Travelling with Baby... Tips & Tricks to Keep Baby Happy and You Sane!

My husband and I have the vacation bug so we travel as often as we can. Since James is under two we are trying to take advantage of not paying full-fare for him. So far we have flown with James to Halifax, NY, San Juan(cruise), Bangkok, Phuket, Bali, and Singapore! I know, he's very well traveled for being under a year! Too bad he won't remember the trips but we have lots of pictures to show him later!

Here is some basic info and my tips for travel with baby:

Airfare cost for children under 2:

• In Canada: free
• To the US: nominal fee, I believe around $25.
• International: 10% of adult fare.

When is the best time to travel?:

This is a trick question because it depends on your child and whether or not you are taking a short, medium, or long haul flight.

Short Haul Flight (under 3 hrs): I think it's best to travel in the daytime or plan it so that you land around bedtime. This is a relatively quick flight so the child can stay awake with you and play etc, perhaps taking a nap. The second suggestion was that you choose to land around bedtime so that once you arrive there is a quick transition of putting the child to sleep. If this is the case, it's easier to dress your little one if their PJ's for the flight. If you do travel during bedtime, you'll interrupt their sleep which will probably make for a long night ahead for everyone. Lol!

Medium Haul Flight (3-6 hrs): Ok, this one could go either way. If you are doing 3-4 hrs follow the advice for short haul. If you are doing 4-6 hrs follow the advice for long haul.

Long Haul Flight (6+ hrs): I think the best time to travel is bedtime or maybe a few hours before bedtime. This way the baby will sleep through the duration of the flight. If you can still get a bassinet, then you are in luck. The gentle vibration of the plane will keep them asleep when not in your arms. We weren't lucky enough to get one on all our flights. Also before putting your baby in the bassinet please check the weight restraints as age isn't enough. As an additional safety precaution don't sleep while the child is in the bassinet just in case they wake up and try to escape. If you do happen to travel during the day be prepared to entertain your child during most of the flight which is exhausting for the parent and sometimes frustrating. having done both option on flights over 12 hrs each I highly recommend to travel during bedtime.

What to bring on the plane:

• Milk: If it's formula pack water, numerous bottles, and ample formula. I would suggest bringing double what you'd normally use. I nursed James so I just made sure I kept drinking and eating.
• Baby Food: Same as above, travel with double what you think you'd need. James sometimes wanted 1 bite and I'd have to throw an entire jar away. We went through this exercise about 4 times on one flight!
• Water & Snacks: Baby Mum Mums, Gerber Graduates Puffs, Cheerios, Fairlee cereal cookies, grapes, etc. Whatever your child likes that won't go bad on the flight.
• Toys, toys, toys: Favorite toys are a must and some new ones if you have any. James loves his slinky so we didn't want to forget that! And remember the longer the flight the more toys & books needed.
• Blanket: You never know what temp it'll be on the flight. I bring a receiving blanket and a fleece one.
• Wipes: You'll need these to clean the tray table, arm rests, remote, or basically anything baby can get their hands on. It's better to take precaution before your little one catches a cold or virus before your vacation even starts.
• Medicine: I traveled with infant tylenol, pedialyte, colic relief, teething relief, prescription diarrhea medicine, and prescription vomit medicine. These were part of the "just in case" kit I made with a few other things, ie thermometer, baby vicks. Sadly I could go on. Lol! I know you might not need all these during flight, but if you are travelling with some of these anyway just keep them handy in the baby bag.

How to keep you and baby comfy:

• Nurse/Bottle Feed/Pacifier:  As my friend Jennifer reminded me, use one of these during ascent and descent as this is when the pressure is greatest on your little one's ears.
• Neck pillow: This is  good  for mom to relax, but better for when baby is sleeping. After James was asleep I carefully switched the pillow in the place of my arm. This way your arm won't fall asleep and you'll have time to eat, relax, etc!
• Extra legroom seats: This tip may cost you. Sometimes the airline will reserve bassinet seating which are the seats with more legroom for free, but if they don't I think you should consider it. Airplane seats are cramped and this results in your little one kicking the seat in front of you, wanting to stand when there is no room etc. Even better would be to get Business or First Class seats, then you will have ample space!
• Go for a walk: If your baby is getting fussy sometimes it helps to change scenery. We would take James for walks around the plane, I called it "doing laps". We'd stop and talk to the flight attendants, look out the windows, etc. I think he enjoyed them.
• Baby Carrier: Although I didn't personally use one, I did have one with me. I had a cloth wrap that I intended on using as a sling to help with nursing and to support James while sleeping. I went on YouTube and looked at videos on how to do so. Perhaps you can also explore other ways to use your carrier to benefit you on your flight. 

These are just my pointers from personal experience. I hope this helps you when planning your next trip. Have you flown with your baby, please share your experience and any tips you might have with us by leaving a comment below!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Here's James sleeping on the neck pillow on his first flight when he was 3.5 months: