5 myths about flying with a newborn

Our baby had >10 flights in his first 3 months of age as it turns out air travel is a prerequisite to reaching the various adventures and activities our family loves. I hope that traveling won’t stop you from living the life you have imagined for yourself.

The bottom line: Flying with a newborn doesn’t need to be a dreadful experience at all, of course provided they are healthy and developing as expected! Below are 5 myths along with some hacks you can implement today to set yourself up for success.

Myth #1: Baby won’t sleep

Context: The younger the baby, the less likely sleep will be a problem. Remember when your little one was first born and struggled to stay awake even to eat? Chances are, the plane won’t change that. We’ve also found that the plane generates white noise and subtle rocking, both of which babies love.

Hacks:

If you know you will be flying a lot, consider training your baby to be flexible with where and when they sleep (e.g. crib, play mat, car seat, stroller, etc.). I know, this goes against the idea of developing a routine, but hey, you gotta do what works for you.

For all flights, dress your baby into something they usually sleep in. For us, this used to be a onesie with its own mittens such as this one along with a this Halo Micro-fleece Sleepsack.

For long haul flights, you can even arrange for a bassinet for your baby either by calling ahead or asking at your gate.

Myth #2: Baby won’t eat

Context: I have yet to hear about a baby that forgot how to eat and never ate again. Yes, they might get distracted or skip a meal or two. But by the time they are really hungry, they will eat whatever and however is served to them. Going through motions is part of life – embrace it.

Hacks:

If you are breastfeeding and willing to pump, bring a bottle or two to give you optionality in terms of where, when and how to feed. You’ll need a small cooler.

I’ve found it helpful to bring my Boppy pillow though I wish I had something more packable such as this inflatable one (more on that another time).

Myth #3: Baby will cry nonstop

Context: You are probably concerned about being the parent who’s baby cried the entire flight. This might happen, but likely will have little to do with the fact that you are traveling. You baby might be having an off day, going through a growth spurt, etc. Don’t give up on your dreams just to avoid the possible feeling of embarrassment. Embrace the risk, and be the example the world needs to see.

Hacks:

Make sure your baby is well rested. We all know that rest breeds more rest, and relaxed babies and quite pleasant. The one time I failed to prioritize my son’s sleep ahead of a flight, I did become that parent with a screaming baby everyone was looking at – it was still worth it

If your baby uses a pacifier, don’t forget to pack it. Also recommend these straps to avoid having to crawl under the seat on a quest to find the lost pacifier while you baby is screaming as loud as in your worst nightmares.

Myth #4: Baby needs vaccines first

Context: It turns out that something like hepatitis is not really a concern on planes. Higher on the list of risks are seasonal respiratory diseases, colds, etc., most of which you can’t get vaccinated for.

Hacks:

Make peace with what’s right for you. A zero risk approach means never exposing your baby to any potential germs. At some point you’ll decide the benefits of traveling are worth the risks. For us the right answer was to wait ~6 weeks before first flying.

Again, please don’t fly with your baby is their immunity is weakened for any reason. And you generally do want to get at least a lukewarm go ahead from your doctor.

You can get this multipurpose cover to create a little micro-environment around your baby. I’ll be honest, we never used it because we figured that a plane had about as much germs as the various visitors we had hosted in our apartment in the weeks prior.

Myth #5: Baby will struggle with altitude

Context: Some babies will experience temporary discomfort or pain due to changes in altitude. The good news is that it will pas and there are ways improve the experience.

Hacks:

If you can, plan to feed your baby during take off and landing. This will force them to swallow, which in turn helps them relieve the pressure in their ears.

If your baby is not eating at those times, consider offering a pacifier instead. I’ve found it to have similar effect.

Personally, we’ve never had an issue with baby that was already asleep continuing to sleep throughout take off and landing (the rumbling was probably soothing). My vote is to let them continue snoozing, but to be ready to act fast in case they wake up fussy.