flying with baby – KIDDOS AND CARRY-ONS

Infants are some of the easiest travel companions– seriously! Some babies are more fussy than others, but compared to crawlers and walkers, infants are a whole lot easier to manage on flights IMHO. They don’t need snacks or Daniel Tiger, they sleep a lot, and they stay in one place. Aside from some necessary documentation, all infants really need for a flight is to be fed, clean, and warm.

Before having kids I would often pack for trips at the last moment— now, I start packing days in advance to alleviate any last-minute stress before leaving for airport (…for more about handy gear to pack, click here).

Here’s a quick checklist to help prepare before your first (or 30th) flight with a little one:

Birth Certificate. The rules are different for each airline but it’s always a good idea to have it on hand just in case. (Even for older babies/toddlers it’s a good idea to have ID on hand because many airlines require proof that the baby is under two for “lap child” status, even when it’s obvious).

Passport (if flying internationally). Apply well in advance (at least two months unless you want to pay extra to expedite). Baby passport photos are one of my favorite things.

Global Entry Card (if you use that service). While babies can piggyback on their parents’ TSA precheck, they must have their own Global Entry card to use the service when flying internationally. Babies must go through the interview process, which is kind of hilarious. It took longer to process and receive our baby’s card because she wasn’t able to be fingerprinted (too squirmy).

Proper Clothes. At least two extra outfits for baby plus a change of clothes for yourself. I suggest footie pajamas to keep baby warm on plane and so that you don’t have to worry about losing tiny socks. My two month old had a diaper blow-out in the first hour of a fourteen hour flight, so… changes of clothes are a necessity for both you and baby.

Blanket. We use lightweight muslin swaddles (like these ones by Aden and Anais– they’re not cheap but after being used by two babies and having countless washes they look brand new) to keep baby warm on flights, clean up spit up, and as a nursing cover.

Breastmilk or Formula (plus accompanying bottles and nipples). For more on feeding baby in flight, click here.

Diapers, wipes, and changing pad. You know your baby best and about how many diapers you’ll need, but pack for worst case scenario (i.e. stuck on tarmac for hours and then a missed connecting flight).

Hand Sanitizer (wipes or mini bottles) for yourself and to rub down your seat tray (most bacteria-ridden spot on plane) because baby’s immune system is immature.

Medicines in a ziploc bag. We pack Benadryl, Ibuprofen, and Tylenol. Don’t forget a measuring syringe. TSA will likely open the medicine to check it.

Pacifier and clips (and extras!) if your baby likes them. These are good for relieving ear pressure on take-off and landing, although nursing or drinking from bottle has same effect. We use pacifier clips so they don’t get lost/drop on dirty ground.

Plastic bag for dirty clothes or dirty diapers.

Sling or soft carrier for travel through the airport. I use a Boba, Solly or Wildbird Sling but they are all pretty comparable. This allows you to have two hands free to carry luggage, present your boarding pass and ID, etc. It also often keeps baby snuggly and calm/asleep.

On some long domestic flights and international flights you’re able to request a seat assignment with a bassinet for your infant (with a surcharge of course). We haven’t had the opportunity to do this, but think it would be a game changer on long flights.

If you’re flying with more than one “lap child” we think it’s worth choosing two seats that are across the aisle from one another. We do this for two reasons: a) some planes don’t have enough face masks to accomodate more than one baby in each row and therefore don’t allow two lap children in one row and b) this gives you a better chance of having at least one open seat next to you.

Okay parents with infants, what have I missed?

Bad title, important topic. No matter whether you nurse, pump, or formula feed your baby, figuring out how to do it in the air can be intimidating. Just writing this post is bringing back negative feelings from when my first child was an infant and I tried to figure out the logistics of feeding her on a twenty hour journey.

I nursed, pumped, and bottle fed baby #1, so I now have a good grasp of how to do each of these on planes (but would love advice from others– comment below!) I feel like the larger discussion around this topic, the better for all of us. Below is my break-down for how to feed your baby en route and at the airport, as well as the best way to acquire cow’s milk at the airport for your older baby/toddler:

En Route

Nursing

Duh, if your baby nurses well you are obviously going to want to nurse her per usual. I just completed a fourteen hour flight with my two month old and she easily nursed like normal throughout the flight. It’s hands down the easiest way to go if you can manage/are comfortable nursing in public. Just think of all those bottles you don’t have to pack and sanitize! If you don’t feel comfortable nursing in public this is tricky because airplane bathrooms are not conducive to nursing and there’s virtually nowhere else to go that’s private. If you want the most privacy, opt for a window seat. I’ve found that a soft baby carrier (Moby, Solly, Boba, K’tan, etc.) thrown over you can provide more privacy and I always travel with my baby in a carrier through the airport anyway. Remember, even people against breastfeeding in public (who are these monsters?!) should be glad you’re attempting to keep your baby quiet and calm along the journey.

