I was both nervous and excited about our first mommy-daughter trip. Before Laila (before 2020), I would travel every few weeks. Just me and my carry-on (sometimes with kitty) would be off to visit friends and family all over the country. Most of my miles started to really build up quickly when Cody and I dated long distance for 2+ years; taking turns flying every 2-3 weeks. And then travel came to a halt while we distanced ourselves from crowded spaces. Finally, after two years of not flying, I set off on adventures again. But the difference is that baby girl was with me.

With her strapped to my chest in the baby carrier, a backpack filled with food, toys, diapers/wipes, a change of clothing, and a car seat tied to our carry on bag; together every single step of the way, we navigate checking our shared luggage, and weaving through the other travelers. We board our flight, clean everything down, and then set up her car seat, bottle, and fidget spinners. She watches as people passed by and smiles at the person sitting with us, while attempting to climb into their lap. We nap, play, sing, and watch Lion King (the original of course). Ms. Rachel, and Cocomellon. Once we finally land, we get all bundled up to each other and made our way to our final destination.
On some of our flights, there have been some really kind people who have offered to help with lifting our luggage or rolling it down the plane for us. I find it funny, slightly, when the gate agent insists it would be easier/better for me to check my carry-on, which has the car seat strapped to it. I am not sure how the image of me lugging her car seat through a plane and airport would be easier than rolling it, but okay. They must have never flown with a car seat. But we have! And it really is a lot simpler than it looks. If you have any questions or concerns, Michelle at Safe in the Seat has an amazing course on how to travel with a car seat. As she says, if you need a car seat at your final destination, then you more than likely need one on the plane.
We used our infant Clek Liing for all of our flights until she outgrew it, and moved onto the Clek Foonf. I love how narrow these car seats are. The infant seat is pretty light and super easy to travel without the base while still being safe, but the convertible seat is quite heavy and a bit more complicated to manage while she is rear faced in the car. I am considering other options (maybe this, but only for the plane) for an airplane car seat when we have our Foonf on the other end (my parents have one and my in-laws have a car seat as well that works for us). In the meantime, I find the holm car seat roller setup to be a life saver. Once she outgrows the carrier, I will bring our silver cross jet stroller. I love how compact it is. It has terrible storage space and it not as easy to fold of some other strollers (such as the uppa baby minu that we have at my parent's place), but it is extremely compact and been perfect for our road trips and will fit in the overhead of the plane perfectly when I need it.
I know that the idea of traveling with an infant or a toddler can be daunting. Let's be real, it is daunting. Especially once they starts climbing and running all over the place. Practice, prep and knowledge is really amazing in reducing those fears and sense of doom. Each time there are different challenges because she keeps changing. She went from crawling to running within just a few times of flying. So I need to constantly re-evaluate my plan, and adjust my plans.
My first time flying by myself with Laila (after one other flight with my dad's help) was when we went to New York for my sister's 30th birthday. Unfortunately, it was also the day that the Texas school shooting occurred. I held onto her even tighter after that. I probably tightened the harness on the carrier more than usual. It was definitely a jolt and brought so much appreciation for the ability to hold my daughter. This feeling has stuck with me on my trips since then. That's not to say it's not hard or exhausting, it just means that I have an added appreciation of being able to show baby girl the world.
Traveling with her really is worth it every time. We don't live near our parents. I have my brother and aunt and Uncle near by, though! With that, comes lots of travel to visit people so that they can have time with her, and she can get to know them.
To all the parents and guardians… Take the trip. Go on the adventure. You can totally do it.
Just go.
To help along the way... Here are some tips and tricks that have worked for me and Laila on our travels:
- Packing:
- Bring one carry-on and check anything else you need, ideally in one suitcase. I have managed 5 days of travel with all of our stuff in one carry-on. How? I did laundry every day.
- TSA:
- Bottles. By the time that we started flying, Laila was on formula. I prepped two bottles and brought a frozen ice pack. I also brought extra formula and purchased a water bottle once through TSA. Here's the most important tip- Print out TSA guidelines on baby items. I put it all in a lunch box so it is separate, and I pull the formula can out of my carry-on, even though I have TSA-pre.
- I travel with a notarized document that Cody and I can travel with Laila on our own. It's my way to reduce any possible issues with flying with her alone. Bringing a birth certificate or passport is also an option. However, TSA has never asked me for any of those items.
- Car Seats:
- Print out FAA guidelines of car seats. We have all seen the horror videos of interactions between crew and passengers. Ultimately, I do believe that crew are only trying to make the flight experience as pleasant of possible; however, they don't all know all of the rules. If you purchase a seat for your child, it is yours. If you have a car seat that fits, it goes in the seat and your child sits in it. It is the safest place for them for a million and one reasons.
- Have on your phone or with you a printed copy of how to install the car seat of the plane. Watch videos and contact the company or airline with any questions ahead of time. Make sure it is FAA approved (there is a sticker on the seat). Check the seat leg room dimensions for your specific flight. It will reduce the amount of trouble shooting you'll need to do in the moment.
- For the infant car seat, I use a bungee-cord to strap the car seat on. I put the handle in the cross body position, and put the handle of the carry-on bad through it - so the bottom of the car seat is hugging zipper side of the luggage. You will need to take it off and put it through the x-ray machine. A bit of a hassle, but doable.
- For the convertible seat, you can also strap it to the carry-on luggage or use the holm travel system. What is nice about the holm, is that I place the car seat on it in front of the security point and they bring it through and then wipe it down for security testing.
- Diaper Bag:
- Extra clothing in a diaper bag for your child. Accidents happen, food and bodily fluids. I have a second extra outfit in the carry-on for her and myself. Which have both been used/needed.
- Cleaning items. Lots of wipes for diaper changes but also for messes. I bring a ziplock bag for garbage and for diapers. I also change her diaper every hour, no matter what. Fyi, the flight crew will not take your diapers. I have no idea why they won't when collecting trash, but that don't.
- Toys and pre-downloaded shows on phone and tablet/i-pad. I bring a new toy each time to play with her.
- Snacks. Lots of snacks. I bring every one of her favorite foods, veggie pouches, and her water bottle. We are weaning off the bottle, but it has been amazing for flying.
- Diaper changing:
- I have her in a top/dress with leggings. I started flying once she was standing, so I do standing diaper changes of her in her car seat. I do not care what anyone thinks around me. It is cleaner and so much easier for me to have all of her items right there and to have a space for her. I attached the suction toys to the tv/window to keep her entertained.
- Change in Altitude:
- I strap her into her car seat as we pull away from the gate. I try to keep her entertained until we get to the runway and then I give her a bottle as we go up and down. If she falls asleep too quickly, I wake her back up to get her to keep drinking to pop her ears.
- Sound blocking headphones. I have a pair. It is ideal for them to wear them, but she doesn't like them. If she were younger though, I would have taught her to use them.
- Before getting on the plane:
- Laila loves to run around, so we move as much as possible until we board. I don't let her walk down the jet-bridge because it is too much to keep track of in a less then safe area.
- I do one last diaper change once on the plane because we do early boarding when the airline allows. I like the extra time to get her settled in before our seatmate gets on. But, if I waited to get on, then I would change it in the terminal.
Here are some of our favorite toys and additional options. I like to switch out and bring one new toy each flight to help contain her.
Toys:
Items mentioned earlier in this post:
Have the best trip! I hope this helps and makes it a little easier for you upcoming flight with your little one.
xoxo,
Shana Bryn
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