I always get a little bit antsy when I think about flying with a baby; I know I shouldn't feel that
way, (Jet has been a great little traveller thus far) yet the worry always looms in the back of my head and my imagination gets me thinking about being trapped on a plane with an
inconsolable baby....walking up and down the aisles while I get dirty looks from half asleep passengers who were woken by the
screaming!!! Ok ok, I digress, we have flown with Jet a few times now, and that has never happened... but I should count my lucky stars because I have seen it happen to other parents and there is nothing worse.
When I prepare for travel, I over-prepare for the flights, here is a list of the essential items I have found to be useful up in the air:
1. Gate-Check Bag- We purchased
this bag from Target, and it was perfect. I only just realized it isn't actually meant for use when you are checking luggage, but we used it that way and had no problems what so ever. Occasionally the airline you are using might put your car seat in a plastic bag, this red bag, served the same purpose and allowed us to squeeze a few extra essentials in along with it (Also, the price on this bag was a lot less than renting a car seat with a rental company at our destination, which was another win for me!).
2. Soothers: During take-off and landing a soother was a necessity. Babies don't know how to pop their ears during take off and landing, and a soother can make all the difference in helping them stabilize their ear pressure.
3. Diapers: I know this is a obvious one, but pack a couple extra along with an extra change of clothes, you never know what your babies body is going to do, and a diaper explosion is one of my worst nightmares; its never a bad idea to have a few too many diapers!!
4. Water Bottle: We all know how dry it can be on airplanes, and keeping hydrated is so important, pack a water bottle and ask the flight attendant to fill it with water as soon as you board.
5. Wipes, Wipes, Wipes: Kind of like diapers, another obvious one. Wipes are great for everything, washing hands and faces, wiping the seat back tray and arms of the chair... so many uses and an absolute necessity!
6. Tinker Toys: The last few times I have travelled with Jet, I have purchased in a advance a few small NEW toys specifically for the flight. As Jet gets bored, I introduce a new toy for him to play with; I only give him one toy at a time and I have found it keeps him occupied for a good amount of time before we transition to a nap or a snack.
7. Blanket: Along with keeping you and baby warm when nap time approaches, a blanket also doubles as a seat cover to keep pesky germs away.
8. Ergo Carrier: Some people might not agree with this one, but I have found it to be very useful with Jet, especially when traveling through terminals, or getting to my seat on the plane. I have found it to be a secure place for baby, and it gives me extra hands for carrying my carry-on (or Starbucks)!!
9. Baby Food Pouches: I really like these pouches of baby food, they making feeding Jet so clean and easy, especially since Jet has figured out how to suck the liquid right out of the top! I highly recommend you teach your child how to eat from these packages, it is much easier compared to the traditional methods of spoon feeding them!!
10: Snacks: Always a great way to mix things up, I try to get a couple snacks Jet hasn't tried before and introduce them to him on the plane. Most recently, I tried
PC Puffs and
PC Organics Fruit and Vegetable Snack (both were good options). I try to keep the snacks easy and avoid anything that is going to cause a huge mess.
The last tip I have is based on seat selection, if you get the chance to book your seats in advance, I highly recommend trying to book seats near the back of the plane. Jet currently flies for free and therefore his seat becomes my lap when the flight is full. If there is even one empty seat on the flight you want it to be next to you so babe has his/her own place to sit. Your odds will go up of getting this seat if you book near the back of the plane. In addition to this, if the seats on the plane come in groups of 3 and you are flying with another adult I always book both the aisle and window seat for myself and Ryan, leaving the centre seat open. The likelihood that someone will book a centre seat at the back of the plane (unless it is full) becomes less, and really even if it does get booked, the chance that centre seat person will want to keep you and your flight partner separated on the flight would be CRAZY on their part!! It is definetely worth a try to get the extra seat for babe!!
I hope some of these items and tips help you on your travels with baby. What items do you find useful when traveling? Let me know!
Good luck flying!
...xo...CS
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