travel advice – KIDDOS AND CARRY-ONS

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!

This was supposed to be a Top Ten List but quickly became longer as I thought of more tips. In no particular order…

Our car seat backpacks are purple and grey to easily differentiate between each child’s seat.

1. If you bring a car seat, use it like another free checked bag. We use these car seat travel backpacks and they’ve been a game changer. They cost about $40 and are padded, but you can find less durable, cheaper ones. We only bought these after having our second child and knew we’d be doing a lot of travel over the next few years. Before buying these we always covered our car seat in bubble wrap and then put it in a big garbage bag. And this is key: before bagging the seat fill it with lots of diapers, wipes, and other baby gear, liquids, etc. that you’re not allowed or able to fit in your carry on.

2. TRY to travel as light as possible… although everyone knows traveling with kids means packing a lot of gear, it’s possible to downsize.

Borrow a crib or pack n’ play from your hotel/apartment rental. (I’ve never stayed at a hotel that won’t offer a crib, and to my surprise many AirBnBs/apartment rentals can provide a pack n’ play. Just ask).
If possible, leave the car seat at home. Rent one or take cabs that provide one (…yes, these exist and yes, they cost a bit more money).

3. Acquire a SinkBoss (portable sink and drying rack) if your baby/toddler uses bottles or sippy cups. This will be your best friend in hotels. It allows you to wash/sanitize bottles and pacifiers without putting them into the bathroom sink (whose cleanliness is often questionable). Then you can air dry them on its rack and hang it from the shower or towel rails (very helpful when you don’t have much/any counter space in the room). It folds up compactly and can fit nicely at the bottom of a suitcase. $35. www.sinkboss.com

Best place for a nap is the Ergobaby 360. (We love this carrier because baby can face in or out, or go on the back).

4. Use a baby carrier or lightweight umbrella stroller. My favorite carriers are wraps (Boba, Moby, Solly, K’tan, or sling wraps) for little babies and structured carriers (Ergo, BabyBjorn) for older babies. We brought our normal stroller along on one trip and it was nothing but a hassle. Another option is buying a cheap umbrella stroller (oftentimes you can find them at a drugstore for $10-15) at your destination and then donate it before you leave. I’d call around before your trip, though, to ensure a store carries them, especially if you need something within walking distance of your hotel.

5. If your budget allows, get TSA pre-check ($85 for five years) or Global Entry ($100 for five years). Global Entry membership is probably the most significant travel investment we’ve made and it saves a ton of time and hassle at the airport. It does involve a 20-30 minute interview as part of the application process. Note: Children can piggyback on parents’ pre-check service but they need their own Global Entry membership.

6. If you’re traveling with a lot of gear or multiple children, bring a collapsible wagon instead of the stroller. You can check it at the gate just like you would a stroller but it’s able to carry more gear at the airport.

Car seat… baby… drinks… snacks… backpacks… throw it all in a wagon!

7. If you have multiple toddlers/babies pack their clothes in packing cubes and pack the cubes in with your own luggage. Toddler and baby clothes are small so they often don’t take up much room. Bonus: If the cubes are a different color for each kid you can easily pull out a specific kid’s clothes more quickly.

8. Dress your children wisely for the plane. Dress a baby in footie pajamas even if it’s not cold outside. Planes are often chilly for a baby and with footies you don’t have to worry about losing those tiny shoes and socks.

9. Use screen time to the max. This works especially well if you try to curb screen time at home because it’s a real treat for kids to get unlimited screen time on the plane. My toddler only knows that two shows exist: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. She loves them both and will happily watch them all day if we let her (and spent like 9 hours watching Daniel Tiger on our recent 14 hour flight). Obviously, all kids are different and we just happened to get a toddler who loves these shows. Bring a tablet and make sure it’s charged. Bring an external battery. As for headphones, we’ve used these ones but also have no qualms about setting the volume low and letting her listen out loud. I’m pretty sure fellow passengers would rather listen to “It’s a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood” than my toddler’s fussing.

10. Bring lots of snacks. Animal Crackers, Goldfish, Cheez-its and veggie straws are easy along with fruit/veggie pouches. Also consider that salty snacks help kids get thirsty so they’ll drink water on the flight which is important for staying healthy during travel. I try to avoid anything that can melt or get sticky.

11. Carry a two-day supply of everything in the diaper bag because what if your flight is delayed and you’re stranded in the Charlotte airport after stores have closed and you’ve run out of diapers and baby food and a clean change of clothes? Just sayin’.

12. Throw a few garbage bags into your luggage. They have so many uses in a pinch: blackout curtains for hotel room (if they’re black), dirty laundry bag, rain poncho, etc. I’ve also heard that if you line the bottom and top of your suitcase with a garbage bag then the slippery surface keeps your clothes from wrinkling…. I’ve never tried it because frankly I don’t really care about wrinkled clothes. We pack extra smaller ziploc bags, too, for leaky liquids, etc.

13. Count your suitcases, purse, backpacks, diaper bag, car seats, wagon, etc. and keep the number in your head. This is the quickest way to ensure you have all of your stuff when you’re hustling around an airport. (Bigger families may want to conduct a kid count as well. My mom was left behind at a gas station during a family road trip during her childhood. They came back for her, but.. yeesh.)

Find yourself an AirBnB with an awesome clawfoot tub (like this one in Montreal)!

14. At your destination, opt for an apartment instead of a hotel, if that’s a possibility. The popularity of AirBnB has made this much more feasible in the last few years and it’s often a cheaper option than a hotel. An apartment with a fridge and microwave can be a life saver with babies, especially if you’re pumping and storing milk.

15. Make showering with your little one a semi-regular thing if you plan to travel frequently, especially abroad. Chances are you will have to stay somewhere without a bath if you travel internationally. Might as well acclimate kids to the shower early.

Even tiny toddlers can carry their essentials… like stuffed puppy.

16. If kids are old enough, make them carry their own bag/backpack. If you have multiple children, give each kid a different color bag. We have our toddler carry her own small backpack filled with in-flight entertainment, snacks, and her adored stuffed puppy.

17. Try to relax, even if your kid is screaming. It’s likely that you are devastated and doing everything you can to help soothe your child. Nowadays, most everyone has (or can ask a flight attendant for) headphones on the plane to drown out the noise of crying babies. Many people will be understanding, and those who aren’t either don’t have kids or are terrible people so, really, who cares?

We have much more advice when it comes to family travel and will expand on these ideas in subsequent posts. What are your top tips for traveling with kids?

Tag: travel advice

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