Seeking Advice for Flying with an Infant

I have flown once a month with my son since he was born. Yes you can bring formula.....however if you are using powdered formula bring it in a seperator, bottles nipples seperate and empty. Buy bottled water after going through security and mix it when you are waiting at the gate. Place all food in a ziplock bag along with spoons. The bag needs to be taken out and screened seperately from your diaper bag. Remember you are only allowed like 3 ounces of liquid, so the baby food works...luckily. If you are bringing pre-mixed formula then there may be an issue, however as long as it's in it's original unopened bottle, you should be fine. I have seen security here in Illinois throw formula and milk away because it was above the amount that was allowed and/or not properly stored in it's original sealed container.
A bottle or pacifier during take off and landing is of course a great thing becasue it helps them pop their ears, which they otherwise don't naturally know how to do. I also gave my son 1/2 dose of tylenol to ease the discomfort the first few times we flew. I have since ditched it as he got used to it. I do however always have it on hand.
Going through security can be tricky until you have a system. They will not at all ask for ID for the child. if your stroller folded up does not fit on the conveyor, you'll need to place it in front of a gate next to the walkthrough screen for a special scerrning. however all accessories and things on the stroller must go through the conveyor.

Have fun and relax, it's not as hard as your brain is making it seem. I totally stressed myself out the first time by overthinking it.

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We flew United last month with our then-four-month-old. He was a lap baby and we did NOT need ID for him, but we DID need to call them ahead of time and get him listed on our itinerary because he then would have his own "ticket" too. I recommend surfing your airline's customer service and reservation website for their specific information on flying with a small child to cover all your bases. You can also call them ahead of time for specific questions you haven't had answered on the website. Yes, the sucking helps with adjusting to the air pressure differences. We timed the feeding for the actual ascent and then offered again for the descent. Worked well on the outgoing flight, but on our return, he wouldn't suck for the second half of the descent and experienced some pain with his ears (batted at them, etc.). After we landed, it did equalize rather quickly, though, and the pain/crying was over. I would second the other mom's response about having a variety of sucking options available (breast/bottle, pacifier, chew toy, etc.) I know your child is older than ours was, so all of that might not be relevant, but my friend with older children allows them a sucker for take-off and landing and they look forward to it!

For people reading these responses with lap children, we used the Baby B'Air (flight vest that attaches the child to your seat belt) and appreciated feeling a little more secure. We were also allowed to use an unused seat for our infant seat on the more empty return flight, but couldn't get it to work with the airplane seatbelt. A friend told me later that they used their infant seat withOUT the base on a plane and got it to work ok after some struggling.

Best wishes!

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter is now 4 and has been flying every few months since she was 2 months old. This is a subject I have down ;-)

First of all, getting her own seat is definitely a good idea. Good thinking. One thing I realized after the first flight was that only certain rows on certain model planes have an extra oxygen mask. Thus, if she were a lap baby and it was a full flight, who would be going without an oxygen mask if, God forbid, there was an emergency.

Second, definitely bring her car seat onto the plane. If she's not used to flying, chances are she'll buck the seatbelt on the plane unless she's in her car seat.

Third, Formula is allowed through security...I believe sippy cups as well. You can go to the airport's website and find the latest and greatest rules. They change frequently so it's better to check them again.

Fourth, yes, drinking even just water during take off and landing helps tremendously. Swallowing forces the baby's ears to pop.

Fifth, if you child drinks formula and you are taking a container of powdered formula with you, put it in your carry-on bag (if allowed) or buy it at your destination. Just don't put it in your checked luggage. I did that once and my bag was searched (not in my presence). I had to throw away the entire thing, because I had no idea if they stuck their fingers in the powder or not or any instruments. Turns out drug dealers use formula to smuggle drugs.

Sixth, no, you do not need identification for a child flying domestically. I have an Illinois State ID for my daughter just in case (no minimum age to get one), but as often as we fly, it's never been requested. I think that's terrible for safety reasons, but I don't make the rules.

