I remember how nervous my wife and I were when we took our firstborn on a airplane for the first time. We were terrified that he would spend the entire flight to Chicago screaming, earning us the titles of Worst Passengers and, even more humiliatingly, Bad Parents.

We carefully packed the diaper bag, checked in the car seat and the stroller, and held our breath as the plane took off. We realized there was no turning back now. Per advice wed gleaned online, we fed the baby as the aircraft climbed to cruising altitude to help relieve the pressure in his ears. Then he slept for the entire flight. Didnt make a peep.

A flight attendant smiled at his peaceful face, nuzzled in my wifes arms. At that age, they just sleep through the whole thing, she said with nonchalant nostalgia.

A fellow passenger remarked that she hadnt even noticed he was on the flight.

Our son was about three months old at the time of that trip, and, given our smooth experience then and the challenges we faced once he became a toddler Id say that the best time to take a baby on an airplane is ASAP.

We asked several moms who travel frequently with their kids for their thoughts on the question. Heres what they had to say.

The ideal time to fly with a baby

Courtney Orgias, who posts about her familys travels on Instagram , told HuffPost: Our daughters first plane ride was at 10 weeks and it was so smooth and easy.

It really isnt as difficult as one would think, Orgias said. We flew about four hours and she slept almost the entire way.

In comparison, her other child didnt board a plane until he was two, and while everything was fine, it was simply a more challenging situation. He was restless and it was such a new experience, but with snacks and snuggles, we had a great flight, Orgias said.

Another traveling mom, Stephanie Claytor , made similar comparisons between the infant and toddler stages as they relate to air travel.

As a nursing mom, I think the ideal age to fly with a baby is between four months until the baby stops nursing, Claytor told HuffPost. Nursing the baby to sleep upon takeoff leads to a smooth ride with baby sleeping through a short flight.

Flying with a toddler who is no longer nursing, on the other hand, is more difficult and requires you to brings lots of snacks and activities, she said. Her son didnt fly until 22 months. On his first trip, they lucked out and ended up getting their own row of seats.

He was very active in our row and I had to keep him engaged with toys, Claytor said.

Monet Hambrick , who also posts on Instagram about her adventures with her two children, ages 8 and 10, says the best time to fly with a baby is before they start crawling.

Theyre so easy, theyre so peaceful, she explained. Theyre not trying to wiggle their way out and crawl around the airplane.

Hambricks older daughter flew at just 6 weeks old, and her younger daughter at only 11 days. She describes both flights as easy.

Honestly, at that age, they sleep so much, so it was pretty uneventful, Hambrick told HuffPost.