All That Baby Stuff |
by Denise Stegmann on August 20th 2019
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon, meaning I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon, meaning I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
All that baby stuff
Just like with anything in parenting this will be your unique journey, literally. Everything I am describing here is based on my personal experiences.
how to get through the airport gracefully with all your baby gear
Car seat
Check your car seat. If you are going to check the car seat you will not have to worry about it for the remainder of your airport and airplane time. Of course, there is always the risk that the airline might loose it along the way. If this happens airlines will actually reimburse you for the additional car seat you might have to purchase. But it’s still a huge pain as you can imagine. So maybe just check for direct flights, or flights when there is plenty of time for the airline to transport the car seat from one plane to the other. This would cut down on the risk to loose the car seat.
Gate check (personal favorite) is a great option. You have your car seat until the moment when you enter the plane. This can be nice if your infant car seat attaches to the stroller. It’s also nice when you have a car seat travel cart. Our 4 year old usually doesn’t need a stroller anymore but he loves riding through the airport in his car seat attached to the cart. And travel days can be so exhausting for the everyone. You are not required to cover your car seat but it obviously protects the seat from rough handling and weather. When you leave the plane the car seat should be waiting for you depending on how fast you deplaned. So consider if you have the time to wait for your car seat in case of a tight connection. For international flights this is a hit or miss. Arriving in Europe the gate checked items have actually always been right there. Not always the case when you get back to the United States. Be prepared that you might not have a car seat or stroller when waiting for customs (maybe consider Global Entry, lines for immigration can be long).
Taking the Car Seat on the Plane You will need a seat for the child, and this cannot be an aisle seat. You will also have to make sure that your car seat is not too big for this. Some of the convertible car seats wouldn’t leave much room for the person next to it. Personally I would only take a car seat on a plane if this would increase my chances for a sleeping child. You really loose valuable space when a car seat takes up a seat. It is very unlikely to get into a situation where your child would be more protected in a car seat than without a car seat. If you are the kind of person who really want their bases covered, take a car seat, there is also a probability for severe turbulences when you will not be able to hold on to your baby or child. Of course, someone before me has already done all the research when it comes to the safety of letting your child travel as a lap child vs. car seat. This is an excellent article on the subject and I highly recommend reading it whether you are planning on having your child as a lap child, or whether you will take a car seat. thepointsguy.com/guide/lap-infants-safety/
* A thought on infant car seats. You don't need to bring the base. Educate yourself on how to install your infant car seat without the base.
Gate check (personal favorite) is a great option. You have your car seat until the moment when you enter the plane. This can be nice if your infant car seat attaches to the stroller. It’s also nice when you have a car seat travel cart. Our 4 year old usually doesn’t need a stroller anymore but he loves riding through the airport in his car seat attached to the cart. And travel days can be so exhausting for the everyone. You are not required to cover your car seat but it obviously protects the seat from rough handling and weather. When you leave the plane the car seat should be waiting for you depending on how fast you deplaned. So consider if you have the time to wait for your car seat in case of a tight connection. For international flights this is a hit or miss. Arriving in Europe the gate checked items have actually always been right there. Not always the case when you get back to the United States. Be prepared that you might not have a car seat or stroller when waiting for customs (maybe consider Global Entry, lines for immigration can be long).
Taking the Car Seat on the Plane You will need a seat for the child, and this cannot be an aisle seat. You will also have to make sure that your car seat is not too big for this. Some of the convertible car seats wouldn’t leave much room for the person next to it. Personally I would only take a car seat on a plane if this would increase my chances for a sleeping child. You really loose valuable space when a car seat takes up a seat. It is very unlikely to get into a situation where your child would be more protected in a car seat than without a car seat. If you are the kind of person who really want their bases covered, take a car seat, there is also a probability for severe turbulences when you will not be able to hold on to your baby or child. Of course, someone before me has already done all the research when it comes to the safety of letting your child travel as a lap child vs. car seat. This is an excellent article on the subject and I highly recommend reading it whether you are planning on having your child as a lap child, or whether you will take a car seat. thepointsguy.com/guide/lap-infants-safety/
* A thought on infant car seats. You don't need to bring the base. Educate yourself on how to install your infant car seat without the base.
stroller
Check your stroller Not sure why you would do this. But it is an option. Maybe you have a second stroller to get through the airport, or a car seat trolley. Or your baby is still so young that you just have her in a baby carrier (I’ve done that). But otherwise you will want a stroller to get through the airport. If you do check your stroller you will need a cover for it.
Gate Check You get to take the stroller all the way to the airplane. We’ve never used any kind of cover but it probably exists. Just looked it up- yes, it exists. Obvious advantage is that you will have your stroller in the airport. Again, no guarantees for international flights. Arriving in Europe we always received the stroller when deplaning. There might not be a stroller waiting for you when you return to the United States. In that case you will pick it up together with your other luggage.
Take the Stroller on the Plane If your child is older and you don’t need to attach a car seat to the stroller anymore then an umbrella stroller is a great option. Those smaller strollers can be taken onto the plane. You just put it into the overhead bin. Just make sure that an umbrella stroller will be appropriate for your destination. Cobblestones and rugged terrain might require a more sturdy stroller.
This is a more sturdy version of an umbrella stroller.
Gate Check You get to take the stroller all the way to the airplane. We’ve never used any kind of cover but it probably exists. Just looked it up- yes, it exists. Obvious advantage is that you will have your stroller in the airport. Again, no guarantees for international flights. Arriving in Europe we always received the stroller when deplaning. There might not be a stroller waiting for you when you return to the United States. In that case you will pick it up together with your other luggage.
Take the Stroller on the Plane If your child is older and you don’t need to attach a car seat to the stroller anymore then an umbrella stroller is a great option. Those smaller strollers can be taken onto the plane. You just put it into the overhead bin. Just make sure that an umbrella stroller will be appropriate for your destination. Cobblestones and rugged terrain might require a more sturdy stroller.
This is a more sturdy version of an umbrella stroller.
Formula and Breast Milk
I feel inadequate advising you on formula and expressed breast milk since I was always so lucky to just be able to breastfeed my babies. I just know that there is no limit on how much liquid formula or breastmilk you bring. If you need ice packs they need to be frozen when going through security, otherwise they can be taken away from you. Parents apparently ask for ice at airport restaurants to keep their milk chilled.
Check out this excellent website www.mamava.com/mamava-blog/tsa-rights-with-breast-milk
I feel inadequate advising you on formula and expressed breast milk since I was always so lucky to just be able to breastfeed my babies. I just know that there is no limit on how much liquid formula or breastmilk you bring. If you need ice packs they need to be frozen when going through security, otherwise they can be taken away from you. Parents apparently ask for ice at airport restaurants to keep their milk chilled.
Check out this excellent website www.mamava.com/mamava-blog/tsa-rights-with-breast-milk