Seventh (and last), if you're going to fly often with your child, I recommend getting a Sit And Stroll. It's a car seat (up to 40lbs), stroller and booster seat all in one. I used mine and LOVED it! It was a lifesaver when traveling, particularly since I travel alone with my daughter. I'm just selling mine. I'm not trying to sell it to you. If you're interested, that's great, but even if not, I still highly recommend this product.

Good luck with your trip. If I can help in any other way, please just email :-)

Ciao, H.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi J., It looks like you have been given plenty of good advice. My son and I have been traveling since he was very young. I know you probably know to bring a change of clothes for your daughter but you may also want to consider a change of clothes for yourself or even just a shirt. When my son was around that age he got sick on the plane and threw up all over me! I had plenty of clothes for him but none for myself. Just a thought. Good luck!

I've never had to show ID for my kids other than passports when we were going abroad. I've also never had trouble getting baby needs (food, juice, etc) through security. One time they did make me taste the baby food (yuck!!) but that was in Europe where they are a little more strict, I haven't had that happen here. My kids' ears were never bothered by takeoff and landing but just the activity of sucking/chewing can relieve the problem be ready to give your breast, bottle, or a pacifier if she has trouble. Enjoy your trip.

I just flew with my daughter over the weekend and brought three jars of baby food. When we went through security the screeners took the jars out of her diaper bag and said they needed to open one of them to test it. They took the lid off and held a test strip over the top. They said the test strip would have changed color if there was something in the jar that wasn't allowed on the plane. Since it didn't, they put the lid back on and we were on our way. I've heard you are allowed to carry on as much baby food and formula as the baby would need for the flight. We have never been asked for her birth certificate, but I usually carry a photo copy of it with me just in case.

You should bring a copy of your baby's birth certificate....Sometimes we are asked for it and others not. But, when we are asked for it we are told that without it our son wouldn't have been able to get on the plan. So....a .05 photocopy was definitly worth it.
Safe travels....

We won a trip to Puerto Rico when my daughter was 6 months old, I was still nursing so we had to take her along. We flew out of Ohare we were not asked for any ID for her. It is true they will not allow any bottled water even if you tell them it is for a baby. We flew again later when she 1 and my son 7, they pitched our water but didn't ask for any ID for either of them. The most difficult is diaper changes in the bathrooms. Luckily my daughter slept through most of both flights. We took a portable DVD player the second time and she was entertained by Baby Mozart! The last time we flew we went to Hawaii (without the kids!) a baby cried literally the entire 8 hrs, just be prepared with lots of activities and snacks.

I flew with my daughter when she was 3 months old. I did not need a social security card for her. Yes, a bottle at take off & landing will definitely help! I nursed my baby during take off & landing, but the bottle will work just as well. I would check on the airlines about liquid restrictions. I didn't have to worry about it since she was only breastfeeding at that time. Good luck....it will be fine!

Hi J.-
We flew with my daughter last August. At that point, we could bring formula on the plane--unopened/unmade.---but there were restrictions about amounts. I bought bottled water after getting through security and mixed with the singles packets of formula. If your daughter is drinking milk now, you could probably buy milk in the stores after security, but they may not have whole milk. Here is a helpful link about restrictions with liquids that I used:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.shtm
We did need to bring a copy of my daughter's birth certificate to prove her age. We flew Southwest. I would highly suggest calling the airline ahead of time and asking about their child procedures. Some of them aren't listed on websites and you don't want to be surprised when you go to board.

We did the bottle thing on take off and landing. My daughter was 6 months at the time, and a lap baby, so it was easy to do. The bottle helped a bit...she drank a lot more than I thought she would, but it was the sucking that helped...if your child uses a pacifier that would help too.

The people at O'Hare's security were very helpful..just take your time and hopefully you have some extra hands to help you. Good luck!

I just recently traveled with a 9 month old and a a two year old. I did not need to show any identification at all for my two kids. As far as liquids and food, I was able to bring strawberries and grapes pass security, but no bottles filled with water. I was told that the only way I could bring the water is fi the formula mixed there. I choose to poor the bottles out and buy water on the other side os security. I did give a bottle during take off, but he selpt most of the plane ride.

