In just a few weeks, our family is headed out on a vacation to San Diego California. Where as Lily is pretty easy to travel with, this will be her first time on an airplane and we’re all a little nervous.
Have you flown with a baby before? Any advice?
So far, here is what we have:
- Try to book around their nap time if possible to help them sleep on the plane.
- Take food so they can eat during takeoff and landing to help with the popping ears.
- Take foods & liquids that will make it though airport security.
That’s about it so far. I’m not too worried about flying with Lily as she does pretty good on road trips and what not. She also loves to watch people. However, since its our first time taking a baby on an airplane, that in itself is a bit nerve-racking. That and she has no place to crawl around and play.
Any advice or tips you can share about flying with a baby would be great.
Ok here’s a few tips:
1) Practice the changing a blown-out diaper on the lap with a flexible changing mat trick. You WILL be doing this at least once 🙂
2) Nurse or bottle the baby on takeoff and landing. This helps the child naturally “pop” their ears as the pressure changes which will reduce discomfort and also crying and screaming. Many parents assume this is because they are scared (projection) – but it’s just cause their ears hurt.
3) Be sure that you can fit all the essentials for baby amusement and comfort in a bag that fits under the seat in front of you.
4) Carry on the baby seat if they’ll let you and check it at the door to the plane if you’re not putting the baby in it. Preferably buy the baby a seat and put them in the seat. There have been airplane crashes where the only survivors were babies in baby seats. Would you drive around in a car without a car seat? If you’re using the car seat on a plane – belting it in can be quite tricky (plane seats are NOT car seats). This is where convertible seats come in handy (belt the base in, then just clip in the seat baby and all. Be sure you’re seated parent/child/parent with the skinniest person in the window seat – they may not be able to get out around the baby seat – and they won’t let you sit in the emergency exit row. DO NOT get a bulkhead seat tempting as that may be since all carry on must go over your head in a bulkhead seat. The reason you check the seat at the plane door if not using it is so you are SURE you have it for when you get a ride or pickup your rental on the other end.
5) If you’re changing planes be sure that you have a good baby carrier or umbrella stroller to get the baby from place to place – sometimes you have to do that in a hurry.
6) Have a carry on bag that will DEFINITELY FIT UNDER THE SEAT IN FRONT OF YOU with binkies, bottles, plenty of diapers and diaper disposal bags, changing mat and supplies, amusement toys, etc. Be sure you can get to this easily.
Be sure you have the right documtation for baby identification – I don’t know what that is any more since I haven’t flown with one for 16 years or so 🙂