Since I got pregnant we planned to travel to my home country – Brazil – for Thanksgiving.
Luke was born in June 15th, and we had agreed with our parents that they would fly if we needed extra hands, shoulders or ears …
The last 14 weeks have been the best of our lives; challenging for sure, but, I’d say that becoming parents all by ourselves made our relationship even stronger – but that’s a subject for another post.
Time was flying so fast, Luke getting so big (almost 3x his size since birth already!) that I really wanted my mom and my mother in law to see him as little baby.
3 weeks ago we were buying tickets to visit friends in Florida, and out of the blue decided to buy one for myself and Luke to enjoy that last days of my maternity leave in Brazil.
Along with the excitement came fear – IT IS A VERY LONG FLIGHT, and I’d do it all by myself with a 3 month old baby.
I started freaking out …I also started researching, talking to friends and my mommy and me groups.
Taking notes, watching a ton of YouTube videos on product reviews, discussing with my husband what to do, and came up with a solid plan for our trip.
SFO :: DFW :: GRU
| with a very long – 6 hour – layover in Dallas |
PACKING
would say that your travel diaper bag is crucial for a successful and comfortable flight, here’s mine !
- Mission Critical Backpack | these guys are amazing, and helped me secure my AMAZING baby backpack the day before our trip. I do have a girly diaper bag I love, but unfortunately, too small for such a long flight.
- WildBird Ring Sling | super recommend it for the flight – I love my ergobaby, but the wild bird ring sling is not only more stylish, but also much more comfy to snuggle with your baby during the flight.
- Blanket | airplanes are freezing, and a blanket your little one is used to is more than welcome – ours is hux baby
- Swaddle | hands down my favorite baby item – swaddle, stroller cover, light blanket … we love the modern burlap ones, super soft & stylish
- Diapers | of course … heard you should bring x1.5 diapers you’d need during that time if not flying – we usually go trough 10 diapers a day, I brought 15 (and chose the “night” kind, just in case…)
- Change of Clothes | brought 2 basic rompers + 1 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve onesie – as an exclusively breastfed infant, Luke’s poops are quite explosive. If the diaper did manage to contain them, it would end up seeping out anyway. Since baby clothes are so tiny at this age, more than one change of clothes (for you too, if you’ve got the room) is a good idea to keep everyone clean and comfortable.
- Burp Cloth | love the basic ones from Burt’sBees, mine are all white, easier to clean in case it gets stained.
- Bandana Bibs | looking back, don’t really why brought it, since we only use it to bottle feed hi, but if you have a drooler, you should include one – at least.
- Socks | again, airplanes are cold, so having a pair of socks handy can be super useul
- Baby Wipes | brought our skip hop case full of wipes (we buy bulk water wipes … trying to downsize the amount of trash we have with all the packagings) + one pack, as I did not know if it’d be enough.
- Pacifier
- Diaper Clutch | super handy, as it can be a challenge to get in a small restroom with diaper bag + baby – just throw a few diapers, diaper cream + wipes in it, and boom … life saver! Love ours, from mitera; super stylish!
- Sanitizing Wipes | airplanes, airport lounges, changing stations … all super dirty! individual packets are convenient and will give you some piece of mind!
- Pump | if you’re used to pump at the time you’ll be flying you might get engorged – I know it is hard to pump on the go, but better than suffering the pain of engorged breasts or clogged ducts. If your infant is formula-fed, bring extra feeds and bottles – you never know when or for how long delays will happen, and I can’t imagine the stress of having a hungry baby and not having access to formula and water (I’d apply the same rule I did for the diapers : x1.5 the amount of formula + water you’d normally need during the time you’ll be flying.
- Shusher | I’m a fan of the shusher, we started using it from the very beginning applying the 5Ss from The Happiest Baby on the Block and I bring it with us everywhere – even to the salon to get my mani pedi done!
- Socks Octopus | Toys won’t really do much at this age, but as he just started reaching for things and seems to love his new buddy we decided to bring it along with us.
- SmartNoggin Stik Baby Rattle | saw a baby in love with it in a mommy & me yoga class and bought one for Luke – and he does love it too! It was the first toy he ever held, and with the promise of encouraging early milestones in babies it won a space in our travel diaper bag.
- Diaper Cream | if you’re used to use one
- Vaseline | we use vaseline if he doesn’t have a rash or any redness … so usually carry both in our diaper bag
- EO Hand Sanitizer Spray | I LOVE the smell of this hand sanitizer, and sometimes you feel like you need some extra cleaning on top of the wipes.
– we travelled during the end of summer to a Tropical country, meaning that I’d add a sweatshirt + cozy coat if the weather was on the colder side
NOT PICTURED : I included a change of clothes for myself as well, as we did have major blowout cases before…
STROLLER
I suffered so much sweating this subject…
I love my uppababy VISTA and its bulky wheels – but did not want to gate check it, since we heard so many stories of broken pieces never refunded by the airlines
After reading about the BabyZen Yoyo stroller and watching great reviews I really wanted one – we travel so much that it’d be worth the investment.
It’s approved to use since birth with the bassinet, you can have it with you during your entire flight since it’s small enough to be stored in the overhead compartment AND carry over your shoulders with your baby in your arms!
Do not expect the comfort or the maneuverability of the uppababy and you’ll be extremely happy about it.
TIPS & TRICKS
Seats!
I’d recommend a window seat if the flight is short enough that you won’t need to get up and go to the restroom a few times – it’s much more comfortable to nurse and even sleep a few minutes.
On the other hand, if you have a long flight- like the international leg of ours – I’d recommend an aisle seat, for the freedom of coming and going whenever you want to without having to wake up | or jump |your seat buddy every time.
In both cases, if you’re flying coach, if possible, go with the “comfort seats” in the front row – not only they’ll give you more space, but you’ll be able to request a bassinet for the international portion of your flight
Speaking of the bassinet … request it as soon as possible – usually they are first come, first serve and it’s only possible to request it once you check in at the airport. It is a life saver, specially if you’re traveling by yourself (it means you’ll get to eat and pee during the flight!)
Boarding !
This might seem obvious, but board the plane as soon as possible to ensure that you get enough space in the overhead bins. All flights give priority boarding to first class travellers and special membership status holders – but, most will also allow families with infants to board early. Take advantage of it. You really don’t want one of your bags in the overhead bin 10 rows behind you or something.
Carrying your Little One
– per my packing list, have a ring sling with you; it will guarantee hands free when needed, and a comfortable place for your baby to sleep during the local flight.
We love our wildbird chickadee ring sling.
Take Off & Landing
You’ve probably heard a thousand times that you should nurse your baby, or give him a pacifier to prevent ear pressure – but … what to do if your baby is peacefully sleeping? Just leave your baby sleeping, and if he starts making (pain or discomfort) faces, you should offer your breast, a bottle or pacifier.
Traveling with an infant is surely easier than it sounds, and most people are super sympathetic and eager to help if you’re all by yourself.
Good like and enjoy the flight!