Hi J.!

We fly all the time with my son, who is now 5. He has flown about 12 times already through O'Hare. Bringing powdered formula was never a problem because we could buy bottles of water on the plane. You'd have to check online or call the airline to ask what procedure is now.

The drinking from a bottle trick definitely works. I used to hold his bottle feeding until takeoff and again at landing. (We had a four hour flight.) It really is the only thing we found that works - swallowing. We still have him drink from a water bottle.

He can also get airsick, so we got on onestepahead.com and bought motion sickness wrist bands which have been a great thing to have in the car for long trips, too.

I will say that your daughter's age is one of the hardest to fly during. I HIGHLY suggest a portable DVD player and lots of NEW toys (little Dollar Store ones are just fine) that she has never seen. Keep them tucked away in your bag for times when she gets fussy and bring them out one-by-one as your secret weapons. We usually bought 5-6 cheapie toys to bring with us. I cannot stress the DVD player enough, though! I know she is young, but if it is a long flight you will want it.

Good luck and email me if you have more questions.
A.

Just to say you'll want to prepare a variety of different foodstuffs available for your kid, because all of us have had different experiences with the airlines/TSA.

I have never been allowed to take through even sealed bottled water, even though it was to mix my son's formula. I had to buy it inside the airport.

Sealed, jarred baby food was not a problem.

I was told that only sealed, ready-to-drink formula OR prepared formula was allowed. However, as someone else pointed out, that goes bad within a couple of hours, and you are not allowed to take ice or even cold gelpacks through security.

I liked the Similac pre-measured powdered formula sticks. You can find them at Babies R Us. They're four ounces each: very light-weight, easy to pack and easy to use.

Prepare for everything, and good luck!

J.-
I'm not sure about the liquid restrictions (they didn't have them when my daughter was an infant). I've never had anyone (at O'Hare or anywhere) ask for identification for my daughter - and I've flown all over the country with her since she was an infant. Sucking a bottle (or pacifier) during take-off and landing will help with any ear discomfort (as will chewing gum or sucking on hard candy when they get older). If the ear pain is really bad, a flight attendant told me to put an empty cup over each ear. Apparently it will help equilize the pressure and alleviate the pain.
Good luck and have fun!
J.

Hi J.,

I don't know about the liquid restrictions b/c my kids are older now, but feeding during take-off and landing does work. It helps pop their ears, since they don't know how to do that. We used to have them drink/nurse as the plane was heading to leave the runway and during the biggest descent on the way down. When our kids were that young, we always brought ID with us -- birth cert or soc sec card.
Other things we did was to walk the aisle a little when it got to boring and bring lots of lap toys.
Have a great flight!

S.
Mom of Jerimiah (6) and Samara (2)

Last fall when my daughter was flying with my infant grandson she had to show birth certificate and her Id.Sucking the bottle will help keep ears from popping.I always let the little ones take bottle on take off and landing it eased the stress also.

Hi J.,
The liquid rule does not apply to baby food or perscription medication. You also don't need any identification for the baby unless you are leaving the USA (then you need a passport for the baby).

Ok I work for the travel industry. I don't know where you are going but if you are going international you will need a passport for your child. If it is domestic I would get your child a state ID since they are traveling in their own seat. Also, it is a good thing to have on you - God Forbid- that your child gets lost. Since you usually don't have a picture of your child when you travel. Finally for the bottle issue, my suggestion is that you take unopened formula and bottled water with a bottle and make your childs milk on the plane. For the food it should be fine since it won't be opened. Plus, a bottle can go bad in an hour if it is left unrefridgerated. The bottle will help with the ear, but I would take along a couple of pacifiers because if your child gets full she will refuse her bottle and still have the ear problems. At least she will have her pacifers to suck on to help with the ear problem. I hope this helps.

