So I've been meaning to share this post pretty much ever since we got back from the beach (a month ago!), but better late than never I suppose (if you haven't noticed, that's starting to become a little bit of a theme around here. I blame William for that).
Darrell and I made sure we were as prepared as possible for flying with a two-month old in the weeks leading up to our beach trip this summer. We consulted our friends who had traveled with newborns, talked with our pediatrician, and even searched the internet for tips. And our work paid off--William was a champ on the plane and in the airports. By the time we got home, we were feeling pretty proud of ourselves for managing the trip so well--and then realized that the next time we fly with William (at around eight months old) it will be a totally different ballgame, and our strategies that worked this time won't necessarily work next time. In fact, we realized this will probably be the case until William is two or three years old--sure, he may be more used to flying than some kids because he will be traveling at least every six months, but so much changes for him in those six months that each time will be like flying with a totally new kid. Since this isn't an issue just limited to us, I figured I'd document the things that did/didn't work for us to help others who may be preparing to fly with an infant. And at the very least, I'll have these notes to look back on when (if?) we're traveling with a sibling for William (although I imagine once you start throwing multiple kids into the mix things change yet again).
Tips for Flying with a Two-Month Old
Timing of the flights/Layovers: At two-months old, William still wasn't doing super long stretches of sleep at night, so flying during the day versus flying red-eyes didn't make much of a difference because he was awake and eating just about every three hours regardless. In fact, the one border-line red eye flight that we took was actually the one William was best behaved on--mostly because he slept the whole time. Since it was still easy enough for him to fall asleep in random environments (and he was plenty light to hold while sleeping--especially with the Boppy pillow), the later flight was perfectly manageable (as, I imagine, an early morning flight would have been as well). The daytime flights weren't a huge issue, but nursing him during take-off (to help prevent the pressurization from bothering him--which seemed to work) meant that he was then awake for the next hour or so because that was his (somewhat normal) routine. If your kid naps after daytime feedings then I imagine daytime flights would be even easier to manage.
As far as layovers go, Darrell and I agree that with a newborn (or probably child of any age) it's better to have too much time in the airport than not enough. I don't think we would have been very successful if we had needed to do any dashing through the airport, and with inevitable delays even a reasonable (for two people) ninety minute layover can be quickly whittled down to nearly impossible to manage with an infant. Both of our layovers were around three hours, and while it ended up being more time than necessary it was better than the alternative.
Strategies on the Airplane: As I mentioned above, we nursed William during take-off, and not once did he seem to be bothered by the pressurization changes. I suppose I can't guarantee that that method will work for everyone, but it worked for us (and from what I've heard/read from others, it's worked for them as well). Supposedly just sucking on a pacifier will work as well, but we didn't actually try that since our flights coincided pretty well with feeding times. Aside from that, there wasn't a whole lot we needed to worry about doing on the airplane. We basically just held him and bounced him and let him look around at stuff as he pleased. If you are concerned your child will respond poorly to not being walked around for the duration of the flight (or concerned about putting him/her down for naps without being able to stand/walk), spend a few afternoons (if you are able) just sitting on a couch for practice. And while I can't talk too thoroughly about diaper changes on the airplane since Darrell changed the only one we had (we made sure to change him before boarding each flight so that we hopefully didn't have to worry about diaper changes in the air--but we had no choice after William decided he needed to have an explosive poop mid-flight), based on what he said my advice would be to take only what you need to the bathroom, not the whole diaper bag. Darrell apparently had a hard time getting the door to close once he crammed in there with William and the diaper bag (aside from that, though, he said that it really wasn't too awful to do the diaper change).
Strategies in the Airport: Since I recommended taking slightly longer layovers, I figured it was only fair to give you some pointers for passing the time in the airport. Darrell and I spent most of our layovers walking around the airport to give William a change of pace from sitting in the seat in the airplane. We also stashed a small play blanket in his diaper bag so we could lay that out on the floor and let him play on his back and get some energy out. We did try a little bit to keep him awake so that he would (hopefully) sleep on the airplane, but in retrospect I don't think that was our best strategy. Because we kept him awake longer than normal, by the time we boarded the plane he was a little over-tired, and so it was a little bit of a battle to get him to fall asleep (thankfully, though, not too much of one. He only fussed for a few minutes--and no red-faced screaming like he is prone to doing at times). I think we went into the trip with the belief that having the baby sleep was the best way to handle the flights, but in reality, all you really want is a baby that isn't going to be fussy. And if they are going to be awake and content, then by all means let them instead of trying to force them to fit your perceived "ideal".
