Before our little Rufus was born…

We had grand plans to fly with him to a new country and to start seeing the world this year. However, 2020 had different plans. My baby was born on the day the state of Montana ran out of toilet paper. The state shut down shortly thereafter, thus shattering all of our travel plans for the foreseeable future.

2020 didn’t stop there. My wonderful grandmother was a covid causality. No, she didn’t die from covid. She died because of being locked in her room and depraved from social interaction.

To get to her funeral, we had to jump on a plane and fly. We were a little nervous because we didn’t know how to do a flight in this covid climate, let alone how to fly with a baby but we made a few calls, got advice on flying with a baby in normal times, and went for it.

How to fly with a baby: 5 steps

1. Car seat. I didn’t know this until this flight but you can check car seats for free! They even bag it up for you.
2. Stroller. You can check strollers at the gate. This was a life saver for transporting Rufus around. and then once we got to the gate, they loaded it onto the plane and we carried Rufus onto the plain.
3. Something to suck on. Babies can’t pop their ears. So to help their ears during take off and landing, bring a bottle, a pacifier, or your boob for them to suck on.
4. Toy. This one is more age dependent. Meaning, does your kid need a toy or not? Rufus was between 4 and 5 months old when we flew so some colorful toys, a blanket, and rattles really did the trick.
5. Relax. Just let yourself relax. If anyone is reacting poorly to your child, don’t worry about it. Let them be a grinch. You just do what you need to do to keep your baby happy, healthy, and happy.

BONUS! White/brown noise. This stuff is magic. Just cover the baby up with a blanket, give him the thing to suck on, turn on the noise and fly with ease!

So as you can see, flying with a baby isn’t super hard.

Don’t be afraid! Go forth and fly my little travelers!