I flew with my son at 18mths. at the time we brought something to drink, but I think it was sealed when going through security. This was 4 years ago. I planned the flight at nap time so he would hopefully be tired. The swallowing of liquids did seem to help, but he also had tubes in his ears, so the pressure wasn't bad. I also did the carseat on the airplane so he thought he had to stay in his seat just like the car. I took his SScard with for the just in case situation, but didn't need it. Have a great trip...

Hi -
Yes - nursing, bottle, or pacifier for takeoff and landing works well. Keeps them calm and relieves the ear pressure much the way chewing gum helps us to "pop" our ears.

Hi J.,
I have not flown yet with our new son so I cannot comment from experience, but I am a women's health RN. We do recommend having infants suckling during takeoff and landing. Breastfeeding or a bottle is fine. The reason is that during this time on the plane, pressure changes happen causing discomfort in their little ears. Sucking and swallowing can help their ears to "pop" and help relieve discomfort (crying !) during these times. Good luck! We will be flying with our son in September when he is 4 months. I will likely be asking for advice prior to then!
Kim

J.,
Security will allow milk and baby food. I have flown many times and just last month. I had one agent question the milk but she was told by another that it was fine since I had kids. I also never needed a birth certificate or other id. Good luck and happy flying.

Hi J.,

I have flow several times with my toddler. Getting her a seperate seat was a great idea. They allow you to bring milk but make sure all other liquids meet the liquid regulations and fit in plastic bag. I also brought baby food jars to feed my son on the plane and they never commented on it. Make sure your daughter has easy shoes to take on and off because you will have to take them off when she goes through security.

Bring a bottle or pacifier for take off and landing for their ears. Bring books or toys for on the plane. We actually travelled so much that we got one of those car seats that converts to a stroller and we took it on the plane with us and used it in the plane seat. It really holds your child in place but it is difficult to carry if your seats are in the back as it won't wheel down the aisle. We also bring lollipops - the little dum dums for emergencies. Nothing would distract our tied, cranky, travel wearey child like a lollipop.

Bring several diapers, a small changing pad, a light blanket, hand sanitizer, dry snacks, a change of clothes, and a extra sippy cup that you can put a drink in. Also if your child drinks out of a straw, most airlines can give you a cup with a lid/straw if you request it.

We always brough a birth certificate. Sometimes we were asked for it, sometimes we weren't.

We also let our child burn as much energy by walking around, as we could before getting on the plane. Sometimes he would then sleep, but if not he was more content to sit for a while then if we kept him in a stroller while waiting to board.

Good luck

Hi J.,
No you don't need a birth certificate or ss card but I always carried the birth certificate anyway. I have been flying with my daughter since she was just 6 months old. If your daughter doesn't take the bottle anymore just have her drink and/or eat something. It is the swallowing action that causes your ears to pop. Since you are taking a carseat your daughter will have to sit by the window. If you have a portable dvd player I would highly recommend it along with crayons (think kind that don't roll) and coloring book. I used a sit-n-stroll with my daughter which was great. It is a stroller that turns into a carseat. As for restrictions, it is always best to check the TSA website and they will tell you current restrictions on domestic flights.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
R..

You might want to check if your car seat will fit and have room for your daughters legs. We just flew last week and the child behind me kicked my seat the entire flight. The poor girl had nowhere to put her legs. I think she would have been more comfortable without her carseat. It seems like the space between rows is getting smaller.

S.

I needed a birth certificate for my son but he was on my lap. For my daughter who had her own seat I didn't because she actually had her name on her ticket. The airline said it was for identification p urposes in case there was an accident and they needed to be able to tell everyone who was on the flight. NOt something I really wanted to think about but that was the reason Southwest gave me for needing proof of ID for a lap baby without a ticket.

I have never had to show ID for my daughter. I do also believe that milk or formula is ok to bring on the plane. If you contact the airline, they will be able to tell you for sure.

