Happy Thursday friends! I hope you are having a fabulous week. Today’s post was actually requested by various new Mamas who will be traveling with babies in the near future. In case you missed it, a few weeks ago we went on our first international trip with baby Robinson to Banff National Park in Canada. You can read all about our trip here! Robinson was only 5 months old so we definitely did not know what to expect. I am so happy {and proud!} to tell you that he did an amazing job! We even had various passengers come up and congratulate us on having such a good little traveler. Most of that is truly because he is such a good, sweet baby but I think we also did a good job preparing for the worst.
Now I am definitely no expert when it comes to traveling with a baby but I will share some tips on how we were successful. Some of these tips I learned from other more seasoned Moms and others I just learned the hard way. If you have some more tips after reading this post- please share them in the comment section!
Schedule Around Baby
If you have the flexibility to choose your flights, schedule them around babies sleeping schedule. This will make your life a whole lot easier because if you time it just right, he will sleep the whole flight! That’s what I did with Robinson. Our flight leaving Atlanta was just in time for him to go down for his afternoon nap. He then woke up for the last part of the flight and stayed up until our long second flight to Canada. He slept the whole 4 hour flight and did not wake up until we got out of the plane. Same thing happened on our flights back home. This was especially beneficial on our flight from Toronto to Atlanta during hurricane Irma. It got super bumpy when we were landing but he was out like light so it did not phase him! Phewf!
Book a Hotel Close By
Since we booked our flights for the evening, it was very important to head straight to our hotel from the airport. I booked close by hotels for the night we arrived and for the night before we left Canada. This way we could get Robinson to bed as soon as possible.
Wear Comfortable Clothes
This tip goes for you and baby- wear super comfortable clothes and easy pieces to take off during security. Since you have to carry baby through security, you want to wear something that won’t take up much time getting on and off. Also, this will just make your life easier cause you won’t have a bunch of bulk to deal with. Make sure to dress baby in comfy, warm clothes. I went ahead and put Robinson in a footie pajama so he was comfy and ready to sleep on the plane.
Bring a Stroller
This was a tip I learned from another Mom because I wasn’t sure if I had to check in my stroller. The good news is you can take your stroller all the way to your gate! Once you get to your gate go up to the service counter and check in your stroller. Make sure you do this before you start boarding because adults with babies get to board the plane first. Having my stroller was a huge help because I could put Robinson’s baby bag and my backpack in the bottom compartment.
Loaded Diaper Bag
I’m sure this is a duh but make sure you have a well stocked diaper bag for the flight. Bring enough diapers, wipes, 2 blankets {I used one to prop my arm while Robinson slept and another to cover him}, formula, bottles, pacifier, toys and portable sound machine. I bought this one on Amazon and it was great to use. I would put it close to his ear when we were taking off or when it got loud on the plane. I also love these baking soda wipes for when his toys fell on the floor. I actually use this to wipe down most his toys and anything he constantly puts in his mouth! I also love this pacifier because it pops in when it falls.
Relax and Enjoy
Try to relax and enjoy your first trip with your baby! Easier said than done, right? If your baby does have a break down, take deep breathes and remember that the flight won’t last forever. And don’t let the fear of bothering fellow passengers stress you out if baby cries. I remember never minding if a baby was crying during my flights before I had kids. I would just put my headphones on and not look at the poor Mom that was stressing over her kids crying. Now that I am a Mom I especially understand that some things are just out of our control.
I hope this post brings you some comfort and ease for your big trip with your babes! Good luck Mama, you got this!
Xo,
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