The most effective way to pop your baby’s ears on a plane is to have them swallow during takeoff and landing. Breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or offering a pacifier all trigger the swallowing motion that opens the small tube connecting the middle ear to the throat, equalizing pressure. Timing matters: start feeding or offering the pacifier as the plane begins its descent, not after your baby is already crying in pain.
Why Babies Struggle More Than Adults
Adults can pop their ears by yawning, swallowing, or pinching their nose and blowing. Babies can’t do any of that on command. But the bigger issue is anatomy. In infants, the eustachian tube (the tiny passage between the middle ear and the back of the throat) runs nearly horizontal rather than angling downward the way it does in adults. This flatter angle makes it harder for the tube to open and equalize pressure when cabin altitude changes. The tube is also significantly smaller, roughly 62 cubic millimeters compared to about 111 cubic millimeters in an adult, so it takes less swelling or mucus to block it entirely.
As the plane climbs or descends, the air pressure in the cabin shifts faster than the pressure inside your baby’s middle ear can adjust. That mismatch pushes on the eardrum, causing the discomfort you see as fussiness, crying, or ear-pulling. Descent is usually worse than takeoff because the air pressure increases and pushes the eardrum inward, which tends to be more painful.
Swallowing Is the Key
Every time your baby swallows, the muscles around the eustachian tube briefly pull it open, letting air flow in or out of the middle ear. That’s the “pop.” Your job is to get your baby swallowing repeatedly during the two pressure-change windows: takeoff and descent.
- Breastfeeding is the most reliable option because it combines sucking, swallowing, and comfort. The sucking motion itself helps open the eustachian tube, and the slow flow of milk keeps swallowing going continuously.
- Bottle-feeding works the same way. If your baby takes a bottle, prepare one before the plane starts its descent so you’re not fumbling with formula while the seatbelt sign is on.
- A pacifier encourages sucking and some swallowing, though less than actual feeding. It’s a good backup if your baby isn’t hungry or has already finished a bottle.
The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically recommends having babies drink from the breast or a bottle, or suck on a pacifier, during takeoff and landing to ease discomfort.
Get the Timing Right
The biggest mistake parents make is waiting until their baby is already screaming. By that point, the pressure imbalance is fully established and the eustachian tube may be too compressed to open easily. Start feeding about 15 to 20 minutes before landing. The pilot typically announces the initial descent, or you can watch the in-flight map. For takeoff, begin as the plane starts rolling down the runway.
If your baby finishes the bottle too early, switch to a pacifier. If they refuse both, offering small sips of water (for babies over six months) can keep the swallowing going. The goal is continuous, gentle swallowing through the entire pressure change, not just a few sips at the start.
Keep Your Baby Awake
It’s tempting to let a sleeping baby stay asleep, but this is one time you should gently wake them. During sleep, we swallow far less often, so the eustachian tube stays closed while pressure builds. The National Institutes of Health advises keeping children awake during takeoff and landing for this reason. Waking up mid-descent with sudden ear pain is also more distressing for a baby than being gently roused beforehand and given something to suck on.
Clear Congestion Before the Flight
A stuffy nose makes everything harder. Swollen nasal passages can block the eustachian tube opening entirely, making it nearly impossible for your baby to equalize pressure no matter how much they swallow. If your baby has any congestion, use saline nose drops before boarding: three or four drops in each nostril, wait about a minute for the saline to loosen the mucus, then use a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator to gently suction it out. Limit suctioning to two or three times a day to avoid irritating the nasal lining.
Do this in the terminal before you board, and again if needed before the plane begins its descent. A baby with a clear nose will have a much easier time equalizing.
What About Pressure-Regulating Earplugs?
Products like EarPlanes are soft earplugs designed to slow the rate of pressure change reaching the eardrum. They come in a children’s size for smaller ears. However, these plugs sit in the ear canal, and getting them to stay properly seated in a squirming infant’s tiny ear canal is difficult. They also haven’t been evaluated by the FDA for medical claims. For older toddlers who won’t take a pacifier or bottle, they may be worth trying, but for babies, feeding and pacifiers are more practical and effective.
If Your Baby Has Ear Tubes
If your baby already has ear tubes (small tubes surgically placed in the eardrum), you’re actually in luck. Those tubes keep the middle ear ventilated at all times, allowing air to pass freely through the eardrum. This means pressure equalizes automatically during altitude changes. You won’t need to worry about feeding timing or pacifiers for ear pressure, though your baby may still appreciate the comfort.
Signs of a Problem After the Flight
Most ear discomfort from flying resolves within minutes of landing once the pressure equalizes. But in rare cases, the pressure difference can cause actual injury to the eardrum or middle ear, known as barotrauma. In babies who can’t tell you what’s wrong, watch for persistent crying or fussiness that continues well after landing, tugging or grabbing at one or both ears, fluid draining from the ear, or unusual clumsiness and balance problems in babies who are crawling or walking.
Some degree of ear barotrauma can happen without obvious symptoms, appearing only as mild redness of the eardrum that a doctor would spot on exam. If your baby seems fine after landing, they almost certainly are. If fussiness or ear-pulling persists for more than a few hours, it’s worth having their ears checked.
A Quick Flight-Day Checklist
- Before boarding: Clear any congestion with saline drops and gentle suctioning.
- During takeoff: Start breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or offering a pacifier as the plane accelerates on the runway.
- Mid-flight: No special ear measures needed at cruising altitude. Pressure is stable.
- Before descent: Wake your baby if sleeping. Begin feeding or pacifier use when the pilot announces descent, roughly 15 to 20 minutes before landing.
- After landing: Watch for persistent fussiness or ear-pulling that lasts beyond an hour or two.