“Have you taken her favorite rattle?” “Don’t forget the pacifier” “I think we should take more baby food”..These sentences are part of our everyday conversations whenever we plan to go out. You guessed it right! We now have a little one 🙂 Travelling with a baby is certainly overwhelming! You need to pack whole lot of things even if it’s a short trip to a grocery store. I am sure you can relate to it if you have a baby.

Planning a trip was so much easier when we were just a couple. Packing, running around to cover places was not as much a hassle. I already have a post on how to plan a successful vacation. Also we believe in having an itinerary which helps ensure a successful trip. You can check the post on How to prepare travel itinerary here. Now with a baby it’s much harder but it certainly does not stop people like us from travelling, does it?

Travelling with a baby or an infant is like a project which needs thorough planning to avoid last minute panic attacks. We were nervous when we decided to go out first time with our little one. Our angel was just over 2 months old when we planned a day trip to Animal Kingdom. Being a resident of Florida, there was not much of a travel but believe me it was an adventure in itself.

As we gained confidence, we successfully did more trips by air and by road before her first birthday. A day trip to NASA, 4 days trip to Miami and Key west (FL); 2 days to Georgia (AL); 5 days vacation to Chicago (IL) and 10 days of fall trip to Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Niagara. Every vacation taught us so much which inspired me to write this post.

Below are some of the important things to consider before you plan to go out with your baby/infant.

1. Decide on a good time to travel

One can travel with their baby or a newborn, any time after they are a week old. Though it’s one’s decision when to go on a trip, most airlines allow baby over 2 days old to fly while some insist atleast after 2 weeks. The airlines may require a doctor’s written permission or consent if the baby is 7 days old or less.

A newborn’s immune system is not so strong and in developing stage. So if you plan to travel in the first week itself, consult baby’s pediatrician and start with a shorter outing. Depending on the baby’s behavior and response, plan future outings.

We waited couple of months before planning first outing with our daughter in order to avoid exposing her to crowded places and thus infections. As mentioned above, we went to Disney Park for a day when she was just over 2 months old.

2. Stay up-to-date on vaccinations

It is important that your baby gets vaccinations on time per normal schedules. Visit cdc.gov to know about any outbreaks or health tips and additional vaccines required if any for your destination.

Most vaccines take time to be effective and hence always plan your trip 20-30 days after your baby’s routine scheduled immunization.

In addition to the above, it is advisable that parents and other co-travelers also get flu-shots.

3. Make seating arrangements in advance

Whether travelling by air or by road, decide baby’s seating arrangement in advance.

If travelling by air:

• Purchase a separate seat for baby. Carry the car seat inside the plane and place baby in it. This is a safer and comfortable option for an infant 6 months or older but will cost you a few bucks for an additional seat. Car seat should comply with airline standards and also should be the one approved by FAA (refer https://www.faa.gov/travelers/fly_children). You can request the airlines to provide window seat so that if you have a fellow passenger, they are not blocked when using car seats for seating baby.

When travelling on international flights, there is also an option for you to request a bassinet for baby. It is usually on first come basis.

• Second option is to travel without a seat and hold the baby in lap or arms. Most airlines allow infants under 2 years to travel for free in lap (domestic travel). This may work well with babies between 0 to 6 months. In this case, do not forget to check-in the car seat at the ticketing counter or at gate which is usually free.

When travelling on international flights, airlines usually charge a small fee.

If travelling by vehicle on road trips:

• Make sure to carry the car seat and stroller. It is much safer to mount the car seat in the rear middle seat or more comfortable to mount in the rear seat behind the co-driver or front passenger. AAP recommends to use rear-facing car seats as long as possible while most manufacturers may have designed the rear-facing car seats to allow children till age of 2.

Lastly when using the car seats, always fasten all the belts available for the safety of your baby.

We have travelled twice on the plane with our daughter so far and both the times we had her in our lap for her comfort.

4. Prepare for take-off and landings

Take-offs and landings can be challenging. Babies might experience ear pains which is most common and discomforting. Be well prepared by keeping the pacifier or milk bottle handy. If possible breast feed the baby. Movement of jaws can relieve the pain to some extent.

5. Make hotel bookings and arrangements for baby in advance

Nobody wants to end up in a state where no more rooms are available for stay when on long trips. Book accommodation in advance as you will be travelling with your baby and would like to ensure a hassle-free stay.

Request a crib or play pen for the baby while booking your accommodation. If necessary, give a call to the hotel reception and ask them to keep one aside for your baby. Book hotel rooms that provide amenities like microwave and refrigerator. This is helpful in storing the milk and baby food which can then be reheated as and when required.

