13 Tips For Flying Alone With A Baby
Before hauling Nate to Saint Louis last week, my husband and I had already flown with him 4 times. Each time was relatively easy, minus two blowouts and some fussiness on the last flight due to him catching a virus while we were away. So when I decided to fly with Nate solo to get some help from my mom while my husband’s been working late this summer, I figured it couldn’t be that bad. I mean… we had already experienced traveling with a baby and it was totally doable, right?
I booked a late afternoon flight to make sure Nate was able to get in his morning nap at home and figured he’d take his second nap on the plane, like old times. Boy, was I wrong. Granted, Nate has seriously struggled with sleep until the day we sleep trained at 5 months, but I thought coinciding the flight with nap time, plus the built in white noise would be the perfect environment for him to doze. NOPE! Instead I spent well over two and a half hours trying to console an overtired, restless, and worst of all… full baby. It was a near impossible job from the middle seat, sitting next to a guy who took no interest in his little seat-mate and was less than thrilled every time Nate tried to grab his arm, laptop, and (thankfully) empty cup of coke. Guys, I was THAT mom. The one with the crying baby who everyone silently detests or secretly thanks Gd for since it’s not “their baby” causing the ruckus.
The important thing is that we made it, but the experience taught me a lot about what I could have done to make it easier, so here I am imparting whatever wisdom I can. Take it or leave it! And definitely feel free to add additional tips in the comments below.
1. Check your bag and only keep a backpack with you.
Going through the airport and security with a stroller and baby was hard enough without any extra luggage. It was also much easier to board and deplane with just a backpack that fit right under the seat in front of me.
2. Wear something with pockets.
My personal favorite: Pact Pocket Leggings. It was so helpful being able to stash my phone, AirPods, boarding pass, and ID in my pockets. Just remember to empty any electronics from you pockets while going through security.
3. Consider bringing a baby carrier.
I received this tip multiple times, but ultimately decided to leave the carrier at home since I’d only used it once prior, but then I got to security and realized I literally did not have enough hands. I ended up having to put Nate on the gross airport carpet while I folded up the stroller, took off my shoes, got my laptop out, removed my jacket... It was pure chaos as I held up the line trying to do it all myself while simultaneously chasing after my crawling babe.
4. Accept any help offered.
People were SO kind when the saw me struggling. They helped me lift the stroller, reminded me to pull the pacifier clips off the carseat so they wouldn’t touch the belt, even offered to hold Nate. *Note that carseats need to be folded and flipped upside down to go through the x-ray machine.
5. Pack a bottle.
I didn’t even realize I had packed Nate a bottle of water, but one perk of flying with a baby is that the liquid rules don’t apply. They simply tested the water and we were on our way. The same applies to formula if you use.
6. Change your baby at the gate.
This may not prevent having to change your baby on the plane in the case of a 💩 diaper, but I felt better giving Nate a fresh diaper before we left, especially since we ended up sitting on the plane for 40 minutes before take-off.
7. Pack a plastic shopping bag for dirty diapers.
Maybe pack a couple in case of a blowout. Trust me, you’ll want somewhere to put the dirty clothes.
8. Keep your baby hungry until you take off (if you can).
The worst mistake I could have possibly made was giving Nate a food pouch at the gate. He was getting fussy since it was nap time and kept trying to grab the pouch out of my backpack’s side pocket, so I decided to let him have some. Besides the fact that he got it all over himself, I had curbed his appetite so much that for pretty much the first time in his life, he refused to nurse on the plane. I could barely get him to nurse during takeoff and my plan to let him eat until he passed out got completely derailed. That said, definitely bring a food pouch with you though. They’re super convenient for meal time and you never know when you’re gonna get stuck in the airport all day.
9. Keep the necessities accessible.
I meticulously packed a small diaper bag with all the essentials, but when we found ourselves crammed in a middle seat, I physically couldn’t reach under the seat while holding Nate to grab the wipes I needed in the moment.
10. Wear a nursing shirt or dress.
Just makes things easier if you’re planning on nursing on the plane. I don’t even bother with nursing covers anymore since I always travel with a stroller blanket.
11. Pack snacks.
Ideally ones you both can enjoy, otherwise you’ll just have little fingers grabbing at your food the whole time. Bamba is a great option. Cheerios. Jicama sticks. Nothing too messy.
12. Ask at the gate if there’s room to bring your Doona on the plane.
A part of me was very grateful to have a place to put Nate for a couple minutes at a time (the longest he would sit without screaming), but the other part of me wished I had gate checked it so I could have easily made my way to the back of the plane with Nate, which we didn’t do since the Doona is so heavy and hard to move through the aisle.
13. Try to book a flight that coincides with nap time.
I know this didn’t work for us, but if Nate were the type of baby that could fall asleep anywhere, this would have been amazing for keeping him on a good schedule.
There’s plenty more to add about flying in general, like feeding your baby during takeoff and landing to avoid ears from popping or what to pack in your diaper bag, but this post is dedicated to the tips I wish I knew before flying alone with my 7 month old. Good luck, Mamas! We got this!
xx Esther
