I like the night flight, baby!

Alex’s family in Argentina was desperate to meet Aiven, so we planned a trip to see them before Aiven’s 4-month birthday. It was around holiday time so all the new moms in my play group were planning trips as well and we talked quite a bit about how nervous we were and how to prepare. I also spoke with my friends who have been moms for years and asked them for advice. I think the list below is pretty good and it has served me well for several more flights since then. If you have any more tips or tricks, please add them in the comments section!

1. Start making a packing list early. Keep it somewhere handy so you can add to it whenever you think of something new, and don’t throw it away after your trip -- reuse, reduce, recycle!
2. Schedule a red-eye when possible. Aiven was already primed to sleep since it was late at night. Along with the help of white noise and vibrations, he slept most of the fight.
   
3. I wore Aiven for a good portion of the flight in a baby carrier. When he slept on my lap, I would stay awake to hold him as I feared he would roll off. Strapping him on helped me to nap a bit here and there. At some point, I put the diaper bag under my feet (I am pretty short) to raise my legs to a point where Aiven could lie on my lap and not roll off.
4. Since I was nursing, I started pumping extra bottles and freezing them about 3 weeks before the trip. I also pumped the day of travel as much as I could. I kept 2 fresh bottles handy: one for the airport until we got on the plane and one for take-off. I kept 3 frozen bottles in a cooler bag with an ice pack. I used 2 during the flight (I nursed as well) and still had one bottle for when we landed to last us through baggage claim, customs, and immigration.
5. Make sure you have something for your baby to suck on during take off and landing (breast, bottle, pacifier). It may help any discomfort in his ears from the pressure change.
6. I brought 3 different outfits in case of diaper disasters. They were mostly sleepers with feet as it avoided me having to bring socks and/or multiple pieces per outfit.
7. I put Baby Tylenol and a thermometer in the diaper bag. In the event Aiven got sick on the plane, I brought the 2 essentials to monitor him and help him feel better.
8. I brought a small suitcase on the plane with baby stuff that I could not afford becoming "lost baggage." It contained diapers, an extra blanket, extra wipes, and most importantly, the pump! I could not have managed the 10 day trip without that pump!
9. When you get on the plane, ask the flight attendant which bathroom has the change table. Airplane bathrooms suck no matter what, but it helps if you use one with a change table.
10. Go to seatguru.com to figure out the best seats to book. Unfortunately, most airlines will not let you book the bassinet in advance and instead enforce a first-come first-serve system based on check-in at the airport. We found out the hard way that trying to get the bassinet can be like going all-in during a poker game. You have to make a bet that if you take a bulkhead seat you will also get a bassinet. On the way to Argentina, we asked for a bulkhead seat, but we didn’t get the bassinet. Since armrests cannot move in the bulkhead, I was extremely uncomfortable because Aiven is longer than the seat width and the armrests jabbed into us the whole flight. On the way back, we succeeded in getting the bassinet and it was heavenly. Aiven slept in it the whole flight home and to my amazement I had personal space, at least as much as you can get on a plane these days. Anyway, check with your airline to see what their policy is about the bassinet, and if they have a first-come first-serve system, make friends with the airline employee checking you in so that they only place you in the bulkhead if they can guarantee you a bassinet.
11. Be prepared for a juggling act at security. If you’re traveling with someone else, make it clear who is responsible for holding bags, documents, and baby during the security check. Even though I went over it ad nauseum with Alex, he almost lost a bag at security. Twice. So, at the end of the security line, just check and double-check that you haven’t forgotten anything. Juggling act: up to 2 bags per person flying, 1 diaper bag, 1 stroller (possibly in 2 parts), 1 pair of shoes per person flying, 1 cell phone per person flying, 1 bag of toiletries per person flying, at least 1 bag of baby food or milk, passports or IDs, tickets, coats / jacket in the winter, and whatever else you are hapless enough to be wearing or holding that the TSA feels like irradiating.
12. Know your rights. The TSA allows you to bring baby food and milk on board, and the airlines give you a complimentary extra allowance for a stroller and diaper bag.
13. If you’re traveling with someone, set expectations about who will be on baby duty during the flight. Alex passed out and left me to fend for myself. I might forgive him in about 20 years. So, for the sake of your relationships, talk this over and agree on who will get to sleep and when!

If anyone would like a copy of my baby packing list, let me know in the comments section and I will email it to you or publish it here if there are several requests.