3 Tips on Traveling with a Baby during a Pandemic

So it’s definitely been a minute, but it feels like many many more. I write this back home in California and I’m so so grateful. I made it halfway across the world in the middle of a pandemic with a 4 1/2 month old. OMG I DID THAT! I’m proud/amazed at myself and I definitely learned a few things along the way. As the world begins to open back up-and this time hopefully stay open, we will be traveling more to meet our loved ones, and therefore extra precautions need to be taken. So here are a few tips I learned as I traveled with my little one across the planet.

Go as Hands Free as Possible-So after check-in, my husband and I had our personal items, our carry-ons, and Aisha’s stuff. Aisha’s stuff included her diaper bag, breast milk storage cooler, and her stroller. How did we manage all of that? My personal item was a backpack, which allowed me to push Aisha in her stroller, while her diaper bag (also a backpack) hung on the stroller handle, and her milk cooler was in the little compartment below her seat. As for my husband, his personal item was a laptop bag that sat across his body and hauled around the two wheeled carry-ons in both of his hands. Therefore, it was fairly easy for us to move around the airport without us breaking our backs.

Do Whatever to keep the Crying to a Minimum-We were in a very long 16 hour flight. The baby is going to cry at some point. And these are the times where you literally do whatever you can to stop the crying. For a bit there, my husband and I took turns walking her through the plane because that was the only way she’d stay quiet. Other times, she was so sleepy but refused to eat or sleep. So I had to wear our baby carrier and walk her through the flight and feed her at the same time. And oddly enough, all of that is not required when we’re on the ground, so that was a clear indication that she was processing a very different environment.

Stick as Close to the Timings as Possible-When a flight is that long, timing goes out the window. However with little ones it’s best to stick as closely as possible to the timing they’re used to. Especially when it comes to their feeding times. Their bodies are quite used to being fed at certain times. Therefore, it’s best to stick to that clock as close as possible to make them comfortable, and in turn make yourself comfortable as well.

So those are a couple things that I’ve learned during my first ever experience traveling with an infant. Please keep in mind, because she was so tiny, all she required was food and sleep, so managing was fairly straightforward. It’ll get interesting how things will be when I go back after two months!