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Most parents are well aware of the fact that when traveling with baby, even to a local park or museum, they are definitely not traveling light. Babies require a LOT of gear!

Between diapers, wipes, pacifiers, and changing pads (to name a few), most diaper bags are already bursting at the seams. You definitely want to be well prepared when flying with baby, however, with weight and size restrictions, the key is to pack only the essentials. You don’t want to get stuck paying added baggage fees, or trying to juggle baby and all of their gear while making your way through a crowded airport.

Flight delays and cancellations have unfortunately become a distinct possibility with pilot shortages. The biggest piece of advice for traveling with a baby and/or small children is to stay calm. Children feel and feed off their parents’ energy; the more stressed parents are, the more stressed the kids will be.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive packing checklist for baby that will ensure that you have everything you need for a seamless flight!

Items to include in your carry-on or diaper bag:

Packing A Diaper Bag For Flying With Baby

1. Passports and/or Birth Certificates

This is the #1 item to include on your packing checklist for baby. Even children as young as one week old will need a valid passport. Otherwise, you won’t get very far on your trip! 

If you’re traveling internationally, be sure to pack a passport for yourself as well as baby. Have them handy because you will be required to present them at various checkpoints as you progress through security and customs. 

If you’re on a domestic flight you’ll need a ticket for baby if she/he isn’t sitting on your lap and many airlines require a birth certificate to verify the baby’s name and age. Many popular airlines have started to offer digital boarding services, so you can check-in through an app or via email. This can help speed up the check-in process and reduce some of the stress of flying with baby. Be sure to download the appropriate app before heading to the airport and/or make sure you have access to your confirmation email with all of your flight information.  

Whether you have an Apple or Android device, one way to free up your hands is to load your tickets or documents into your device wallet.

Another option is to carry a small fanny pack. It can be a life-saver by helping you be hands-free and keeping everything you need readily accessible throughout your travels.

2. Baby Wipes

Be sure your packing checklist for baby includes baby wipes to handle every messy situation. The multiple uses for baby wipes extend far beyond their intended function for diaper changes. Use them to clean sticky hands and faces, as well as any other messes. 

Consider packing disinfecting wipes as well to wipe down surfaces, like airplane tray tables and armrests. These areas are prone to germs, which are typically rampant on airplanes! You may also want to have these pacifier wipes handy if your little one happens to drop their pacifier on the ground.

3. Diapers

This almost goes without saying, but you wouldn’t believe how many stories we hear about people not adding enough diapers to their packing checklist for baby when flying.

So…pack enough diapers in your carry-on bag to get you through the entire flight. Don’t forget the time you’ll spend at the airport prior to the flight, and after landing at your destination, as well. A common rule of thumb is to pack one diaper per hour of travel time. It doesn’t hurt to pack a few extra ones beyond the ones allotted for flight time. After all, delays, cancellations, or other unforeseen circumstances are a real possibility when flying. Better to be safe than sorry in this instance! 

For easier diaper changes, try the double diaper trick. This is not to be used as a means to go longer between diaper changes but is to have a diaper already in place when maneuvering in those tight airplane lavatories, or on your lap on the plane. This does run the risk of possibly soiling two diapers at once, however it may also prevent a blowout fiasco. You get to weigh the odds.

Remember, a BabyQuip Quality Provider can deliver diapers and additional baby wipes to your travel destination, along with other baby essentials (bassinets, changing pads, cribs, high chairs, strollers, toys, etc.). So, while it is advisable to travel with more diapers than needed, it is not necessary to travel with enough for your entire trip. 

4. Disposable Changing Pads

Disposable pads are great for airport and airplane changing tables. They are slim and lightweight so they don’t take up much room in your bag and should be a must on your packing checklist for baby. 

For the amount of traffic that a changing table sees on a flight and at the airport, you don’t want to be putting down a non-disposable pad, and then just folding it back up and sticking it in your bag. The disposable option is much more sanitary. They often fold out quite large, so you can cut them in advance to get more bang for your buck!

5. Change of Clothes

Pack a few changes of clothes for baby so if they have a dreaded diaper blowout or any other messy mess, they won’t be stuck in soiled, wet clothing for the duration of the flight. 

