to relax. Whether you’re in the car on the way to your destination, visiting family, or a hotel, this is good to help soothe your baby from the extra noise that they might be used to.
If you feed your baby formula, this tool is for you. Portable Formula Containers help avoid having to take out the big, bulk container that the formula is originally stored in. It gives you easier access to your baby’s food which can be necessary if you need to hurry because your baby has started to fuss. The containers are also good for snacks as they get older! They stack on top of one another so that you can bring different snacks or both snacks and formula, all in one place!
Another useful tool for formula, or breastmilk, is a Portable Bottle Warmer. If you prefer to wait until you’re ready to feed your baby to prepare the bottle, you can store distilled or purified baby water in the bottle. You can also store your breastmilk or premade formula and do the same warming process. After two uses, you will need to recharge the device, but it is such a convenient tool for traveling and also while you’re out and about for the day. The device being wireless is a gamechanger because we are not always in a place that has outlets, and we don’t have to interrupt our children’s feeding schedule due to the lack of them.
Make sure you get yourself a Portable Changing Pad. Not only did I use this for travel, but it’s also useful for everyday life. I use this a lot! It has all the compartments to store everything you need while changing your little one. What makes it better is that it folds into a normal bag, making it easy to carry around. It enables you to be able to change your baby whenever you need to and avoids having to wait around for a good time. We don’t want any diaper rashes!
Planes can get very stuffy and congested, so definitely make sure you bring along a Portable Mini Fan. This is also not a product that’s only useful for the plane; anywhere you may be going that could be hot or stuffy. The fan can attach to almost anything. If you’re out and pushing your baby around in their stroller, you can clip this on to keep them cool and comfortable. You can never go wrong with bringing this along in you diaper bag.
This last item was a huge lifesaver for us. We rented out a Doona Car Seat & Stroller Combo. It is so compact and obviously doubly useful. You don’t have to bring a car seat and a stroller because the Doona is both in one! It is an investment, but an extremely useful one in my opinion. If you don’t want to purchase one, try and find a rental locally to minimize the number of things you need to bring along with you on your travels.
If you have any questions on the products, leave a comment below! Wishing you safe and prepared travels for you and your family!
Content Provided by Vanessa Luna | Written by Malia Boyd