I Just Did My First Flight With My Baby. Here’s What I Wish I’d Known Beforehand

There’s a lot of excitement around your first flight with your new family. I was pretty keen to jump on a plane with my then-four-month-old and explore a different city with him in tow. But that excitement can quickly turn into a meltdown (you, them, everyone around you) if something goes wrong. Whether you’re doing a short weekender or jetting off overseas, there are some rules that, in my opinion, always apply when flying with a baby.

Unfortunately, they’re all lessons I learned the hard way.

Yep, my first flight with my son, Joey, was pretty hectic. I wouldn’t say it was a full disaster, because thankfully, it was just a one-hour trip down to Melbourne. But man, I wish I could go back in time with the knowledge I gained from doing almost everything wrong. Learn from my mistakes! If you’re flying with your newborn soon, take note.

Lesson 1: Don’t Take The Big Pram

I’m kicking things off with the most controversial take I have. Do not, under any circumstances, take the big pram. I was considering buying a travel pram before our flight, but then decided it was a bit dramatic to buy an entirely new pram just for a short trip. 

Friends, it was not dramatic. It was wise, and I should have listened to my gut!

Even with my main pram dismantled and popped inside a sturdy travel bag I’d bought from Amazon, it was a disaster. The part I hadn’t considered? How was I going to manoeuvre a clunky, oversized item from the taxi to the check-in point, and then the baggage claim to a taxi, and then the taxi to the hotel? One option would have been to open the whole thing up and then pack it down each time, but that seemed even more stressful, since it had to be separated into two parts to be packed down. Instead, I had to repeatedly lean on the kindness of strangers, all while Joey bopped around in his baby-wearing carrier, hanging semi-precariously off my chest. 

If I had my time again, I’d buy a Redsbaby Skip 3, Stokke YOYO3, Babybee Miles or Uppababy Minu V3. Most fold down with one hand, all open up instantly, and they can be thrown over your shoulder and popped into the overhead carrier for flight. Brilliant.

Lesson 2: Get Into Baby Wearing

Technically, I nailed the brief on this one for my first flight with my baby. I wore my Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier with Joey in it through the airports and for any quick walks around town. You can’t wear them on board (the baby has to be in your lap, with a special baby belt around their waist that’s provided), but it makes navigating busy terminals a breeze. 

My son, Joey, also loved sleeping in his, so it actually put him to sleep so I could have an overpriced airport coffee and croissant in peace. Some other baby carriers I looked at were the Ergopouch Omni Deluxe, Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier One, and the Portier Limitless carrier.

Lesson 3: Book The Aisle Seat

This one seems obvious, but often when we’re travelling, we opt for the “select my seat for me” option because it’s cheaper. But you just don’t want to risk being stuck in a middle or window seat with a baby, trust me. Not when they do a gigantic poo explosion. Not when they will only settle if you stand up, hold them at an 85-degree angle and bounce to the beat of ‘Anaconda’ by Nicki Minaj. Not when they vomit an entire stomachful of milk onto your pants. You want the aisle seat, so you can make quick trips to the bathroom and wander the aisle without clambering over some guy who fell asleep before the plane even took off.

Lesson 4: Suction Toys Are Like A Cheap Nanny

These days, Joey has a whole basket filled with suction sensory spinners and other toys you can stick onto surfaces to provide throw-proof play. I had none on our first baby flight. NONE. Oh, how I wish I could have stuck a few spinning koalas onto the back of a chair for Joey to bash away at for 45 minutes! How easy my life would have been! All other toys can and will be: shoved into crevices, thrown into the aisle, thrown at the heads of other passengers, and dropped into cups of orange juice. In fact, I’d go as far as to say don’t bother taking anything on board that can’t suction to something.

Lesson 5: Take Spare Everything

Oh, you’re going away for two days? Pack, like, ten changes of clothing. Take extra sheets! Oh my gosh, I wish I’d packed extra sheets. Joey wet through his nappy one night, and I had to put a spare bath towel down as his fitted sheet the following evening. 

Take a million dummies. Do not assume you can just buy more there if you need, because you’ll suddenly find there’s a shortage of Tommee Tippee Nighttime Orthodontic in every chemist you visit. Pack like you’re moving countries, honestly. I ran out of portacot sheets, dummies, bottles and socks. 

This also includes stuff for you. Pack a spare change of clothing for the flight – this is a non-negotiable, because if your baby does a poonami (poo explosion) on you in mid-air, you’ll really appreciate past-you for packing a spare t-shirt and leggings. 

Next time around, I’ll be reaching the absolute limit of my flight’s on-board weight restriction.

Lesson 6: Write Your Packing List Weeks In Advance

Then revisit, and revisit, and revisit again. Google baby packing lists! See what everyone’s packing on Reddit! The first list you write will be missing 15 critical items. The final list will have been edited fifty times. I did revisit my list a fair bit, but I still managed to forget Joey’s favourite toy, my phone charger, and various other key things. 

Your previous packing list from before you were a parent just quadrupled in length, so it’s also worth remembering that you can’t just pack five minutes before your flight, either.

Lesson 7: Roll With It

You’ve already learned this lesson if you’ve had a baby, because baby life is entirely about all expectations going out the window, hour by hour. It’s never felt more true to me than when travelling with Joey. I’m changing a nappy on the floor as they call final boarding? Sure. Let’s go. We’re watching ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ video clips on repeat until my brain feels like it’s melting? Fine. 

Have little to no expectations about how the flight will go, and you’ll simply be pleasantly surprised when stuff goes smoothly. It will save you loads of stress, trust me.