As a very well-seasoned traveler who's been traveling the world since she was...I believe 1 month old? I’ve traveled for over a month with just a carry-on, hauled skis and oversized checked bags—you name it. So, I thought I had a pretty solid handle on packing for my first time traveling with a newborn, flying from NY to St. Maarten and then St. Barth. But of course, the usual first-time parent worries crept in. Would the flight be a nightmare? Would she cry the whole time? Would the people next to us be annoyed? What if we had a full-blown diaper disaster at 30,000 feet? And let’s not even talk about the chaos of airport transfers and nap disruptions.
Still, we went for it—flying with our daughter just shy of 3 months old. Because honestly? If we were going to be in the thick of newborn life, why not do it somewhere warm with a pool? As an avid traveler, I wasn’t about to put my adventures on hold just because I had a baby. I brought her in this world so she could be a part of everything I love. Would traveling be different and way more intense? Absolutely. Would it require next-level planning? Without a doubt. But we did it, and we’re so glad we did. In fact, I’d tell anyone: travel with your baby when they’re a newborn. Not because it’s easy—but because after that, everything else at home feels like a breeze.
Getting a passport for a newborn in the US
First things first—if you’re flying internationally, your baby needs a passport. Luckily, the U.S. is pretty relaxed when it comes to baby passport photos—no need for open eyes or a closed mouth. I somehow lucked out and got a shot of my baby smiling with her eyes open (a miracle, really). I snapped it on my phone, cropped it to the right size, printed it at home, and headed to USPS with the forms and photo. We expedited it, expecting a six-week wait, but it showed up in less than two. A small travel win!
Timing your flight
Getting to St. Barth was no simple hop—it took some serious logistics. We had to drive to the airport, leave the car in long-term parking, fly to St. Maarten, layover there, then catch a tiny propeller plane to the island. Unlike other destinations with flights running all day, our options were very limited—only two flights to St. Maarten and even fewer to St. Barth (mostly because they book up fast). So, we had to be strategic. Our game plan? Align the flights with our baby’s feeding schedule and the available transfers. We aimed for takeoff during her second feeding, landing during her third, and arrival in St. Barth about 1.5–2 hours before bedtime. Somehow, we nailed it—smooth takeoff, smooth landing, and we touched down right before she needed her last feed. Newborns also nap a lot, which worked in our favor. But now? My four-month-old, who’s never been a great napper, maxes out at 2–2.5 hours total during the day. Translation: if we were to do this trip now, she’d be awake for most of the flight… meaning we’d be on full-time in-flight entertainment duty.
Choosing your seats
When booking seats, you’re not just thinking about your own comfort—you’ve got to consider your baby’s too. Are you going for an airplane bassinet, booking a separate seat with a car seat, or keeping them as a lap infant?
A lot of people asked if we were getting the bassinet, but honestly, for a newborn, a contact nap as a lap infant was the best guarantee for sleep. I couldn’t imagine trying to settle her in a bassinet or car seat (which she hated until she was 3 months old) when getting her down anywhere was already a challenge. Now, it’s a different story.
To make the flight easier, we booked premium seats with extra legroom—more space for her to nap on us, plus room for the diaper bag and toys. On the way back, we flew economy. Not terrible, but if you go that route, try to grab an aisle seat—it makes a huge difference when you need to get up, rock the baby, or give her a change of scenery.
Consider adjusting feeding time in advance (If your time difference isn't too big)
Pat and I knew the time difference between NY and St. Barth was just an hour, but we really didn’t want to be waking up at 6 AM every day on vacation. Ideally, we’d keep her on a 7PM–7AM sleep schedule. From our personal experience, sleep is all about feeding times, so we planned accordingly. Since we had to leave the house by 6:30 AM to get to the airport, I got up earlier and did her first feeding at 6 AM EST—aka 7 AM St. Barth time—so that all her feedings for the rest of the day were already adjusted for island time. It worked perfectly, and she adjusted seamlessly. If you're traveling with a newborn somewhere with a bigger time difference, consider shifting feeds 1–3 days before the trip to ease into the new schedule. I’ll report back on how this works for our long-haul flight later this year!
Arrive early to the airport
This one’s a no-brainer—get to the airport early. You’d be shocked at how much stuff you end up carrying when traveling with a newborn. Sibby had more luggage than Pat and I combined! Plus, you’ll want extra time to change the baby before the flight and just get settled. Especially if it’s your first time flying with a little one, getting there early makes the whole process feel way less stressful. No one wants to be that frazzled parent sprinting to the gate!
