Baby Talk - 6/2/16

• Time is your friend – Leave for the airport with plenty of time to spare because everything takes longer when traveling with a baby. Babies are known for unexpected surprises – dirty diaper, spit-up, cranky, hungry – and the plane will not wait for you!

• Pack light – Towing a baby down the airplane aisle and fitting everything into the ever-decreasing seat and leg space is challenging. Sharing one carry-on between you and baby, and only carrying the necessities, will make life easier.

• To board early or not – This can be a dilemma. On the one hand, if you board early, you can get yourself and baby arranged without a crowd. However, you are then left to entertain baby while everyone else boards…and the flight has not even started yet. If you are traveling alone and don’t have a lot of carry-ons, boarding early may not be your best option. Better yet, if traveling with another adult, send them ahead with carry-on luggage, while you walk with baby in the gate area and then board near the end of the line.

• Watch the ears – Feeding your baby during take-off and landing will help pop the ears and make baby more comfortable during pressure changes. If baby is not hungry, sucking on a pacifier will also do the trick!

• Ask for help – Flight attendants have flown with more babies than you have, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. They can warm a bottle, discard a dirty diaper, and even fetch a dropped pacifier.

What other tips do you have for flying with an infant? Please, share!