FLYING WITH A BABY.
It’s not easy – I’ll be honest.
BUT, it can be done smoothly.
Mom hacks help!
Alex and I travel together quite a bit with our Lily, and sometimes I travel by myself with Lily too. On our most recent flight, I was alone with Lily traveling back to Las Vegas from South Carolina (after Lily had her massive antibiotic outbreak). It had been a stressful week, so I was a little nervous to get my shit together and pull this off. We had a short flight (45 min) from Myrtle Beach to Atlanta, and then the long flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas (4 hours).
To my delight, the day of travel was a true success. Everything went so smoothly (literally and figuratively)! 
So moms, this one is for you! I’ve been there. I was so scared to fly for the first time with my baby. Were people going to hate me? Were people going to give me evil stares? Was my baby going to scream the entire flight? Trust me, I was not confident in the beginning, but the one thing I can say is to remember that most passengers are parents, so they will empathize with you. AND don’t forget that you’re an awesome, badass mama, who is doing the damn thing, and you are still a superwomen even if your cutie throws a fit on the plane. There have been many mamas who have gone before you, so do not fret.
I’m happy to say, our most recent toddler travel was a success. Yes, we 
’d our pants (but no fail here, bc we brought backup pants!), & we decided to throw Cheerios on ALL our fellow passengers, BUT isn’t that just a normal day anyway?
Anyways, I’ve put together a few of my tips to make FLIGHT TRAVEL SO MUCH EASIER WITH A BABY. 
Please share this with your mama friends, and comment below any of your travel hacks!
Set aside a couple hours of interrupted time and mark these things off your list. If you pack in a rush, it makes the flight a lot more stressful. My biggest piece of advice is to give everything a specific place in your bag and know exactly where your things are. If you know where to find everything you packed, you won’t have to waste time with an upset baby scrambling to look for it.
Embrace the FANNY PACK
A fanny pack doesn’t count as a carry-on & it’s perfect for your phone, paper tickets (if you’re a dinosaur like me), baggage tickets, birth certificate for the baby, cash, cards, plastic bag of liquids (essential oils, lip gloss, crystals, Xanax or vodka). You’ll find some great recommendations below. This one, this one, and this one are fun (and cute)!
Only 1 Bag!
The 1st time I flew, I had my diaper bag, my handbag, and a carry on. I wanted to lose my mind. I had too much shit & no idea where to find anything. Ever since, I bring 1 bag; I minimize my stuff & fit all of our needs into one bag. You must be quick when there’s an irritated baby so having only 1 bag to find your stuff, saves so much time. I recommend a backpack so you can have both hands free for for the baby.
iPad with kids “headband” Headphones
iPads are glorious when it comes to travel. Be sure to have everything pre-downloaded onto the device, so you don’t have to worry about connecting to wifi. We download Lily’s fave YouTube videos, Netflix movies, and apps so that there’s always something new to watch. These headband headphones are soooo cute for your kid. Every time we fly people ask where we got them. We have experimented with other kinds, so I suggest trying out headphones before you travel to see what kind your kid will wear.
Surprise Toys
Bring a toy that you know your kid will LOVE but they haven’t seen yet. If they have a tantrum, pull out the surprise toy and it will keep them content for at least another hour. (Calico Critters are what I brought this time.. they saved the damn day!)
Empty plastic bag for trash
You accumulate A LOT of trash with a tot (tons of wipes & snack wrapper trash) plus it’s better than cramming your trash in the seat pocket & makes it easier to hand over your baggy at the end of flight when they’re collecting trash.
Collapsible Stroller
When your child is in a stroller YOU CAN SKIP LINES. You are able to use the first class security lane when your kid is in a stroller. We learned this the hard way. The first time we flew we didn’t bring a stroller because we thought it would just be more to deal with, and boy we were wrong! Not only was it so heavy carrying a baby through the entire airport, but we had to stand in the long security lines while other mamas with strollers breezed past us and skipped ahead. Lesson learned. Also, you don’t have to pay for carrying a stroller on board. When you get to your gate, go to the desk and get a tag for your stroller, and when you board the plane you’ll just for dup your stroller and leave it at the door of the plane and they will pack it under. When you leave plane, they will have it there waiting for you. It’s easy peasy. We bring the cheapie umbrella stroller on our flights and it works just fine!
Pacifiers & Ziploc Bags
If your child is a fan of pacifiers… bring LOTS. I take 2 ziplock bags and label one “clean” and the other “dirty.” By the end of the day, you’ll have most pacifiers in the dirty bag. 
I’ve found that kids love to throw their pacifiers on the floor especially on dirty planes haha, and if you’re a germophobe like me, you’ll appreciate a labeled bag, and a never ending supply of “clean” ones.
Extra Baby Clothes
Be sure to bring an extra change of clothes (onesie, socks, leggings) as you never know when a messy situation may arise. Trust me, it will happen at some point. Also be sure to dress your child in comfortable clothes (not thick jeans or itchy sweater – imagine what would be most comfortable for you on a plane) & bring a long sleeve top. It is almost always chilly on planes, and you want your baby to be warm and snuggly.
Melrose Essential Oil
Melrose behind the ears is a great oil to help with pressure in the ears while flying. You can make a roller blend of fractionated coconut oil and Melrose oil and carry it on with you. There is not a lot about this natural remedy online, but many of my mama friends swear by Melrose wile flying as it receives ear pressure and pain. I recommend doing a patch test before the flight to be sure it doesn’t irritate your baby’s ears.
The Comfy
Speaking of snuggly… The Comfy. Oh my cozy god YES – when it’s cold outside, I fly with my purple comfy. WHY? well, because it’s so warm and cozy, and it doubles as a pillow / blanket / comforter! I take it off once I’m on the plane and I place it in Lily’s seat and make her a soft cushiony space before buckling her in. It’s amazing! Then when she lies down to take a nap, she’s very comfortable.
BONUS: Gift Bags for Passengers
Our friend Ashy Bines suggested this idea to butter up the surrounding passengers when traveling with a new baby. Although I haven’t done this personally, I LOVE this idea! Breaking the ice and letting your near by passengers know that you care about them and reminding them that you’re doing everything you can to have a peaceful flight. This is a great way to I find that most people are nice on planes and they empathize, but I have come across the occasional bitchy lady making snarky comments about my crying baby (maybe this would have made her happier hehe)