Gate checking
Depending on the airline, you’ll likely be able to bring a diaper bag, stroller, and car seat as carry-ons for free, then gate-check the stroller and car seat. The catch? You have to haul all that stuff through the airport. And here’s the kicker—"gate check" doesn’t always mean you’ll get your things right at the gate when you land. On our flight from NY to St. Maarten, we gate-checked the car seat and stroller, only to find out we had to pick them up at baggage claim. If we had known, we would’ve just checked them from the start and saved ourselves the hassle. Moving forward, we’ll check the car seat for free and just bring the stroller with us—less to carry, less stress.
Lesson Learned
Always ask the check-in counter what "gate check" actually means.
We made the car seat pull double duty by getting an affordable car seat travel bag that works as both a backpack and a rolling bag—super easy to carry around. And just like we do with our ski bag, we stuffed a bunch of Sibby’s essentials in there to maximize space—diapers, toys, and even some of our sunscreens.
How to move around the airport
I saw a good number of parents with older babies pushing them in strollers. But to be honest, Sibby wouldn't have allowed us to push her in her travel bassinet stroller in the airport. She's the type of baby who wants to SEE things and be part of the action. For us, the easiest thing to do was have her in the carrier. This also meant our hands were free for baggage and other important things...like the oh so important coffee needed before boarding.
Traveling with breastmilk and formula
It’s wild that we can’t bring regular liquids through security and onboard, but if you need a thermos of water for formula, that’s totally fine to take through security. TSA just waves a strip over the open canister—probably checking for fumes or something—and you’re good to go. Same deal with breastmilk; you can bring it through security without any issues. Personally, I like bringing my own water in a thermos so it’s the perfect temp—not too hot, not too cold. But if you forget, you can always ask for hot tea water at the airport or on the plane and just let it cool down before using it.
Security check
Honestly, I don't think traveling with a newborn was the hardest part of traveling, I think it was the inconveniences of everything else around us. For instance, the security check was not particularly accommodating to the fact that we had a child. Even though we had TSA pre-check, they made me take Sibby out of the carrier, had us take out everything from our car seat bag, and much more. I mean...I'm traveling with a newborn, do I really look like a threat here?
Pre-boarding
Pre-boarding is a sweet perk when you’ve got a baby—it lets you get on the plane before the crowd. Some parents skip it depending on their baby’s temperament, but for Pat and me, the extra time was a lifesaver. We needed to stash our bags, set up her toys and food, and get all the essentials within arm’s reach before the aisles got jammed. Some people can’t stand the thought of waiting on the plane longer than necessary, but honestly, boarding early helped keep things stress-free. And don’t forget—do a diaper change before you board! Or, if you’re cutting it close, sneak to the back of the plane while everyone else is finding their seats.
Take off and landing
Takeoff and landing are the trickiest parts of flying with a baby—the pressure changes can make them super uncomfortable. The best way to help? Feed them or give them a pacifier to suck on. The only downside I ran into was that, following the descent for one of our flights, Sibby spat up everywhere. I’m pretty sure the turbulence on descent stirred up the milk in her tummy. Just a heads-up, but honestly, 1 out of 4 isn’t bad! Same goes for fussiness—she only got cranky during take-off and landing once out of 4 times, which I’ll take as a win.
Entertaining on board
Keeping a baby entertained onboard can be a breeze—or a full-on workout—depending on your little one’s personality. If your baby is content just sitting in your lap and snoozing the whole time, congrats, you’ve hit the jackpot. If, like me, you’ve got a baby who wants to move, explore, and be entertained, it’s a bit trickier.
That’s why traveling with a newborn is easier—they sleep way more than they do as they get older (no matter there temperament). For Sibby, we kept her entertained in bursts during her wake windows. She was mesmerized by the moving colors of Despicable Me 3 on the seatback screen (or dad's favorite movie that I personally find super spooky...The Nightmare Before Christmas)—did it keep her occupied the whole flight? No. Did it buy us 10-15 minutes here and there? Absolutely.
We also packed her favorite sensory book, her beloved stuffed doll, Madame Poupée (a non-negotiable travel companion), and a muslin cloth to help her fall asleep by draping it over her head. Add in her loveys—perfect for rubbing on her face for comfort—and a warm blanket, and we had our in-flight survival kit. The flight was a mix of TV, book time, snuggles with Madame Poupée, walks up and down the aisle and naps. Rinse and repeat.