I travelled with my daughter at 12 months 3 months ago. She was never asked for any ID, but I was still glad I brought the birth certificate. Better safe than sorry. As for liquids, carry their liquids in your childs sippy cups/bottles. As long as they are in your child's containers, they will allow you to bring things on board, but if you have milk or water in a separate container, even if you say it is for your child, they may give you a hard time. I carried on 6 bottles 3 water, 3 milk, and no one questioned me. But just in case, have some dry formula if you're still doing that. Worst case would be without.

And yes, the bottle helped during take off & landing. Just make sure you don't start too early like I did. I started giving her bottle at the taxi and by the time we started lift off, she was done with her bottle. Try giving it just after lift off to ensure she has enough through the ascension and descension.

Hi there. You actually don't need identification for the baby since she has her own seat - often times the airline requests ID if your child is booked as a lap baby...they want proof that the child is not 2 years or older, since at that age they are required to have their own seat. But I always bring it, just in case. I used to travel with one copy of my son's birth certificate but I just went ahead and got him a passport, much easier.

Every airport is different regarding liquid you can carry on...however they are all supposed to let you through security with prepared formula. Some make you pour out milk (cow's milk, not formula), but I'd say if they give you any trouble, just tell them it's formula. Baby food is fine to bring through. Watch things like Desitin & hand sanitizer though, they need to be in packages of 3 ounces or less...or they can be taken away. NOT what you want to happen at the start of your trip.

I always have drinks ready for take-off and landing (when my baby was smaller I had his pacifier ready too, just in case he didn't want to drink). Yes, the sucking motion really helps the pressure in their ears. Also, worst case, if she refuses to drink or take a pacifier, then you can at least massage her ears, I've heard that helps too. My son is always cooperative however with taking a drink, so we've never had any trouble with his ears on the plane. He has been on about 15 flights and is 20 months old. Have a great trip!

You got lots of replies, I just got back from a 2 hour trip with my 3 yr old and 6 month old....we didnt buy the baby a seat, we should have. Also we were required to show her birth certificate, but I think only because she was a "lap" child.

Also on the way home my 3 yr old threw up and it got on me, while I had a nice change of clothes for her in my carry-on I didnt have a thing for myself, bring your self a shirt a least, just in case!

I have flown about a million times (that may be a slight exaggeration...) with my kids, and my advice is this: Yes, you can have milk, juice, formula, etc, for a baby/toddler, as long as you take it out and show them and tell them that is who it's for. I have never had a problem getting through security with sippy cups/bottles. I have ALWAYS had to show proof of the baby's age (copy of birth certificate or vaccination record) at check-in if the baby doesn't have their own seat. They may let you get on without it since yours is only 13 mo. but they usually get all huffy about it if you aren't following their rules. You don't need anything for security though. I have always tried to give my babies a binki/bottle to help with their ears, they never seem bothered if they take them out during takeoff or landing, though, so I don't know for sure that it makes a difference. Fruit snacks also help, if your baby is old enough to chew them. Last tip, DO NOT give your baby benadryl or anything to make them sleep, it has always backfired on me and had the reverse effect when my kids didn't have any symptoms for the medicine to help. Good luck, have a fun, safe flight!

We flew to florida when our twins were 14 months old.They were already drinking whole milk and you can't bring it through(we were told ahead of time).After we passed through security we found a Starbucks and asked them to heat up some milk for us .You can also buy some from other restaurants but will have nowhere to heat it up unless you are on the plane and the flight attendant will do it for you. Don't forget an extra change of clothes for the baby and you too.She will drink more on the plane and yes it will help her to drink during take off/landing.Be sure to put on huggies overnights or you will have a soaked baby on your hands.We changed ours before we boarded ,one the plane (on the seat)and when we landed.If you take her out of her seat on the plane it will be difficult to get her back in without tears so do so at your own risk. don't forget coloring books,doodle pro,stickers etc. you have to keep her busy because most kids don't sleep on the plane.Good luck! Don't worry if she bothers the other passengers with crying if you stay calm it will help.You can do it!

liquid restrictions don't apply to baby bottle or baby juice. you won't need an id for domestic flight.