Hey Mamas!
We are taking our first trip with the LO next month (he will be about 2 1/2 months old) & will be flying from Chicago to New Orleans for a wedding. The flight is a little over 2 hours & we will have a rental car when we get there. Any advice on traveling/flying with a baby & what we should bring?
Obviously the car seat, but is the base needed? Stroller for airport or carrier? (stroller and car seat would be checked once we're at the gate, correct?)
I am BF but also supplementing with formula and will have my pump with me as well. Can I take pumped breast milk or liquid formula/baby water through security or will I have to buy it once we're there? Anything else you can think of?
Sorry to sound like a total FTM, but I just want to make sure Im prepared
Re: Flying with baby
I have yet to research FAA on breast milk and formula since I'm 90% sure all I am taking is powdered formula we supplement with and my boob. I did purchase a Nuk single electric breast pump though so I don't have to haul my double. It's small enough but I can't speak to quality since I haven't used it yet- reviews online are mixed but if you have an FSA account, breast pumps are a covered cost. So are condoms and pregnancy tests (random fact for the win :-) ).
Good luck- I am nervous as hell!
You'll have to put the car seat through the security belt and a TSA agent will swab your stroller and your hands.
I carried my son in my Moby wrap and they let me keep him in there when passing through security.
I traveled from Florida to Connecticut when he was three weeks old so the flight was just short of three hours. He did amazing and didn't cry at all.
Your LO will probably eat and then sleep through the flight. That's what mine did.
Just make sure to bring everything you need for the duration of the flight and then some. You never know if there might be a delay and at least you'll be prepared. Extra bottles, extra breast milk, extra diapers and clothes.
And whatever you do DON'T use the airplane water to rinse anything. Just ask for some bottled water or bring your own. Good luck. It's easiest to travel now when they're so little. You don't need to keep them occupied or entertained
The videos I saw were of the workers treating the car seats like absolute shit, when putting them on the belts. To the point where they were almost broken, which of course now makes them no longer safe. Just be aware of this please. They can be extremely rough on your items.
We have our "Irish Twins"
DD born 8/7/2013
DS born 7/28/14
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#1: make sure you check that you're well stocked in your diaper bag. And then check again. We were low on wipes and it sucks. Thankfully no poo until we landed and I has access to all the wipes I packed.
#2: Gate checking car seat/stroller. Be the biggest bitch and demand that they take your stuff down to the plane right then and there. I trusted the people at the gate and our car seat is currently in Chicago. MF'ers sent our CARSEAT that was supposed to be gate checked to another state. And baggage resolution didn't have an infant car seat. If we didn't have family with little ones who drove all the way to the airport at 11 pm we would have been screwed. They were a bunch of unhelpful, uncaring D-bags at the airport too. Still fuming from this. If they don't show up tomorrow, there will be hell to pay.
When I'm less angry I make have more advice.
Oh, and if you FF, you can take bottled water- it's deemed "medically" necessary. They just scan it.