Heyyy, it’s me — BeSeeingTheWorldYo! Okay World Yo Fam, we did it. Our crew just wrapped our first real travel stretch with baby Eliza — a relaxed few days in Santa Cruz (a quick drive for us) followed by a flight out to Iowa — and we all survived (mostly intact). So, if you’re traveling with a baby around the 3 to 4 month mark, here is everything I packed, leaned on, and would absolutely do again.
The why was simple: we wanted to see family, and we figured a short road-trip warm-up before the big flight would help us ease into the learning curve without losing our minds. Spoiler alert — that approach crushed it. By the time we rolled up to the airport, we had a rhythm. Sort of.
The Honest Recap
Feeding on the Fly
Pack more than you think. Extra milk, storage bags, bottles, and lids (easy to misplace). In the air, nurse or bottle feed your baby as much as they want, especially on takeoff and landing to help with the ear pressure. But don’t sweat it if they’re asleep — Eliza was fine.
Two honest heads-ups: there will probably be a spit-up grand finale by the end of the journey, so pack extra outfits. Future-you says thank you.
All that off-schedule cluster feeding can push your supply to its limits. Hence the extra milk.
The Diaper Bag Insert Is the Real MVP
Build one dedicated diaper insert — or honestly just a ziplock bag — so you can grab exactly what you need in a tiny airplane bathroom without unpacking your whole life. Total game changer. Mine had:
- Changing pad
- Wipes
- Overnight diapers
- Wet/dry bag
- Backup outfit (for baby — and honestly, maybe one for you too)
Gear That Earned Its Spot
Three pieces of gear def punched above their weight on this trip.
- Baby Bjorn travel crib, FTW. Quick to set up and gave Eliza a familiar, safe spot to sleep away from home. 10/10 would recommend.
- Pacifier clips. So the paci is not hitting the airport floor every five minutes. On-brand peace of mind.
- Baby headphones. The constant boarding calls and gate-change pings kept Eliza wide awake — these were clutch for sneaking in a pre-flight nap. Total game changer.
The Pre-Flight Playbook
A few small plays that made boarding feel less like a sprint:
- Fresh overnight diaper right before boarding. Buys you extra time before that first in-flight change — or the inevitable blow out.
- Pre-boarding is a plus, not a must. Nice for getting set up, but do not stress if you miss the window.
- Water, water, water. The United flight attendants were so kind and handed me one of those big water bottles. Nursing and feeding in the air is thirsty work — do not be shy about asking. (For more on what United offers families in the air, the airline’s infant travel page is a quick read.)
Pro Tip
Build your diaper bag like a carry-on within a carry-on. Front-load the essentials — wipes, a clean diaper, a wet/dry bag, the backup outfit — in their own zip pouch or even a labeled ziplock. When the seatbelt sign dings and your kiddo decides now is the moment, you don’t want to be excavating your whole bag in the aisle. One grab, one walk to the bathroom, one quick change, done. If you want a deeper packing rundown across all categories, peek at my other Be Packing The World Yo posts. Trust me — the calm-in-chaos payoff is huge.
Catch you on the next adventure, World Yo Fam! You know I’ll Be Seeing You around!
