Baby’s First Flight: 10 Tips to Save Your Sanity
Beckham’s first flight to Disney World
Taking a baby on a flight is pretty intimidating. In fact, it may be one of the things I dreaded most about taking a vacation. For many parents, a baby's first flight is a total breeze (especially if they’re under one!) and he or she may sleep the entire time, or be wide awake and adorable. Just in case, here are some tips for flying with a baby to ensure you’re extra prepared.
1) Use an overnight diaper. I have not experienced this, but I could not imagine changing a baby in a tiny airplane bathroom. One of my most utilized tips for flying with a baby is to wait until just before boarding to do a diaper change in the airport and change them into an overnight diaper. If you are taking a short 2-3 hour flight, you likely will not need to change them again until you land—unless, of course, you are very unlucky and your baby has a stinky diaper.
2) Pack sanitizing wipes. Airports and planes are filled with germs and often times our family catches something right after flying. Your curious, sweet baby will likely want to touch everything! Make life a bit easier on yourself and grab some wipes. It’s best to have non-scented sanitizing wipes for the plane as fragrance can cause an allergic reaction to people in close quarters.
3) Encourage your little one to eat and drink, especially during take off and the descent. Having a child who is chewing or sucking will help prevent air pressure build-up in their ears. I was still nursing when I flew with my 9-month old and he was happy to nurse anytime I offered, so we really lucked out and avoided ear pain for all four of our flights to and from Disney. You can offer a bottle or a special treat to get them eager to chew—small bites of a soft muffin or spoonfuls of yogurt purchased at a store in the airport would also help soothe them and hopefully minimize any ear popping. If your baby is not interested in eating or drinking, a pacifier will work just fine.
4) Play with a fidget cube. This brilliant toy has zero noise (a must for a plane ride!) and has plenty of fun textures and pop-its to keep your baby busy. Plus, it is small enough to fit perfectly in their hands. We’ve used this toy for long car rides and it worked perfectly to entertain and distract our little man when we flew to Disney.
5) Pack a spare change of clothes. For both of you! Trust me, the last thing you want is to be stuck at the airport or on a plane with wet (or even worse, spit up) clothes. Stick an extra outfit for you each in your carryon, just in case. I have to say, during our flight home we realized our son was not feeling good. Our 2 hour layover in Atlanta felt like 5 and he threw up on me twice. I did not have an extra shirt packed for me, so it was the ultimate Mom fail that I will not let happen to you. Pack the extra shirt.
6) Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Applesauce pouches, Cheerios, teething biscuits and Bambas are all great options—as long as your baby is old enough to eat them and has had practice doing so. When we’re out of the house and I sense my son getting fussy, a snack is always my first line of defense.
7) Bring breastmilk or formula. Thankfully, breastmilk, pre-mixed formula or water in a bottle to use with formula is not subject to TSA’s 3 oz limit. Their only request is to make sure it is a reasonable quantity and be prepared to have it separately examined. We were nursing, so I didn’t bring milk, but I brought my Stanley tumbler and filled it with water at the airport once I got through security, and then brought a cup for my baby who was at that time drinking out of a straw. He really liked this munchkin cup from about 7 months to 10 months and once he hit 11 months we tried the leak-free Zak cups and he is a huge fan of those, especially the Bluey design!
8) Book direct flights. Another one of the best tips for flying with a baby is to book direct flights if possible. I am here to attest that when flying solo with a baby who is fussy, you will wish you didn’t have that layover and second flight.
9) Pre-board is a must. Many airlines will give you the opportunity to pre-board if you have babies or young children. You will appreciate the extra time to get on the plane, get settled and organize all the things before others begin to board.
10) Schedule flights that fall within your baby’s nap times. We are a morning bunch and prefer that first flight out. Our son is happiest in the morning, so even if he’s awake for that first flight… he’s generally in a really great mood. But I’d also recommend, and we’ve benefited from, flights where the baby sleeps the entire flight. When we went to Disney we had two flights to Orlando and two flights home, so I can see both sides of the coin. You know your baby best, so plan accordingly!
Reach out if I can help plan your next Disney trip or drop your own Walt Disney World advice in the comments below! 🫶🏻
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