Tips for Travel with a 6 Month Old

JL was 6 months old when I flew by myself with him for the first time. Here are my tips and tricks to make it easier for you to travel with a 6 month old!

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Travel with a 6 Month Old: Flying

Flying is my personal favorite way to travel with a 6 month old or any age really! Here are my tips:

#1: Give up the People Pleasing

My top tip for travel with a 6 month old is try not to stress about the opinions of other people on the plane. Obviously, be considerate and soothe your baby if they are crying. Let’s be honest though, we were all babies at some point and unless its a red eye or really early morning flight, a baby crying for a minute or two is not the end of the world. I find I often cannot hear anything over the plane’s engine anyway. You’re doing great parents!

Infant in Lap vs. Purchasing Seat

• Budget: Infant in Lap is the most cost effective way to fly with a 6 month old. You book your flight and then contact the airline to add an in lap infant. I can do this easily by myself on my Fly Delta app. Children can fly for free in lap until 2 years old. There are some exclusions to seats you can select like exit rows.
• Book your baby their own seat. This costs extra but some parents prefer this especially when traveling on long haul flights. This allows you to bring the car seat on board which is one less thing to check or gate check. When we flew to London, I opted to buy JL a seat as he was moving around a lot by 10 months and it allowed everyone to get more rest. Check out my full itinerary for London with a baby!

Try to book a seat with some extra space when traveling with a 6 month old

• 6 month olds are out of the sleepy baby phase and want to wiggle around. Flying will be more pleasant for you if you’re not cramped in a middle seat trying to keep your baby from touching someone on both sides of you.

Keep your 6 month old on schedule as much as possible.

• Do not delay their nap so they can sleep on the plane. An overtired baby is harder to deal with on the flight than one that just woke up from a nap. I try to book flights during nap time if at all possible. Otherwise, I try to keep flights during JL’s normal daytime hours. Avoid flights during baby’s nighttime sleep time if at all possible.

Make sure they are sucking on something during take off and landing to keep them from having ear discomfort!

• If nursing, nurse on take off and landing. I like to travel wearing a nursing scarf so it is readily available and I do not have to dig through my bag.

• If bottle feeding, be sure to bring whatever you need for your bottles. Note: TSA is required to let you through with these baby items. Click here for a reference to their policy. I never had a problem but I have heard of moms having issues. I recommend taking a screenshot of the policy or printing it so you have it to show the agent if you have an issue.

• Some babies by 6 months old are okay with drinking cold breast milk or formula. If not be sure to bring a bottle warmer,
  • either a portable electric one

or a thermos and cup

Pumping while Traveling with a 6 Month Old

• If you are breast feeding but not comfortable nursing in public, I recommend wearable pumps you can use while waiting to board. That way milk is ready for baby during take off and landing.

I also recommend bringing some quick clean wipes if you are pumping. Sometimes you do not have time to clean pump parts in the sink on tight layovers so these are great to have.

I love this bag for cleaning pump parts in airport bathrooms. It has a detachable pad you can lay down on the counter which I usually top with a paper towel. That way you can drop your clean pump parts on a clean surface. 

I pack a travel dish soap in my carry on bag for washing pump parts, bottles, etc.

• If your 6 month old has started solids, a pouch is a great option for sucking during take off and landing if they will not nurse or take a bottle. Make sure you are not introducing any new foods while traveling.

Easy to Find Pacifiers for Travel with a 6 Month Old

• If all else fails, have your 6 month old suck on a pacifier to try to prevent ear discomfort. This is what I did if JL was asleep during landing, I would put my finger in the center of the pacifier and hold it in his mouth. I found that he would start sucking. Luckily I never noticed him being fussy from ear discomfort. I found that pacifiers with an animal attached were the easiest to find in a diaper bag. Also, pacifier clips are especially helpful when traveling.

Going to the Bathroom

• One of the trickiest parts of traveling with a baby is going to the bathroom. I usually fly with a carrier so I can wear him while I use the bathroom. If you’re comfortable, most flight attendants are willing to hold the baby while you use the bathroom. This is totally up to you. It was a weird concept to me at first but there is really no where they can take your baby while in the air. Do whatever feels safe to you though.