Real review: The flights to St. Barth? Smooth as could be. Takeoff, in-flight, landing, and even the transfer—all a breeze. Sibby barely fussed, slept a good amount, and stayed entertained. Aside from a little discomfort during landing and one solid spit-up incident, it was a win.
The flight back to New York? A bit of a different story. Passengers told me she was really good (and honestly, I think she was!), but since it was close to bedtime, she was getting moody, fighting naps, and letting out some whines here and there. But hey, she's a baby, what can you expect. She had just come from a charter plane, 3-hour layover in St. Maarten airport, and was now on another 4-hour plane. I could see why she'd get a bit fussy toward the end. And then came the grand finale: an epic blowout during descent, resulting in full-on screams while I attempted a mid-taxi diaper change in the airplane bathroom.
But hey, aside from that? Still calling it a win.
Ensuring peaceful naps
If you want a peaceful nap, trust me, pack the essentials. Bring a pacifier, a muslin cloth to help her drift off (just drape it over her head), her favorite stuffed animal or lovey, and, one of the most important things in my opinion—baby headphones for noise protection. My Gen-X mom totally mocked me when she saw them, saying they weren't necessary and that she flew with me just fine back in the day. Well, her tune changed halfway through the flight! I can confirm—baby noise-canceling headphones are a game changer. I tested this firsthand on the flight from St. Maarten to JFK when I made the rookie mistake of not putting them on Sibby right away. Every time the flight attendant made an announcement, she'd jolt awake and freak out. The moment I slapped them on? Out cold for the rest of the flight.
Extra Clothes & Diapers
An absolute non-negotiable, as I’m sure we all know. From the landing spit-up that completely soaked her outfit to the blowout disaster during descent on the way back—extra clothes in the diaper bag are a must. The only positive about the blow-out during descent is that I was able to change Sibby into her PJs as it was past her bedtime. I wasn't planning on doing it to begin with because I didn't want to wake her up, but it worked out. So another tip, is bring all of your babies outfits in your carry-on bag because this way they're easily accessible just in case.
Also, think about packing a change of clothes based on where you're going. When we landed in St. Maarten, I didn’t want Sibby overheating during our transfer and small jet ride to St. Barth, so I swapped her New England winter layers for something lighter. And vice versa on the way back. Always be one step ahead—because babies will keep you on your toes. Which reminds me, don't forget warm socks and/or booties for the plane!
Realities of bathroom changing tables
Some flights have roomy ADA-accessible bathrooms, which are a dream—plenty of space to move around and get settled. But let’s be real, that’s not the norm. Changing a baby on a plane? Not easy, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it.
You’ve got to pull down the changing table over the toilet, squeeze yourself (and just the diaper bag) into a tiny space, and hope for the best. Add in some turbulence and the fact that, by the end of a flight, that bathroom has been through it... yeah, not ideal. One thing that made it easier? Pat standing outside the door, handing me wipes, diapers, or anything I needed so I could get in and out as fast as possible. Teamwork makes the dream work—especially at 30,000 feet. If you can avoid changing babies during flight...that would be ideal.
Conclusion
Would I recommend traveling with a newborn? Absolutely.
Is traveling with a newborn easy? Definitely not. And anyone who says it’s a breeze because "they're so little" is either trying to make their life seem perfect on social media or just has a really really good baby (God bless you). Maybe it’s easier than when they’re older, but I can’t speak to that yet. What I can say is that traveling with a newborn is totally doable. It takes a ton of planning, but it’s not impossible.
But the true benefit of traveling with a newborn? After traveling internationally with a layover and a smaller connecting flight for the first time, let me tell you—anything at home feels like a walk in the park. Grocery shopping? A breeze. A 20-30 minute drive to the beach? Piece of cake. Once you tackle a big travel milestone like that, life at home feels manageable. It actually makes everyday stuff seem easier.
Trip memorabilia
I had to commemorate Sibby’s first trip—the traveler in me couldn’t resist. I wanted something for her nursery to remind her of her very first flight and adventure, so we picked up this gorgeous vintage postcard poster of St. Barth and framed it above her crib. I’m thinking of making this a tradition—getting one for every new place she visits. It might start to get a little busy in there (and I hope it does!), but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it!
