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The title of this post truly says it all. It was the longest flight to date for our little one and we were determined to be extra prepared. I searched online for other blog posts, articles, anything that might give me a glimpse into what to expect, but I came up short. Ten months is tricky because babies are so much more mobile at this point – as is the case with ours!
I posted on my Instagram stories what I bought leading up to the flight and now I’m here to share what worked.
Reading Materials
We haven’t traveled with our iPad because we try to limit screen time and he’s also never really that interested in it when we do offer it up. Instead, I bought two different types of books. One I thought was so cute because it had handles and was “touch and feel” and “lift the flaps.” It turns out it was way too small. He wasn’t interested in it at all.
This book was the resounding winner. It is BIG, but he loved it. I pulled this out several times during the trip and he always wanted to explore it. I like how it showcased counting on one page, then patterns, then animal sounds, etc. I’m planning on getting another one of these for our next long-distance flight for sure. They have a few different versions of the “first 100…”
Snacks
I mean, you have to, right? I thought freeze-dried fruit would work out great because he’s been into the Happy Baby Yogi’s (freeze-dried yogurt). This was a flop. The powder inevitably got everywhere and the fruit took a while to become soft enough to gum. Really doesn’t work unless you have a full set of teeth.
He loved his Happy Baby teethers, which was no surprise to us since they’ve been a favorite snack of his for months. I also brought along some of his latest obsession, which is the Happy Baby Nutty Blends. Of course, check with your pediatrician first, and I highly recommend never trying something new that baby hasn’t had before on a plane or trip. You just never know. In our case, he’s had all kinds of nut butters multiple times, so I knew he’d do great with these. They are perfect because they’re a smaller pouch, the consistency is a little thicker so you avoid spills and messes a little more, and the color is tan, so you’re not dealing with a pouch of beets and blueberries to stain clothes instantly. Also, you guys, these pouch toppers are great. Virtually spill-proof so you can hand them the pouch and not cringe. Shout out to Samantha Varvel for the rec!
Toys
Ok, guys. The MVP – and I mean MVP – of our flight was this pack of 3 spinning toys from Amazon. Folks, if you’re planning on flying with a baby and you have secured a window seat, buy this now. It entertained him the whole flight. He’d just keep coming back to it. Pure genius. We brought some of his other favorite toys and teethers along and those were great, but I have to give this funky toy a shout out.
For what it’s worth, he could not have been less interested in the other toy down there. So much so that I forgot its name, but it’s one of the most popular ones on there. I guess that goes to show you just never know until you try it sometimes!
Click here to find our essentials for traveling with baby Amazon list.
Activities
Aside from this, it’s always great to walk baby to the lavatory and up and down the aisle once or twice. Count the bins, open and close the ones near your seat (without disrupting anyone), and look at things outside of the window. Letting baby sit on a blanket on the floor against your legs is also a great way for them to have their own little space while still being safely contained.
We also almost always carry a little treat for our hardworking flight crew, just make sure it’s sealed so they are able to accept it. We tell them where we’re sitting and they always come by to say hello and make sure our little one’s flight is extra comfortable. Our first flight was at 8 weeks and the crew gave our little one this logbook, so we’ve been using this one instead of the one we bought.
All in all, we made it through our flight and have some new tried and true’s that are coming along next time. Hope this is helpful, friends!