Dress baby in clothes that are easy to take off. Make sure the additional sets are ones that are easy to get on without too much struggle. Changing a baby while flying needs to be quick and simple. In other words, avoid clothing with tons of snaps or buttons! Consider dressing baby in only one layer of clothing, like in a jumpsuit or romper, so diapers are easy to access throughout your airport travels. A blanket is recommended (#10 on the list), so baby can always be wrapped up or covered if cold.

It’s also not a bad idea to add a quick change of clothes for yourself to your packing checklist for baby. Who knows what might happen with a baby in tow!

6. Plastic Bags

It’s always useful to pack resealable plastic bags, as they can serve multiple purposes. Store soiled baby clothes in them, or use them for general messes such as used tissues or baby food packaging. You can also use them to dispose of dirty diapers. 

For a more eco-friendly option, bring a waterproof reusable wet/dry bag instead of disposable plastic bags! Since neither option takes up much room, pack a good amount of them to keep things tidy and sanitary. Their uses are endless!

7. Pacifiers and Loveys

If your baby uses a pacifier, be sure to add a few extra to your packing checklist for baby. Store them in multiple easy-to-access places such as your purse, carry-on bag, pocket, or anywhere else that you can easily access. 

Pacifiers are great for baby to suck on during takeoff and landing to help combat ear pressure. A favorite lovey or stuffy is also helpful in keeping baby comforted and calm throughout the flight. Also consider attaching the pacifier to a pacifier clip; it will help ensure one is always at the ready for a fussy baby.

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8. Formula, Breastmilk, and Baby Foods

Whether you are breastfeeding or formula feeding, you’ll want to get familiar with TSA regulations regarding flying with these liquids. Reasonable quantities of these liquids are permitted in your carry-on bag, however, they are subject to screening. Items such as gel packs or frozen ice packs to cool these liquids are also permitted, as are canned, jarred, or processed baby foods. 

PackIt makes several baby bottle coolers and lunch bags that have built-in gel packs, so the entire bag/cooler goes in the freezer—one less thing for you to think about or remember!

Kiinde makes feeding baby while traveling easier with their many easy-to-use products, including a travel warmer; a triple-walled hot water storage system. Whether you are bringing bottled breastmilk, formula, or homemade baby food, Kiinde products are super compact and made for less mess. Pump, store, organize, warm, and feed using the same pouch! The Twist breastmilk storage system eliminates the need to transfer precious milk from bottles to bags and back again! Another way to cut down on transfering milk from bottles to bags and vice versa is to use breastmilk storage bag adapters. These from Maymom are handy, especially if you plan to freeze your pumped milk.

f you have an oversupply of breastmilk (or are traveling without baby), your breastmilk can be shipped home for a fee by companies, such as Milk Stork. They provide options to ship refrigerated or frozen breastmilk home, as well as options to transport your extra breastmilk home with you.

9. Activities, Toys and Entertainment Devices

If traveling with toddlers, be sure to add small toys or puzzles that can be played with at the airport and on the flight to your packing checklist for baby. Small play-doh or kinetic sand kits stored in a plastic pencil box can provide lots of open-ended fun for toddlers. And they won’t take up much room in a carry-on bag. 

Tablets or phones pre-loaded with age-appropriate shows, movies and games are a lifesaver. Make sure you’re doing this ahead of time; there’s nothing like the last-minute stress of waiting for large shows or movies to download Couple the tablet with a pair of noise-canceling headphones and your little traveler is good to go! 

These cozy phones are great for little heads, especially if they are traveling in their car seat. Headband earphones are a great alternative for kiddos of any age who hate earbuds or struggle with bulky over-the-ear headphones. The cute headband is fun to wear, washable, and compatible with most devices.

Susie Allison, over at Busy Toddler, has some awesome activity suggestions on her blog for staying sane while traveling with toddlers and young children (just search ‘travel’ on her blog). One of the simplest activities she suggests also doubles as a snack—a make-your-own fruit loop necklace. It requires just a little preparation at home prior to heading to the airport, but Susie boasts this travel activity/snack as a literal life saver, no exaggeration.      

Some airports have installed playgrounds or playspaces for toddlers and young children. Once your family is through TSA Security, this would be an ideal time to grab a balanced meal and let the little ones run off some steam. Traveling on a plane doesn’t allow them as much freedom and movement as their little bodies are used to. Plus, you don’t want to waste movies and games for terminal and airplane entertainment.

