First Flight with a Baby: What I Learned Flying Cross-Country with My 3-Month-Old

Traveling across the country with a newborn can feel daunting. When we first considered flying with our 3-month-old baby to visit my mom, I was beyond anxious. I imagined nonstop crying, the worst blowout of all time, and ending up covered in spit-up before we even took off on our flight. 

Spoiler alert: we survived our first flight with a baby (and even had fun). Here’s how we turned what I thought would be total chaos into a surprisingly sweet traveling-with-a-newborn adventure packed with newborn travel tips. 

Choosing the Right Flight with a Newborn

Booking your flight can feel like a puzzle. I agonized over everything—what time of day to fly, which seat to pick, whether to do a nonstop or risk a layover. Here’s what worked for us:

• Time of day matters: We chose an afternoon flight that landed just before bedtime (with the time change in mind). Early mornings were rough at 3 months, and late evenings weren’t ideal either. Flying later meant we could keep our morning routine, finish packing without stress, and arrive ready for a cozy night at Grandma’s.
•  Where to sit: I picked an aisle seat with my husband in the middle. Being able to stand up and walk with the baby, or head to the bathroom for a quick diaper change, was worth giving up the privacy of the window. 
• Direct flights are your friend: If you can, book a nonstop. Fewer connections = fewer chances to haul baby gear across airports. 
• Booking tip: Don’t forget to add your lap infant! Most airlines let you do this during booking. I called customer service after booking and the airline quickly issued a boarding pass for both me and my son. 
• Self-care reminder: Stay kind to yourself. It’s just one day of travel, and most people are more understanding than you think.

Newborn Travel Packing Guide: What to Pack Without Overpacking

I used to be a “never check a bag” person, but traveling with a baby changed that. For this trip, we checked one large bag and kept essentials in my carry-on diaper bag. I am guilty of overpacking (I’d always rather be overprepared!), but I tackled packing in categories and remembered it’s okay not to have everything I have at home while  flying with a newborn. 

Here’s my packing list (upgraded from my notes app in my phone) with some of my road-tested and loved travel essentials:

Checked Bag Packing List

• Baby clothing
  • One outfit per day 
  • Pajamas for half the nights away (laundry at Grandma’s saved space!)
  • Lightweight jacket (airports and airplanes can be chilly)
  • Socks 
  • Bibs (drool management = lifesaver) 
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses (a “want”, not a “need”) 
  • Swimsuit + reusable swim diaper (if destination calls for it) 
  • Ziplock bags for soiled clothes
• Sleeping
  • Swaddles (keeping bedtime routines consistent made a big difference)
  • Portable sound machine (lesson learned: the battery always dies faster than you think)
  • Long charger (to keep the sound machine running overnight)
  • Baby monitor (If you have a Nanit, the travel pack is worth it if you’ll travel often)
• Feeding
  • Bottles
  • On-the-go drying rack + bottle brush 
  • Travel-size dish soap 
  • Burp cloths 
  • Breast pump + supplies
• Diapering
  • Diapers (about 8 per day) 
  • Wipes 
  • Diaper changing pads
  • Diaper rash cream
• Toiletries
  • Baby lotion
  • Baby shampoo/body wash 
  • Baby brush
  • Nail clippers 
  • Baby-safe sunscreen 
  • Infant meds (just in case)

Carry-On Diaper Bag Packing List

I’ve already shared my everyday diaper bag must-haves, but here’s what I added for traveling with a newborn:

• Diapers (one per hour of flight time)
• Extra wipes
• Extra baby outfits (at least two—trust me, we had a blowout minutes after takeoff and I was so glad I’d prepared)
• Extra shirt for me (because sometimes you get caught in the crossfire)
• Baby blanket 
• Pacifiers (sucking helps relieve ear pressure during takeoff/landing and is great for soothing)
• Toys (at 3 months, a crinkly newspaper and rattle are good enough)

Baby Travel Gear for Flights

• Car seat + stroller: I borrowed a Doona (car seat + stroller in one) from my best friend. It made moving from home → car → airport → car → Grandma’s house a breeze. Highly recommend! We brought it to the gate and gate-checked. 
• Baby carrier: Perfect for security, boarding, and in-flight naps. Bonus: I even got to read while the baby snoozed. At 3 months, the ErgoBaby was super comfortable for both of us.

Newborn Travel Packing Checklist 

PIN IT

One of my biggest worries wasn’t just the flight, but how travel would throw off our baby’s sacred schedule. I had worked so hard to establish a routine based on wake windows, naps, and feeding cues. Here’s what helped us adjust: 

• Ease into the new time zone: We kept naps and feedings on “home time” the first travel day, adding an extra nap to bridge to local time.
• Use sunlight to your advantage: Morning walks helped reset our baby’s internal clock.
• Keep familiar routines: Bath, lotion, pajamas, feeding, book, bed. Same steps, new location. 
• Stay flexible: Vacation naps don’t need to be perfect. Just enough is good enough to keep your baby happy. Stress level is contagious, so staying flexible helped both of us stay calm.

Wrapping Up Our Newborn Travel Adventure

Flying with a baby will never be effortless, but with a little prep, it can be sweet, memorable, and even fun. Stay kind to yourself, bring just what you need, and embrace the chaos; you might be surprised by how adaptable both you and your baby can be. 

For parents who’ve flown with a newborn: what’s the one essential you couldn’t have lived without on your first flight? Share your newborn travel tips in the comments!