We braved our second airplane ride with a baby! We took the same trip and stayed at the same hotel as our first trip with a baby, however, this time she is 7 months older. Below are the products we found most useful for traveling with an infant and a few tips based on our experience on a plane and in a hotel. xoxo
Feeding: Dr. Brown’s Travel Formula Dispenser with Lid, Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® Anti-Colic Newborn Bottles, and OXO Tot Travel Size Drying Rack with Bottle Brush were still crucial for traveling while bottle feeding. Now that we are starting to incorporate solid foods, we did have to pack quite a few extra things. The mushie Silicone Baby Feeding Spoons and mushie Silicone Suction Bowl were easy to wash in the hotel room and dried quickly on the same drying rack we used for bottles. I typically cook all of our baby food myself, but traveling with refrigerated items sounded like such a hassle. I found these Peter Rabbit Organics pouches at Whole Foods and felt they were a clean nonrefrigerated option. We knew that we would be dining out for most meals, so I also packed plenty Comfy Cubs Muslin Baby Bibs, Hippypotamus Disposable Placemats, and the Inglesina Fast Table Chair. The chair took up most of my suitcase and we probably could have gotten along without it, but since we are new to restaurant highchairs it did prove useful on a few occasions.
Note: We traveled with a sealed container of powder formula in our carry-on suitcase. While this is allowed by TSA, a chemical on the packaging flagged our suitcase and they had to search our bag (this happened on our first trip as well). On the trip home, we put the remaining formula in our checked bag to avoid the hassle. A few friends had similar stories, so I recommend packing any formula on top of your carry-on for an easy search. TSA has different rules for flying with breast milk. I packed the baby food pouches in our checked luggage since they were less important than the formula and to avoid hassle.
Transportation: This is probably the last airplane trip where we can use the Doona Infant Car Seat, and we will greatly miss the convenience! The Padded Travel Bag, BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Mini, and Pacifier Clip Holder were once again useful on the plane ride. I planned our first trip to align with bottle feedings, so I could feed at takeoff a help with ear pressure. This trip was more difficult to schedule with feedings, so we relied on the pacifier to help with ear pressure and had no issues at all. At 10 months, we were much more aware of our surroundings, particularly the drink cart, so there was less napping on the airplane. I packed plenty of books and these Suction Cup Spinner Toys for entertainment.
Note: You do have to walk through security holding your little one (even with pre-check) and strollers will go through the belt scanner. When you check a stroller at the gate, they will also unload them at the gate and not through baggage claim. When we arrived back at DFW they were slower than we were coming off the plane and an employee told us strollers would be at baggage claim. This was not the case and we had to go back through security to get our stroller at the gate. A few friends had similar stories, so spare yourself and wait at the gate for your stroller!
Sleep: Since we were flying and staying in a hotel, it was easier to coordinate a crib in our room than fly with a pack-n-play. We had no issues coordinating this at the Hilton property we stayed at, but I did check a few hotel reviews in the area to confirm the cleanliness of rooms and cribs (you would not believe some reviews). I also packed a crib sheet and used it over the hotel-provided one. The Yogasleep Hushh Portable White Noise Sound Machine and Kyte Baby Sleep Bag made sleeping in a hotel room a breeze.
Note: When we go to the lake for a long weekend we travel with the Eufy Life S340 Smart Sock and Monitor. However, when staying at a hotel the monitor and smart sock would not connect to the hotel wifi. We ended up with the crib next to our bed, but you might consider a Bluetooth monitor or a secure hotspot to keep the crib in a separate part of the room.
Diapers: I packed our diapers in the carry-on suitcase so that no matter what happened we would not end up strapped for diapers. I also packed the Joey Changing Kit and these Ubbi Retractable On the Go Bags Dispenser for Travel for changing diapers in our hotel room. I bagged all our diapers up as a courtesy to the cleaning staff and to keep our room from stinking.
Note: I am always shocked to find most public restrooms are not accommodating for babies and airports are no exception. In both the DFW and Atlanta airport I found one changing table per restroom (always in the way of a line or the sinks) and one handicap stall that would fit a stroller. Keep this in mind when planning your diaper changes, you might have to wait for another mom to finish or for a line to die down.
Packing: It is amazing how much you have to pack for the smallest member of your family! We ended up packing all the baby necessities in a carry-on suitcase and checked a bag with our things to keep from carrying too much on the plane. I carried everything we needed during the flight in my large tote including bottles, diapers and wipes, a change of clothes for both of us, and a few books and toys. We often take long weekend trips to the lake and I can easily fit everything a baby could need in this Lands’ End Zip Top Long Handle Canvas Tote Bag.
Other baby-related posts:
Traveling with an Infant (3 months)