10. Blanket

A small cozy blanket is great to drape over baby in the stroller when traveling through the airport. In addition, you can keep your little one warm in flight since it often gets fairly chilly on planes. Plus, a familiar blanket will give them the comforts of home and hopefully keep them soothed while flying. This blanket, or an additional thin muslin baby blanket, can be spread out on the ground for some supervised tummy time or for some crawling before boarding. 

Larger items that can make all the difference when navigating through the airport and on the flight:

{Updated} The Must Have Packing Checklist For Baby: Flying Edition

1. Baby Carrier

Go hands-free and ease your way through the airport by wearing your little one. Baby carriers such as an ergobaby or BabyBjorn are great options. From digging through your bag to find travel documents, to checking in your luggage, you will be thankful for the added freedom of having baby safe and sound in a carrier. 

Pro Tip: Securing the baby carrier on your body prior to arriving at the airport will alleviate some of the airport jitters and help you start your journey smoothly.  

Be sure to include a clip that attaches your little one’s pacifier or lovey to the carrier. No need to worry about the hassle of a missing binky in the airport or a lovey that falls on the dirty floor! Keep those items safely attached and keep moving right along!

2. Stroller

If your baby is too big for a carrier, or you prefer to use a stroller, your best bet is a lightweight umbrella stroller. It will get you through the airport and can easily fold up to be gate-checked just before you board. 

Some super lightweight and compact strollers, like the GB Pockit stroller, can even be stored in the overhead bin on your flight. This reduces any chance of it getting banged up by airline staff, which can often happen when items are checked. 

The Babyzen YOYO stroller is another fantastic travel-size stroller that is quality made and a fan favorite amongst frequent flying families. The YOYO² stroller folds and unfolds in a moment, can be worn over the shoulder, and tucks in anywhere. Catch the subway, get on a bus, jump in a taxi or fly to the other side of the world! If navigating through the airport with a bulky stroller gives you anxiety, consider renting one at your destination instead. BabyQuip can help! Locate the nearest provider before your flight and have it delivered to your destination.

3. Car Seat

Babies under the age of two are not required to have their own seat on flights and can lap travel. However, from a safety perspective, purchasing an airline seat for your little one and securing them in an FAA-approved car seat is often encouraged. This means that you aren’t holding a wriggling baby on your lap throughout a long flight. Babies may even sleep better in the comfort of their own car seats. 

To learn about the best FAA-approved car seats, head over to Safe in the Seat. This site highlights car seat weights, ease of carrying/traveling with the car seat, and cost breakdown.

For smooth sailing, or in this case, flying, consider using a Doona infant car seat/stroller. This amazing infant car seat is designed to provide a safe and practical solution for life on the go, allowing you to easily move from car seat to stroller in seconds. From running errands to traveling by car, train, or plane, Doona is the ideal solution for exploring the world with an infant, with freedom and flexibility.

Might want to add one of these options to your packing checklist for baby!

4. Car Seat Trolley

An alternative to bringing a stroller is using a car seat trolley. This works best for families with children in convertible car seats that may no longer need, or like to ride in strollers. Attach your own convertible FAA-approved car seat onto the trolley and wheel your little one around the airport with ease. This keeps them safe by your side and allows you to move throughout the airport at a quicker pace if necessary. 

Plus this trolley will fold up nicely and compact and fit in any overhead compartment or slide right under the seat.

5. Use Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are a sanity saver when traveling and living out of a suitcase. Baby clothing items are small and easily made messy. Keep all those items nicely organized by using packing cubes! Benefits of using packing cubes include: sorting and finding things in a flash, protecting your clothes from stains, wrinkles, and damages, packing more in less space, unpack your things in a breeze.

Similar to packing cubes, these hanging travel shelves will help keep everyone’s clothes together. Once at your destination, they can be hung in closets and used as shelves throughout your trip.

6. Check your Bags

While this isn’t technically an item to add to your packing checklist for baby, it makes all the difference in the world when you check your bags and free up your hands. Keep in mind that when checking bags, be sure not to accidentally send along anything that you may need for your child during travel. All those must-have items should be placed in your carry-on.

Now that you’ve reviewed the packing checklist for baby and you’re equipped with all of the crucial items needed, it’s time to start planning your next adventure! What items on your packing checklist for baby can you not live without? Tell us in the comments below!