10 Travel Essentials for Flying with a Newborn | Mama Tips
Traveling with a newborn can be immensely stressful, but there are ways to “plan away” some of the uncertainty.
A good checklist can make all the difference in the world for your sanity and level of zen.
My biggest concern when traveling with my kids as infants was their health and safety. and I’m sure you’re the same way, especially in 2022. So, although some of the things on this list may seem like germaphobic overkill, when you're dealing with a little baby who hasn’t had all of their shots yet, you really can’t be too clean.
1. soft-structured carrier
This is so essential to our travels that once I forgot it at home and drove to Target by the airport to speed-buy a new one rather than attempt to travel without it. I used our soft-structured carrier to wear my babies through the airport, boarding the plane, and walking around while sightseeing at our destination.
2. soft, lightweight swaddle blanket
I love the super-soft swaddles from Coco Moon Hawaii and Aiden & Anais - they pack up so tiny and they are versatile because they can also be used as nursing covers! If you’re sitting in coach and you have your baby in her own car seat, these can also be used as light shields (just make sure baby has enough ventilation!)
3. burpy bibs
Altitude makes babies gassy, and newborns can spit up a lot! My favorite burp cloths for traveling with an infant are these Aden+Anais burpy bibs because they’re (again) so versatile. Burp cloth + drool bib in one.
4. footie pajamas
Footies are the best attire for infants on planes because they keep baby warm and cozy while also keeping their hands and feet protected from germs.
Mom tip: Bring 1-2 extra pairs of pajamas in your carry-on bag in case of blowouts.
5. a soft wrap
While you need a soft structured carrier for walking through the airport, I always brought a soft wrap to wear baby while we were in flight.
You can’t have your baby wrapped for takeoff, but once we were up in the air my daughter loved being right next to me in the soft wrap. Plus, the stretchiness of the wrap made it easy to feed her without having to even waker her up.
6. diapers.
The rule of thumb is one diaper per hour that you'll be on the plane, and then maybe a few extra.
7. wipes. all the wipes.
Use Lysol or Clorox wipes to clean everything with a hard surface that either you or the baby will be touching on the flight. This includes your tray table, your window shades, seat buckles, the air vents, the touch screen tv, and any buttons or remotes. Seriously. Planes are nasty, people.
Sanitizing alcohol-free hand wipes. These are amazing because they are safe for you and for baby (they're alcohol-free). They're perfect for after using the plane lav: plane tap water is notoriously dirty (or at least it used to be), so it doesn't hurt to clean your hands once more after you've returned from the lav. And then use hand sanitizer too.
Don’t use Wet Ones Hand Wipes on babies- they are not meant for kids under the age of two who are constantly putting their hands in their mouths.
Diaper wipes.
8. disposable changing pads
We use puppy pads to serve as portable, disposable changing pads.
Sidenote: Many planes still only have changing tables in their coach cabins, so if you’re seated in first class & business, you may have to go to the middle of the plane anyway to do the diaper changes.
9. plastic baggies for poop diapers
I know it’s bad for the environment, but when it comes to being stuck in a closed environment like an airplane for hours, it’s courteous to throw the messes away in a plastic bag.
10. a first-aid kit
Our kit contains a thermometer, children's fever medicine; nail clippers and a file (because their tiny, sharp nails grow oh-so-fast!); travel-sized diaper rash cream; lotion; Neosporin, band-aids, and an all-over ointment.
11. extra clothes for the parents
Don’t forget to pack extra clothes for yourself in case baby spits up, poops, or pees on you. It's always better to be safe than sorry, and you don't want to spend a whole flight covered in spit-up.
Also, bringing your own favorite snacks on board is a great idea, flying is stressful enough and you don’t want to be a hangry when you’re traveling.