Tips Traveling Infant – I’ve traveled with Kennedy on airplanes and on small trips, but I’m not an expert on traveling with a baby. But I want to share with you some things and tips that have worked for me and Kennedy while traveling! Kennedy is now five months old and I have flown with him four times (twice by myself!!!) and traveled with him three times!
My biggest tip for anyone traveling with a baby for the first time is to be prepared. I’ve already started shopping for the things I need for the flight and the itinerary, and I’ve already done all my research on what I need for the flight and what I need for the actual trip. It takes planning ahead and being organized!!! Before the trip I went BABY shopping to get everything I needed. I have been to many baby stores and buybuy BABY has by far the BEST selection and the best staff – they are always so helpful. They are very knowledgeable about each product and some of the employees I spoke to are parents themselves, so they also gave advice on their experiences with the products. Therefore, I recommend that if you have time to prepare, go to the buybuy BABY store near you and buy the products. Of course their online store is just as amazing and I love shopping their online site too!
Tips Traveling Infant
Another big tip I have is to ask your airline what you should bring for your baby. I’m flying Southwest with Kennedy and I brought his birth certificate and I had to show it at the ticket counter. If you’re flying alone like me, you can try to be more friendly or find a worker who seems nice 😉 and ask your spouse or whoever is with you to take you through security. Escort to the gate safely. The Southwest employee was really sweet and gave my husband a special pass so he could help me through security and get us to our gate! This was a blessing because I was stressed going through security with all the bags and the stroller, car seat and baby. So I even practiced at home the night before to make sure it went smoothly! haha I checked all my luggage and kept my Babyhome stroller, Maxi Cosi Mico 30 seat, Fawn diaper bag, Doc a Tot and my personal wallet for the plane. Looking back, it was a bit much to carry from the airport, but I used everything I brought. While we waited for our plane to arrive, which was over an hour, I was able to put the doctor to bed and leave him at the gate. He was playing there and having fun with his toys until the plane arrived. I wanted to keep the stroller with me so it would be easy to carry my bags and attach the dock to it. Luckily there were extra seats on the flight so I was able to bring the car seat in the seat next to me!!! This was another huge blessing and I honestly don’t know how I got through the nearly four hour flight without this extra seat. It was easy to reach down into my bags and get her bottles ready for her to move around in my arms. If you can afford to pay for an infant seat or extra seat, I absolutely say DO IT!!!!! It makes traveling so much easier! He played in his car seat most of the time and eventually fell asleep! He did not cry once and was very happy and smiling all the time. I tried not to stress and be happy and smiling with Kennedy and I think that changed his mood the whole time. Children can pick up on your mood and can pick up bad energy and become stressed and in a bad mood. On take off and landing I made sure to give him a bottle so his ears wouldn’t get blocked. Most children scream and cry during takeoff and landing because the air pressure hurts their ears. On the flight home, my husband Alex was there to help, which was good because she cried a few times this time! We brought the doctor a tot and put it on his side and he slept on it several times! This flight was also lucky for us, because we had a whole row to ourselves. From hearing stories from friends and family and my own flying experience, flying Southwest is great if you have kids. They are really family friendly and really helpful if you have kids. They change diapers in all their bathrooms, which is good because Kennedy changed about 3 diapers on the flight. Some other airlines I’ve heard of don’t have any changing seats on their planes. Southwest also allows you to check a car seat and stroller with your other luggage for free. If you are checking out the stroller and car seat, I would definitely invest in a padded cover for both. I’ve heard stories from other moms about the car seat breaking and their beautiful stroller being thrown in the trunk and transport.
How To Successfully Travel With Your Infant
For the plane and car planet, I quickly reteded liquid formula, if you are breastfeeding, it is easier to quickly!). My hands are always full and sometimes there are no hands to reach into the bag, pull everything out and take the time to mix it. So it made my trips with the baby easier. Just be careful, most airports require special screening for any liquid or water formula brought through security. You’re allowed to bring water through security if it’s for your formula, but they have to test it, which takes a lot of time. I had to bring my pre-made liquid formula. So make sure you have someone to hold your baby or have a car seat or stroller to put your baby down during this time. Sure, it was a hassle, but so much easier to get it all ready for when she’s hungry on the plane!
I also love bringing my Lille Baby carry-on wherever I go with Kennedy! I’ve used this at the airport for baggage handling and such, walking around town, at the grocery store, or when you just want to keep your baby close to you while keeping my hands free. It’s also good if you know you’re going to be out for a long time and don’t want your baby’s head to be in the car seat for too long (to avoid a flat spot).
In all of our parents’ homes in California, we had Kennedy sleep in a bundle like the one listed above. It was great because it fits his doctor and it’s easy to go into another room if we need to see him. I used and brought the Babyhome stroller the entire trip in California because it’s so light and fits in people’s cars easily. It’s really compact and fits in cars when we had all the luggage. I also like that it has a large basket on the bottom for shopping and storing all her things. I bought Maxi Cosi car seat attachments to go with our car seat which is a Maxi Cosi Mico 30. I also used the Blooming tub during my three week stay in California. It fits in most kitchen sinks and is easy to tune and install. It folds up nicely and didn’t take up too much space in my suitcase.
We traveled with Kennedy to Austin, Texas last month and that also took a little planning. Planning out her clothes, toys, and essentials ahead of time takes a lot of hassle and time, but I think things go a lot easier this way. For travel I always make sure I bring a portable changing bag and bags to put dirty diapers in. I’ve used this in the car for a quick change, the hotel, or when we’re out and about. It’s nice to have those little diaper bags to put clothes that have a blast while on the plane or in the car.
Traveling With Baby
I hope you found my travel tips article useful! Please comment or email me with any questions and I’ll be happy to answer them! XOXO
*This post is in collaboration with buybuy BABY, my favorite brand. All opinions here are my own.
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