Flying with a Newborn

Well Norah just had her first flying experience.  I’ll admit I was a little nervous at first but it ended up turning out just fine.  However I learned a lot and I hope to help anyone else who may be traveling with a newborn in the near future.

Things to know when flying with a newborn

• You will need the birth certificate for identification
• The security guards will be extra friendly to you and your baby
• If you have a car seat put it upside down to go through the X-ray machine
• Using a diaper bag that can be worn like a back pack makes things really nice.
• You can take milk through security but you will have to make it available for them to test
• TSA.gov says that if the baby is in a sling you can leave her in when you go through security, 
• I didn’t try it but it seems like it would work nicely so you don’t have to lug a car seat around
• If the flight isn’t full they will let you just carry on your car seat and you will have to set it in the window seat, otherwise you can check it at the gate
• Carrying the baby in a sling is really convenient; the only thing is they will make you take the baby out during takeoff and landing which can be frustrating if your baby has just fallen asleep.
• Go ahead, ask for two drinks because you deserve it and the flight attendant is not likely to turn you down.
• If the baby gets squirmy from the air pressure give her a bottle or a pacifier.  Bottles work best because they make the baby swallow which is what will pop her ears.
• Don’t sit in the emergency exit seat, and don’t sit in the seats directly behind the emergency exit seat they will make you move which is not an easy thing to do when you have a baby a car seat a laptop and a diaper bag.  (FYI the first seat I sat in was the emergency exit seat.  Then a nice gentleman informed me that I couldn’t do that, so for convenience I moved to the seats directly behind the emergency exit.  Then the flight attendant told me I would have to move. Well the seats behind me were taken so I decided to move to the seats next to me.  Bad move, I obviously had to move again.  It was a mess!)

 Overall Norah enjoyed the plane ride :)