Traveling for the holidays or going to visit family? Taking your first trip with baby can be frightening and stressful if you are not prepared for it. As with anything new with a new baby, making sure that you are aware of what is to come is the best way to proceed.
Prepare for baby to cry.
The likelihood that this will happen is high. Babies have little ears and little ears are not a fan of the pressure that being on an airplane comes with. Understand that this is possible and be prepared for it. Consider what your baby likes when they are upset. Are they a fan of standing and bouncing? You might want to pick a seat toward the back of the plane so that you can stand up and rock them. I definitely recommend an aisle seat if you are going to be sitting next to strangers so that you can easily stand and access things in the overhead bin or head to the washroom. Also if your baby is still breast feeding, then time it so they eat during take off and landing. This will help with the pressure in the ears.
Stay safe and avoid illness.
One of the primary concerns that you might have is your little one’s developing immune system. This is a valid concern. Both airports and airplanes can be pretty germy and crowded places. However, you can combat this by frequently washing your hands, using hand sanitizer, and making sure that you wipe down whatever baby is interacting with.
Leave yourself with more time.
You might be used to dashing to the airport 30 minutes before your flight boards and breezing through security, but just about every part of travel becomes more costly in terms of time when you have a baby with you. There will be more supplies that you will need to bring in your carryon and you might even be dealing with a stroller! All of these things can hold you up through security, boarding, and deplaning so give yourself extra time to do all of the tasks that you need to do at the airport.
I am a Vancouver Maternity, Baby and Newborn Photographer and hope these tips help! If you have any others to add please contact me and I would gladly add them!
