Airplane travel is stressful so many times for parents of young babies even before opting for it.

Is this even possible, to actually enjoy a flight with a baby?

Yes, definitely. Tested. Before our first flight with our first baby I was so nervous and imagining myself in the middle of the plane with a screaming, inconsolable baby in my lap while other passengers judged me. the worst possible scenario. To gain confidence I read so many articles and blog posts about travelling with babies, but I wasn’t convinced I could do it so easily. Well while my head was full of information I just said to myself take it easy and it will be ok. After all I was used to flying and there were two of us so I thought we could handle one small baby, right!

So how did I do, did I ever enjoy flying with a small baby?

Our first flight as a family of three was when our baby Tristan was 4,5 months old. We went to Portugal (actually we should go to Madeira island , but that’s another story). Next time when we travelled by plane on a shorter distance with a small baby was when Oliver joined us and he was 4 months old (we went to Crete). There are some flights in between as well, but I won’t go into all the details. On the very first flight I was so nervous, but I did enjoy it as well. It was so much better than I thought it would be. And when Oliver was a small baby it was even better. There was very little crying and fussing (sometimes none) and every time we all had some food and coffee.

So happy with my sleeping baby in my lap, such a perfect flight it was (going home from Crete, 2016).

Which tips for flying with small babies are to be considered (among many)?

First of all try to choose a daily flight, it’s so much easier (when the flight is shorter than 4 hours). I suggest to tire the baby before boarding the plane and nurse while taking off. If you bottle feed, plan a feed while taking off. Take a baby carrier. For small babies, I found a baby wrap so convenient for flights. Oh, and yes, before boarding the plane change baby’s diaper at the airport as it’s still easier than inside the plane. Bring some snacks for yourself as you never know if you’ll be able to eat the food when they serve it. Usually flight attendants will be happy to bring you water, but it depends on the company. It’s so good to be relaxed because your baby can feel you! About the crying and fussing, just accept the fact that it can happen and it’s not a big deal.

Yes, you can enjoy a flight with your small baby and so will the baby!

Babies love to be close to us and to be held. During the flight you will hold your baby anyway so the baby will be happy. Don’t keep your normal daily schedule in your mind as it will change while you travel. So just add another feed or nurse a bit more than usually. I mostly had really good experiences on shorter flights with both of my babies. Once when we flew to Crete both our kids slept (the youngest was almost 4 months old) and we enjoyed lunch, had a normal chat and I even managed to take some pics.

Thanks for reading,

Ajda