Being that it's hard for me to stay put and I was facing 4 months at home with a newborn, we needed to get away, right? So when is it okay to fly with an infant? Everyone has a different answer. My answer (being a 5 mo. parenting vet): as soon as YOU feel comfortable. For me, I did some minimal research about doctor's recommendations and then decided a trip at 2 and a half months should work for us. It somehow made me more comfortable knowing she'd at least have one round of shots in her. But other than that, I wanted her (and us) to start getting comfortable with fairly frequent travel. Fast forward to travel day DEN>MCO. Naturally had some big wins and some epic fails. But overall I give Miss Lu's first flight an A-. This kid is amazing, less than 2 minutes total crying, lot's of sleep and happy times. Here's a quick rundown of what worked, where I screwed up and some tips I hope you can use.
The Good
Arrive early! This is not my typical way of operating, I'm usually the breeze-in-right-at boarding-time type. I hate waiting around at the airport. But with Maya, I knew better. We got there with a little over two hours to before boarding, which gave us time to check bags, get through security, have breakfast (+ mimosa) and deal with a blowout!
Time your feedings. I fed Maya right before the trip to the airport and then again once we were on board which was perfect as they recommend feedings as you're taking off and landing to minimize problems with air pressure and her little ears. If it's not time to feed, a paci can also do the trick.
Don't go it alone. Mikey was not going to join us for this trip and the rest of the family was already in Orlando. It would have been manageable to fly with Maya on my own but definitely not ideal for the first flight. So if you can, bring a buddy or two, in this case my secret weapons were Grammy and Grampy.
The Bad
Forgot pants! As if just to teach me a lesson, Sis (AKA Maya) had a blow out 10 mins before boarding. I thought I was totally prepared for that with my trusty diaper bag. But upon finishing the clean up, NO PANTS! So Sis had to fly bare legged, which I think she preferred anyway.
Tiny Traveler Tips
Ask for help! At check-in and security. People see you with your little bundle and they'll be unusually helpful. My first time through security I didn't know how best to bring Maya through. I flagged a TSA agent down, he collapsed my stroller, put it on the x-ray belt and waived Sis and I through.
Strollers, car seats, to check or not to check? I had several scenarios I was contemplating but opted to check the base (packed in a car seat travel bag) and bring the car seat/stroller combo to check at the gate. Make sure to ask for a plastic bag at check-in to cover your stroller at the gate. They don't have these bags at the gate (silly). And when you get to the gate you need to ask the agent for gate check tags. I was super happy with this decision as it was very easy to deplane and have the stroller there waiting for us.
You can bring water in bottles. If you bottle feed your little one, they will ALWAYS pull your bag and go through it. But TSA let 4oz per bottle through which was amazing, they said they'd let more through but would just need to test before letting you through.
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