Changing the Baby on the Flight

• Changing the baby on the flight can be tricky in tight airplane bathrooms. The bathroom with a changing table may also be the furthest one from your seat so be sure to ask the flight attendant where it is located when you board. I also always bring a portable changing pad or disinfectant wipes because who knows how often those get cleaned.

Backup Outfit

• Unfortunately, accidents happen even in the air. Make sure you have a back up outfit available. Personally, I prefer magnetic onesies when flying because they are so easy to get on and off.

Navigating the Airport During Travel with a 6 Month Old

Unfortunately, one of the hardest parts of traveling with a baby is transporting all the things you need.

Car Seat Bag

Unless you bought your baby a seat, if you are traveling somewhere you will be driving or renting a car you will likely need a car seat. Some rental car services offer car seats to rent. Also, some car services allow you request a car seat. Personally, I prefer to bring my own since I know JL is comfortable in it.

I highly recommend purchasing a car seat travel bag to keep your car seat safe when flying. Car seats are expensive and I cannot imagine reaching your destination just to realize your car seat is damaged. Most airlines allow you to check a car seat for free but if you are using it as a stroller attachment you can gate check it.

Car seat bags come in backpack or rolling options. I chose one that does both but I find that we use it as a backpack most often.

Favorite Stroller for Travel with a 6 Month Old

I used to travel with our Single to Double Mockingbird which I love but we recently switched to a travel stroller that fits in the overhead compartment. It makes flying so much easier because you do not have to gate check the stroller. This is especially helpful during tight layovers when you do not have time for gate checked luggage to arrive. I did a lot of research on travel strollers. I chose one that has wheels that hold up on cobblestone streets of Europe and that can accommodate any carseat. This is important as some travel strollers only accommodate a specific brand of car seat.

We have even placed this stroller under the seat when flying on a small, older plane when it did not fit in the overhead compartment. The one drawback to this stroller is that it is not a one handed fold. If that is what you are looking for, I would choose this stroller.

Travel Crib

Babies sleep best when traveling if they are familiar with where they are sleeping. Especially if your baby struggles with sleep, it can be helpful to bring your own travel crib. When JL was less than 4 months old, we traveled with a travel bassinet which was less bulky. After 4 months, we used a Pack N Play. Some airlines let you check this for free, some do not, so check with your airline prior to travel.

Most hotels provide cribs or pack n plays upon request. Personally, my husband hates to have one more thing to bring when flying so we often use the hotel option. Definitely call the hotel the day before your arrival to be sure they will have something available. Luckily, I have never arrived to a hotel and there was not a crib available. *Knock on wood* We always check prior to booking to make sure cribs are an option.

One of the pros of bringing your own Pack N Play is being able to bring a sleep shade that covers it. Slumber Pods are great because they fit over a variety of options. They are a little pricey though so we use this option for our Pack N Play.

We also like to use pack n play sheets and mattress covers now that JL is older in case he has accidents overnight.

Carrier for Travel with a 6 Month Old

With JL, by 6 months old he was too big for the cloth wrap carriers. Plus, he wanted to be able to see what was going on when he was awake. I found that the easiest carrier to get on and off when traveling alone was a backpack style. I wore this when boarding the flight so my hands were free. The flight attendant will tell you, but the baby must be out of the carrier for take off and landing.

Diaper bag

I recommend a backpack style diaper bag with clips you can attach to your stroller. Of note, the stroller will tip over with the bag attached if the baby is not in the stroller to balance it out.

Portable Sound Machine

Honestly this helps so much with airport naps when it is loud and it is baby’s nap time. They can also be used for overnight sound machines if your baby is used to sleeping with one.

Travel with a 6 Month Old: Car trips

My best car trip tip for travel with a 6 month old is not a favorite but it has worked for us.

Have someone sit in the backseat with baby

That’s my best tip. Someone in the backseat can entertain the baby and comfort them when crying. I will say that sometimes being in the backseat with JL is too distracting for him to nap. So if that seems to be the case, pull over and hop in the front seat.

Traveling with a 6 month old for the first time can be overwhelming.

I hope these tips make your experience much easier so you can be prepared and enjoy traveling with your little love!

BV,

Megan

Questions or comments? Leave them below!

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