Each passenger on an airplane is permitted to bring a small personal item, such as a purse or backpack, to place under the seat in front of you. Packing this airplane diaper bag strategically can help ensure you have everything you and baby will need for your next flight, whether it is a transatlantic long haul, or a short regional domestic flight. Keep reading to make sure your airplane personal item with a baby is stocked with whatever your next flight may need.
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Diaper Supplies
Be prepared for a lot of diaper changes on travel days. The stress of airports and the airplane pressure changes can cause a baby’s stomach to be a bit upset. We recommend bringing one diaper for every hour of travel- you will likely have extras, but it’s best to be prepared!
- Diapers- for older, squirmy babies, we love the Pampers Cruisers 360 fit for quick diaper diaper changes in small spaces. They are true diapers, but you can pull them on like a pull up. making them faster to change than traditional diapers.
- Wipes
- Diaper Rash Cream- Our baby always seems to get diaper rash on travel days. We use Aquaphor all day, and for a few days after flying, to prevent this rash from showing up.
- Changing pad– We bring a portable changing pad to keep baby off of public changing tables. Alternatively, grab a pack of disposable changing pads for quick changes.
- Diaper pouch- We love this diaper pouch for easily accessible wipes, and the side zip pocket. Airplane bathrooms are tiny, so carrying a small pouch is much easier than a full diaper bag, and this particular pouch keeps the wipes accessible for cleanups and spills.
- Doggy poop bags– These small bags are perfect for containing dirty outfits or a dirty diaper until you find a trash can.
Feeding Supplies
This category will vary based on what your baby is eating- breast milk, formula, or solids. When flying with our baby during the first year, she ate a combination of all three.
- Bottles and formula– We like to prefill a bottle at home so we don’t need to wait for warm water from the flight attendant. Our baby is used to drinking room temperature bottles, and many airport drinking fountains have cold water. We use these containers to pre-measure the formula to make fast bottles wherever we are.
- Medela pumping wipes- These wipes are designed for cleaning pump parts when you don’t have access to water. We use them to clean the bottle between uses. This allows us to travel with only one bottle, regardless of flight length.
- Nursing cover– This is great for privacy while nursing, but also ideal for creating a dark sleeping space for baby.
- Snacks, snacks, and more snacks- We pack a small cooler with snacks for baby. We try to choose snacks that are less messy and take a while to eat. Be sure to bring at least a few snacks that are more substantial- they need something that feels like a meal on long travel days. Our favorite airplane snacks are string cheese, shredded chicken, mixed veggies (the frozen kind that you steam in the bag), Cheerios, boiled apples, fig bars, rice rollers, and chicken quesadillas.
Toys and Comfort Items
While it’s important to bring a few items to keep baby entertained, we found that at this age, the items on the plane were much more exciting. We sanitize everything within reach (especially the airline safety card) and let baby play with those items. Here are a few things we do bring:
- 2-3 new, exciting toys. Read here for our favorite toys by age
- 1-2 books. We really love the Indestructible books. They cannot be ripped and pack very small. We bring a few on the plane and a few more for bedtime stories at our destination.
- A pacifier or other comfort item- Our baby only gets the pacifier in bed or in the car, but on travel days there are no rules! She gets the pacifier for most of the flight and it helps keep her calm and comforted. Its also great for sucking during takeoff and landing.
- Pacifier clips– We try our best to keep the toys off the airplane floor. We use these clips to prevent toys and pacifiers from hitting the ground.
Flying Soon with a Baby? Check out these other helpful posts:
- How to Have a Great Flight with a Baby
- The Best Airplane Toys for Flying with Babies
- The Best Travel Stroller for your Next Vacation
- Baby Travel Gear- A Full List of Things You Need When Traveling with a Baby