6. Carry enough baby food and fluids

When travelling by air, TSA officers allow carrying baby formula, food, water, breast milk and Juice in reasonable quantities i.e. around 3.4 ounces packs. Pack all these baby food and fluids in one transparent bag for screening and inform the officer about the bag and items within.

You can carry more than 3.4 ounce and when doing so, ensure to inform the TSA officer about excess quantity.

Reference: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children

We carried a separate backpack for our daughter’s essentials. It had 32oz formula powder pack, around 5-6 ready to use 2oz formula bottles, few 4oz puree packs, couple of 8oz water bottles, and other required stuff. At security checkpoint, we just let the TSA officer know about this backpack and its contents so they can carry out their special screening on this.

If travelling to a domestic destination, it’s advisable to carry baby food and fluid that is sufficient for atleast a day and rest can be managed at the destination. If travelling abroad, ensure to carry more, as some times babies may take few days to get used to food from foreign countries.

When traveling by road, you can carry more food and fluids. Carry a portable cooler to store these.

7. Prepare to entertain your baby

• Carry a few soft and other small toys to entertain your baby.
• Sometimes even empty water bottles or other such harmless stuff can be of great entertainment for them.
• Pack some story books which you can read out while flying or during road trips.
• As a last resort, you can also let baby watch some rhymes on your cell/tablet if nothing else works.

8. Prioritize baby’s comfort

• Change diapers every 2-3 hours or as soon as you find them wet whichever is sooner. Wet diapers can be very uncomfortable and make babies cranky. If on plane, the restrooms usually have changing station. If travelling by vehicles, you can stop by some safe place and change in rear seat. Most stores offer restrooms with changing station which may be of great help too.
• Feed them at regular intervals and keep them hydrated by offering water/fluids.
• Sleep is another important factor to avoid babies from getting cranky or uncomfortable during the trip.
• Not all babies like to sit in the rear-facing car seat for long and also it’s not recommended to leave them in the same position for more than couple of hours. So when travelling by road in a vehicle, try to take breaks every 2 hours and get the baby out of car seat. This will let it stretch a little bit and also freshen it up.
• Plan the trip with sufficient buffer time as you will be travelling with your little one and you may need few extra minutes at each stop.
• Take a walk in the aisle when the seat belts are turned off especially when you are in a long flight.
• You can use baby carrier too if your little one feels comfortable in it especially when you are walking down the streets or taking a trail.

9. Prepare for local transportation

• If you are planning to travel by taxis/cabs at the destination, note that you may need to carry car seat all the time. Most drivers do not allow baby to be seated without car seat to avoid law violations.
• If you plan to take taxis multiple times in a day to go around the place and carry stroller for your baby, we would recommend to go for light weight and easily foldable strollers.
• In trains, tubes or buses, strollers are mostly allowed and would be the convenient option.
• If you are renting a vehicle, you can request the rental car company to provide you with a car seat but please book in advance to ensure availability when you reach there.

10. Pack baby essentials per checklist

Here is a checklist of stuffs to be carried while travelling by road / by air with an Infant

• Diapers, baby wipes, diaper cream
• Changing pad
• Pacifiers and pacifier wipes
• Breast milk or formula – Can get powder and also ready to use formulas. Please read the TSA guidelines for limits for carry liquid formula or milk
• Nursing cover
• Nasal aspirator
• Infant Toys
• Burp cloths and bibs
• Baby cap
• Empty milk bottles and extra bottle nipples
• Plastic or Ziploc bags to keep soiled clothes or other stuff
• Blankets for wrapping baby and also swaddle blankets (useful at night times to help soothe and comfort the baby)
• Clothes (preferably full onesies) – atleast 2 pairs per day
• Socks to cover foot
• Breast pump if applicable
• Dish soap and brush to clean bottles & bottle nipples
• Baby food such as cereal and purees (depends on the age of the baby)
• Bowl and spoon for baby food
• Car seat and stroller (usually checked for free with most airlines)
• Sun and bug or rain gear for strollers/car seats  
• Baby shampoo, shower gel, lotion, sunscreen
• Infant thermometer
• Passport and travel insurance documents (if travelling overseas or by air)
• Other required identity/custody/travel consent documents (sometimes they ask for baby age proof and birth certificate with parents name on it is accepted)
• Travel Insurance documents
• First-aid kit
• Infant medications, if any recommended by pediatrician

I hope this post helps you plan a successful trip and you have the best time with your little one 🙂