Flying with babies

I have been through BOS, JFK, DCA, MIAMI, PWM and many other airports with at least one baby in tow. They all have different policies and procedures. We had baby bottles, water, sippy cups, and juice. Yes I said WATER. It must be in a cooler and all together. It does NOT need to be 4 oz or less. You bring what YOU need for your child(ren). We brought as little as possible. All you need is 1 or 2 bottles, water, and powdered formula.

We packed 2 small Advent bottles that could hold 6 oz, 1 large water bottle that we could refill, and a small container of formula. There were no worries of needing more formula at any time.

Let security know you have bottles and/or juice boxes for you little one(s). They will ask that the coolers be left out. They will wand them or scan them off to the side depending upon the airport procedures. It can be a hassle but it is worth it!

You know you will have more than enough to carry, hopefully you won't be flying alone. A stroller and the diaper bag does not count as a carry on. If you are traveling alone, try to pack one bag and hope you can make do.

This is all we packed and made it to our destination.

• Diapers
• Bottles
• Formula
• Finger snacks
• Juice
• Reusable water bottle
• Changing pad
• Wipes
• Cooler
• Bib - Easier than a burp cloth when in a rush.
• 2-3 toys/books
• Change of clothes

Remember you can stop at a store when you reach your destination.

Remember your own ears will pop as the plane hits different altitudes and the cabin pressure changes. Store's sell ear plugs to help your babies ears. I recommend a bottle or pacifier at this time and putting your fingers in their ears to relieve the pressure as the plane ascends and descends. Yes, your baby may scream or cry. When we took our son in a plane for the first time we counted to 3 as we hit the point of our ears popping so he wasn't so scared. It worked for us!

Walk with your baby, sing, read the books you brought or the ones on the plane. Make everything interesting! Don't show any frustration or impatience you may have. Talk to people. Make it fun for your baby or you may never want to fly again.

Bring the minimum! If your child can be a lap baby, bag the car seat, and tag it with luggage. They make bags specifically designed travel bags for car seats so that the seat doesn't get damaged. Make sure you purchase your tickets before hand and get there early enough so you don't have to wait in lines.

Little ones seem to get antsy in carriers, so, if that doesn't work for you bring an umbrella stroller. Just remember the carrier and/or stroller must go on the belt with your carry on's during the security check because you need to carry your child through the scanner, unless they can walk.