Recommended Gear: I've already alluded to a handful of the things we took with us on the flights, but I figure I'll make a nice easy list for quick reference.
Baby Carrier: We have an Ergo carrier and absolutely love it. These type of body carriers are perfect for airports because you can leave the child in them to go through security, plus they allow you to be hands free to manage your other luggage. Having him in a comfortable carrier like this also made it a lot easier to walk around the airports during layovers. (Note--we had a car seat provided for us at our final destination, so we didn't need to worry about traveling with one of those. If you are needing to bring your car seat and/or stroller, you may not need a body carrier. Although even if we had been traveling our car seat/stroller, we probably still would have used the body carrier because most of the time William is more content in there than in his car seat.)
Play Blanket: Darrell and I aren't huge germ-a-phobes, but I still don't think I would have wanted to lay William down on the floor of the airport without something underneath him. And since William wasn't mobile or even rolling over, the blanket didn't have to be very large (in fact, you could probably get by using the diaper changing mat that comes with most diaper bags).
Toys: At two-months old, William wasn't really into rattles and books and stuff yet, so we really didn't need too much in this department. Passing him back and forth between Darrell and I and making silly faces at him was enough to keep him content.
Over-Stocked Diaper Bag: An airport is not a place you want to run out of diapers. Pack what you kid would normally need for that time period, and then throw in three or four more. Same goes for wipes and burp cloths and outfits (William blew out of his diaper and onto his outfit before we even boarded our first flight of the trip--and by that point we already had our one bag checked so we were glad we had plenty of extra outfits in his diaper bag). While you are at it, make sure you have at least one extra outfit for yourself available as well. Traveling with a newborn is stressful enough; you don't want to have to do it in a outfit covered with spit up (or, ahem, other bodily fluids). If you are thinking that there is no way all this stuff would possibly fit in a diaper bag (which, for the record, it didn't), just make sure to have it easily accessible in another carry-on bag (roller-boards are a lifesaver!). With a newborn you may be tempted to take just one carry-on item so there are fewer things to keep hold of, but you'll really regret not having a change of clothes for yourself if baby decides to pee on you mid diaper change (and the person sitting next to you on the flight probably won't appreciate it either).
Boppy Pillow: This may not have been the easiest thing to carry around the airports, but it was totally worth having. In fact, I'd recommend it even if you aren't nursing--having something to rest my arms on (or William on) when he feel asleep was priceless. Plus, it can totally double as a neck pillow for you!
Pacifier: The name pretty much says it all. Again, I'd pack a few extra, because those suckers are easy to lose (or if they fall on the floor in the airplane you may want to consider giving the baby a different one--again, not a huge germ-a-phobe, but I do draw the line at a few things).
Nursing Cover: Since I've been exclusively nursing, a nursing cover (and my Boppy) were the only feeding items I needed to worry about. And let me tell you, not having to worry about water and formula and getting the milk to the right temperature (but not having it go bad) was huge. Unfortunately, because I carried William's food in me at all times, I really can't offer advice for those of you who are using formula or pumping and bottle feeding (for the record, I did bring my pump as a carry on, but only because it put our checked bag over the weight limit. There was never a time where it would have been easier to give him a bottle than just allow him to nurse under the cover).
Snacks/Water: This is (obviously) for you and not the baby. Chances are, if you are nursing, by the time your baby has reached two months you've already learned that having a bottle of water with you at all times (and especially while nursing) is practically a necessity. Since you can't carry liquids through security, Darrell and I bring an empty bottle and then fill it at a fountain (much cheaper than buying water in the airport). I've also learned that nursing makes me hungry at unpredictable times, so I've made it a point to carry snacks in my diaper bag at all times (roasted almonds and dark chocolate are my two favorites).
My final word of advice is this: Flying is going to be a new experience for you baby in and of itself, so make the event as easy as possible on him/her by minimizing the number of other "new" things he/she is exposed to. Don't have the flight be the first time you use a pacifier or bottle, practice nursing under a nursing cover (and in public) before leaving, walk around the house/neighborhood with them in the carrier, and make sure you are able to calm/soothe them to some degree from a sitting position. Hopefully, with these precautions, you'll be able to make your child's first flying experience an enjoyable one!
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