Marlie’s First Flight(s): Packing, Prepping, and Keeping Her Calm at 30,000 Feet
This July, we were lucky enough to spend two full weeks with family — and somewhere between the first boarding call and the second gate change, Marlie officially became a traveler. Here is an overview of what flying with a baby was like for us.
Trip one took us back to Kansas for the Fourth of July, where Marlie met most of my family for the first time and got a proper introduction to a true American holiday — sparklers, cousins, and sun. A few weeks later, we flew to Destin for a week with a much bigger crowd (more on that trip soon). Both trips were Marlie’s first time flying, and I’ll admit — I spent more time thinking about her carry-on than my own.
The Prep Work Was Half the Fun
About a week before each trip, I laid out Marlie’s outfits day by day. It sounds a little type-A, but it meant I always knew what I still needed to grab, and it made getting her dressed each morning painless instead of a scramble. I planned two outfit changes per day, just in case — babies and gravity don’t always cooperate.
The harder part was resisting the urge to pack everything. It would have been so easy to bring double of every item “just in case,” but I kept coming back to one thing: too much stuff creates more stress, not less. Being intentional about what she actually needed — instead of everything she might need — made both flights feel lighter, literally and mentally.
Here’s exactly what made the difference, from security to touchdown.
What Got Us Through the Flights
Wearing her through the airport. Marlie stayed in her car seat through security, but once we cleared it, I switched her into her BabyBjörn carrier. She genuinely loves being worn, so keeping her close and upright kept her calm through the parts of travel that are hardest on little nervous systems — long walks, crowds, unpredictable noise. We checked the stroller so it was one less thing to wrangle through a terminal.
An emergency bottle, just in case. I’m exclusively breastfeeding, so I had no idea how travel days would actually go. I packed one full bottle as a backup and ended up nursing at takeoff, landing, and throughout the flight as she needed — but having that bottle in my back pocket took the pressure off entirely. I also traveled with a full stash of frozen milk in my carry-on, and getting it through security was far easier than I expected. A nursing cover, an insulated bottle bag, and a set of ice packs made the whole system work without a single spill or scare.
Pacifier and her lovey. Marlie is a full-blown binky baby, and having her pacifier plus her lovey meant she spent most of both flights just… snuggled in, content. I packed crinkly books and a couple of small toys in the diaper bag as backup entertainment, but honestly, we never even needed them.
Snacks — for the grown-ups. A small, easily overlooked detail: keeping myself fed and comfortable on a flight makes me a calmer, more patient parent. A few snacks in my own bag went a long way.
Diaper bag essentials. I changed her right before we boarded and fed her through takeoff and landing to help with ear pressure. My bag held diapers, wipes, a portable changing pad, a full outfit change, and burp cloths — plus hand sanitizer and wet wipes I kept on me at all times. We got lucky; she’s proving to be an easy traveler. But even easy travelers do better with a system behind them.
A Few Things I’d Pass Along to Other Traveling Parents
- Feed during takeoff and landing, whether nursing, bottle, or pacifier — the sucking motion helps equalize ear pressure and keeps most babies far calmer through the parts of the flight that spike anxiety.
- Change the diaper right before boarding, not after. Airplane and gate changing tables are hit or miss, and you’ll want her settled before you’re squeezed into a row.
- Wear baby through security when you can. It’s faster than folding and unfolding a stroller through the X-ray, and it keeps her calm during one of the more chaotic parts of the airport.
- Pack light, but pack twice for outfits. One extra change per day, kept easily accessible, covers most surprises without turning your carry-on into a second suitcase.
- Bring one new, small toy or teether she hasn’t seen before. Novelty buys you more calm minutes in a pinch than an old favorite will.
Looking Back
Two flights, one very good travel baby, and a whole lot of family we’d missed dearly on the other side. Marlie handled it all better than either of us expected, and I think a lot of that came down to staying prepared without overpacking, and keeping her close in the moments that mattered most.
Next up — what happened once we landed and traded the airport for the pool.
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