Pumping

This is more complicated but totally doable on the plane, if need be. Know your rights. Pumps are considered a medical device and should not count against your carry on allowance. Some airlines require you to flag a medical device 48 hours before your trip– check with your specific airline. If you need to pump on the plane, I’d also check with your airline about the availability of a power outlet at your seat.

I imagine that pumping would be extremely difficult if you were not flying with a partner to hold the baby while you pump. My only suggestion would be to buy your baby a seat (and bring the car seat on board) so that you could manage the space to pump. Pumps can be cumbersome and I opted to use a manual pump on the plane so I didn’t have to worry about cords, the noise, etc. But do keep in mind that planes are loud once they’re up in the air so even the noisiest pumps probably wouldn’t be very noticeable. There are also pumps that are verrrrrry quiet. The Spectra is almost silent compared to the Medela Pump-in-Style which is relatively loud. If you’re going to need to pump several times over the course of a long haul flight, portable pump cleaners are a way to sanitize the pump parts between sessions. I have these ones, and they’ve worked well. You can also buy “Pump and Save” bags so that you don’t need to worry about packing and sanitizing extra bottles. Also keep in mind that flight attendants are there to help you, so you could always ask the attendant for help making this work (perhaps space in the galley could be curtained off).

*My advice is focused on traveling with kids but I also want to note that you don’t need to travel with a baby to travel with your pump or breast milk.

**If you’re traveling abroad, make sure your pump will work with the voltage at your destination or will work with a travel adapter. Or bring a battery operated pump.

Bottle Feeding

In order to bottle feed baby on a long flight, you’ll need to make sure to bring enough sanitized bottles and nipples to last the entire journey plus a few extras in case of delays. Same goes for breast milk or formula: pack more than necessary for your journey. There is really nothing worse than being hours from your destination knowing that you’re completely out of milk. TSA liquid regulations don’t apply to formula or breastmilk. In order to avoid a hectic situation in a long security line, I would recommend flagging down a TSA agent while you’re in line in order to declare your baby’s liquids and separate from the rest of your belongings. I would buy room temperature bottled water once I was through security if I needed it for formula. I pre-measured formula into my clean bottles so they were ready to go minus the water. If the bottle needs to be warmed you can ask the flight attendant for hot water during the flight.

You’re allowed to travel through security with a “reasonable amount” of breastmilk. TSA agents often will ask to open the milk to test it. If you don’t want them opening it, you can ask for “alternate screening procedures” which I think consists of a pat down and bag inspections but I’m not completely sure. I advise carrying the milk in a small lunch bag size bag (I have this one and it works just fine and fits nicely in a diaper bag) with ice packs or frozen grapes as coolers and also bringing empty sandwich bags to fill with ice at the airport or on the plane. In the name of packing lightly: breast milk storage bags make great ice packs. Also remember that frozen milk bags are, in effect, ice packs.

In order to cut down on the number of bottles I packed, I took one trip using Playtex bottles with liners. I only had to pack one bottle, nipples, and liners for each feed. This allowed me to forget about sanitizing bottles.

Navigating the Airport

Some airports have “Mother’s Rooms” where nursing moms can nurse or pump in private. I’ve seen very few nice ones, I’ve seen terrible ones, and more often than not I see that these don’t exist or they’re located too far to walk to before or between flights. The Friendly Airports for Mothers Act was passed in October 2018 and requires all medium-sized and large airports to provide lactation rooms in each terminal and they must be a non-bathroom space. So that’s a step in the right direction. In addition, these awesome pods are gaining support around the country and will hopefully pop up in more places: https://www.mamava.com/ (There’s even an app that allows you to locate a pod in airports around North America).

A Note Re: Cow’s Milk

My husband and I have been surprised by the number of airlines that don’t carry milk on board flights. If you have an older baby or toddler who drinks cow’s milk, it can be tricky to ensure you have milk for your flight. Many of the little marts in airports only carry skim milk (or don’t carry any milk at all), but we’ve had success asking coffee shops (Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, etc.) for cups of whole milk. We carry this type of thermos which keeps the milk cold for more than 12 hours and then we bring along our toddler’s favorite no-spill cups on the plane and pour the milk from the thermos into her cup as needed. We also have these silicone lid covers and straws that allow us to cover any cup (like the plastic ones on the plane) to make them spill proof.

How have you managed flights with your nursing or bottle fed baby or toddler? I’d love to hear more tips!

Tag: flying with baby

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