Travelling on a plane with baby (breastfeeding, infant, pacifier, sucking)
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Hi, we are planning on taking our baby, who will be almost 8 months old when we go on vacation, on a plane for the first time. To put it lightly, I am quite nervous. She does not take a pacifier at all so I'm worried about what the pressure of take off and landings will do to her ears. I am also not sure if we should get her own seat and bring her carseat on board or put her on our laps. Any advice for a first time nervous mother taking her infant on a plane?
How long is the flight? If it's not long, I wouldn't bother getting a seat for her. My little one (now 7) took her first flight at 8 weeks and I was so nervous, but it went just fine, even when she was around 1 it was fine.
Whatever you do, don't board the plane early, it's just more time for your baby to have to be confined. I would give her a bottle during take off and another bottle during landing and her ears will be fine. Just bring lots of stuff to occupy her. I always tried to keep my daughter up (no naps) before the flight, so she was nice and tired, and most of the time she'd just sleep.
Good luck and I'm sure everything will be fine!! Have a fun trip.
The best advice I ever received about taking a baby on a plane is to wait to feed her until takeoff and landing. The sucking motion helps with the ear pressure. But make sure you wait until the plane is actually taking off, and not just on the runway because sometimes you can be sitting there for 20 minutes or more just waiting to take off. Personally I think it's safer to have her in a carseat. Some airlines require that the carseat be FAA-approved or they won't let you use it on the plane. If your baby normally falls asleep in her carseat during long car rides, she'll probably fall asleep in it on a plane too; mine did. Also, check your stroller at the gate and make sure they'll have it at the gate when you arrive - it makes everything so much easier.
How long is the flight? If it's not long, I wouldn't bother getting a seat for her. My little one (now 7) took her first flight at 8 weeks and I was so nervous, but it went just fine, even when she was around 1 it was fine.
Whatever you do, don't board the plane early, it's just more time for your baby to have to be confined. I would give her a bottle during take off and another bottle during landing and her ears will be fine. Just bring lots of stuff to occupy her. I always tried to keep my daughter up (no naps) before the flight, so she was nice and tired, and most of the time she'd just sleep.
Good luck and I'm sure everything will be fine!! Have a fun trip.
I wouldn't bother w/ the seat, we would only get my daughter her own seat during long flights. But, 2.5 hours I think you'll be fine. My daughter would usually sleep, so hubby and I would take turns holding her.
in order for her to do the jaw movement thing (like chewing gum) for the landing and take off
possibly try a bottle of sugar water they really enjoy the flavor of it and it will help their ears to pop
also right before the flight take her to her Pediatrician and have a thorough exam of her ears an undetected ear infection is not something you want to deal with at 35000 feet
been there done that its awful
The flight time is 2.5 hours but your looking at being on the plane for min. of 3 hours - delays are more the norm now than the exception. I always got our kids their own seats even when they were under 2. Not only is it MUCH easier and more relaxing for us but for the person(s) that would be seated beside us or between you, it is not just you and your husband that will be inconvienced by having the baby in your laps but those having to sit right beside you too. It is also MUCH safer for them to be in their own seat in a car seat. If there is a lot of turbulance you will risk having her injured. You will also have more room to play w/ her to occupy her, have a bottle for her or to have a drink for yourself. The pressure never bothered our kids at all during take off and landings even when they were babies/toddlers. On our most recent trip our youngest had a flair up w/ asthma just before we left so the doc recommended the ear drops that are available otc that are for ear pain. He told me to put a drop or two in her ears just before take off and landing. On this trip it did bother her pretty bad and I was glad to have those w/ us. You also have to be at the airports a LOT earlier now so when you get to your gate if you can find an area to let her crawl around (walk if they are old enough) then do that. Many times I've taken our youngest on a LONG walk up and down the terminal as she is kind of a busybody, this helps so that when she gets on the plane she can play w/ her ipod, dvd player, etc and has not already had her fill of them.
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Would you allow your child to ride on your lap in a car a 55mph? Of course not. Then why would you even consider that same child riding on your lap at 650 mph? Turbulence happens. Rough landings happen. Aborted takeoffs happen. If anything happens, your child is an unprotected projectile.
After twenty years of working for an airline, I tell my friends and relatives two things. Never fly your pets in the cargo hold, and never let a child ride on your lap.
Now if you can figure out a solution for the ear pain while pressurizing, let me know. Everyone is different. Some have no problem. Some have plugged sinuses that won't equalize. I had to give up pressurizing at work, because my ears can't handle it. You really won't know about your baby until you try it.
For safety reasons I think a child is more safe in a car seat in their own seat. I also think your child will be more comfortable in a car seat then in your arms all the time...assuming they have a comfortable car seat. God forbid you should crash the baby would be thrown all over.
When my daughter was 3 we flew to the UK...she did very well, used the time and the captive audience to flirt with a few men as was her way at that age.
There were TVs in the back of the seats which kept her busy, if this will not be the case on your flight, I recommend to anyone to bring along a lap top or a DVD player to play something your child is used to, whatever the age.
There was a point when my daughter got tired and wanted to stretch out so I went and walked around the plane, at one point sitting in a stewardess jump seat (with their permission) to give her the space.
Hi, we are planning on taking our baby, who will be almost 8 months old when we go on vacation, on a plane for the first time. To put it lightly, I am quite nervous. She does not take a pacifier at all so I'm worried about what the pressure of take off and landings will do to her ears. I am also not sure if we should get her own seat and bring her carseat on board or put her on our laps. Any advice for a first time nervous mother taking her infant on a plane?
Hold her bottle or breastfeeding until take off and then give it to her again at landing. As for getting her a seat...do you think she will sleep in it? If not she will wind up on your lap for the flight anyway and you will have spent the money for nothing. I always tried to fly off times (really early or late) when they were babies so I could get the aisle and window and the middle was usually empty to strech out. You can bring your car seat and check it at the gate if there aren't any empty seats. If there are empty seats the airline attendants will let you use it with out charge. Good luck, don't be nervous it's much harder to fly with toddlers...they don't want to sit and they know how to say "no!" much louder!...LOL
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