First Time Traveling with Baby

I think a stroller is a huge help in the airport, and it can be "gate checked" by the flight attendant so you can roll it right up to the door of the plane. Since you are changing planes, that will be a huge help at the mid point. Put your purse in your suitcase for use when you get to your destination, and check your bag even if there's a fee. Put your wallet and cell phone in the diaper bag so you only have one bag to carry. The water bottle sounds like a cute entertainment item, but remember you cannot take water through security. Take an empty bottle and fill it afterwards. Definitely get new toys that he hasn't seen, and don't get anything too noisy because it can annoy the other passengers. Try to feed him (nursing or bottle) during take off and landing, for the ear pressure. That means don't feed him beforehand - make sure he's a little hungry. Wear slip on shoes so you can take them off at security and not be bothered with shoelaces or straps. Take a sweater or a sweatshirt with you so that you can use it as a pillow to support him if he sleeps in your arms. All that dead weight can be a real problem! If you can take the car seat on the plane, it is helpful. If there's an empty seat next to you, the flight attendants might not make you pay for it. If there are empty seats on the plane, often a nice person sitting next to you will be willing to move to give you extra room. That doesn't mean they think your baby is annoying, although some people will happily move just in case! The flight attendant can ask them if you don't want to. And remember that you can pre-board with infants so you aren't standing in the aisle waiting for everyone to get their stuff in the overhead compartments. Some people like the bulkhead seating because there is extra leg room, and others don't like it because there's no place to put your stuff during takeoff - there's no seat in front of you, you know?

I agree to pack light and let your family help out on the other end - tell them what baby food you need and see if they can borrow some toys or other items from neighbors or even a rental place.

Dress in layers yourself so you can peel things on and off as the temperature on planes can vary. Dress the baby in layers too.

Have a good trip!

i would suggest to see if there is a stroller you can use when you get to your destination. when i traveled with my 4 month old i found that one of those carriers that you strap on to your body to hold the baby worked wonders. especially while standing and waiting thru the lines that way you have your hands free for other things. good luck

and extra set of clothes for you plus one shirt, two extra sets for baby, a paci if he takes them, bottles, if your baby is taking solids, some little bite size snacks, a few little toys, i would take tylonel because there is a chance the chagne in atmospher taking off and landing will bother his little ears. maybe a cd player with head phones the old school head phones and put it on really low with baby songs

Bring an extra change of clothes for yourself! My daughter threw up on me once, and luckily, I had an extra shirt!

But do try to get everything you need in a diaper bag and a purse for yourself. The less you have to carry, the better.

I love those little travelmates you hook the carseat into. It lets you bring your carseat and have a stroller for the airport. Well worth the investment if you are planning to travel --I just used mine with my almost 3 year old a few weeks ago.

With a 6 month old, I'd make sure I have a good baby carrier if baby wants mommy and doesn't want to ride.

If you can ship most of your stuff ahead of time, or rent it there, you won't have to cart so much on the plane. Lugging the baby, stroller, diaper bag, your purse is a lot of work.

If you can afford it, buy a plane seat for your DS and put his car seat in it. He will likely sleep better and you will have some space.

I have a travel bag that my car seat fits into. It is a great help because it has wheels and it also has straps like a backpack. So the car seat can be rolled, carried, or you can also strap it across the stroller. That is a big help when your arms are full with the baby or luggage.

Change diapers right before you get on the plane, and feed baby when taking off and landing to help his ears.

Finally, I can't stress this enough. Don't over pack! Especially for the plane ride. You really do not need that much stuff, and it is a BIG pain to carry it all on the trip. Good luck

As other mamas have said, bring the extra clothes. I pre-pack a complete set of clothes (onesie, socks, pants, diaper) in one plastic bag. If you need it, just pull the bag and you have everything ready. Then put all the dirty clothes in the empty plastic bag and you're off.

Look for the FAMILY lines going through TSA, and let them help you. Go to the TSA's web site so you are familiar with the requirements for traveling with babies. You are allowed to bring formula on, so get the details on that. Also, if the flight attendant offers help, take it. I have found that they are very experienced with what works, so follow their advice.

Of course, have a bottle ready for take-off so your baby doesn't have ear(pressure) problems...the same for landings. My baby slept a lot when she was little on planes, so I didn't have many problems in that area, but I have heard enough crying babies to know that it can be an issue.

Use a travel stroller, not one of those giant SUV types. I had a Maclaren Volo, 8 lbs and a breeze to open. Gate check it, and get a bag for it (at BRU) so it doesn't get dirty in the cargo hold. I also had a backpack/diaper bag which was great so both my hands were free to deal with my baby.

The most important thing I can tell you is for YOU to be calm and cool about it all. Your baby is totally flexible and will do just fine as long as you just go with the flow. Travel is a wonderful gift to give your child. Bon Voyage!!

New small toys (fabric book, plastic car), lots of diapers, bleach wipes (I wipe the whole area down when we first get on the plane - tray tables, window, window blind, arm rests - then use a regular wipe to remove the bleach...omg, yes, I am THAT person!...guess who traveled with infants in the wake of SARS and then H1N1?), a clear water bottle will entertain your child more than you could ever imagine (the bubbles, sounds, sloshing), put photos or video clips of your baby on your phone to entertain your baby, plan to change your baby RIGHT before you get on the plane (but don't stress when he has explosive poops AS the plane takes off)...my eldest baby did EVERY TIME and I would wrap him in layers of receiving blankets to contain everything until we could move around in the cabin. Hence my next recommendation: change of clothes for each take off. (although, my second baby had none of those issues) I let my babies walk and wiggle as much as possible between flights, so they were more likely to sleep as we flew. If you're nursing, nursing as you take off and land - the sucking helps with the pressure in the ears (or time your feedings)