Babies on a Plane!

[lness]

With the holidays coming up, I'm going to be traveling with DD. Really, I'd rather not fly a thousand miles to spend just 6 hours with the family, but my grandmother (her great-grandma!) is not doing so well, and I promised to bring the baby to meet her, so Thanksgiving it is.
That's not really the issue though --- DH will likely not be able to go with us, so it will probably be me, all alone with her, 8 months old. I'm alone with her most of every day, so I know I can handle her, it's the travel and all the other people that concerns me. My questions:
1: Is it better to fly at night or during the day? Daytime, she's awake anyway, we can both get a good night's sleep before at home, and after at the hotel. But she doesn't nurse very frequently during the day anymore, so I might not be able to calm her if takeoff/landing are bothering her. Nighttime, she can sleep the flight away (hopefully) but then will be awake the next day which means I get NO sleep at all. Which is the lesser of 2 evils?
2: Planes and airports being what they are, any suggestions on keeping baby healthy? I'm not a fan of hand sanitizer, so other than not handing her around to everyone in the departure lounge, I'm not sure what I can do to be on the safe side.
3: What are the absolute, don't-leave-home-without-it things you've found to be helpful when traveling with a baby, or tips to make this ordeal easier on both of us?
4: Any good comebacks for people who complain about her doing whatever she's doing that they don't happen to like?

TIA!

[birthangeldoula]

1: Is it better to fly at night or during the day?
We flew at night and it worked out fabulously. I wore her in a sling so we could both get some rest. She slept the entire trip there and back and it was 5 hour flight.
2: Planes and airports being what they are, any suggestions on keeping baby healthy?
I used some disinfectant wipes in the plane. I'm a germaphobe and knew she'd be touching the tray table and window so I took a wipe to it beforehand.
3: What are the absolute, don't-leave-home-without-it things you've found to be helpful when traveling with a baby, or tips to make this ordeal easier on both of us?
Bring your insurance card with baby's name on it or some proof of ID. If the baby is wearing baby shoes, they will make you remove them and put them through the machine.
4: Any good comebacks for people who complain about her doing whatever she's doing that they don't happen to like? Naw -- we didn't need them as Kate slept the entire trip there and back..

[ComplexOphelia]

I've yet to get on a plane with Sweet Pea yet, so I don't have useful advice for that aspect - but I do think that making an exception to the rule and getting some alcohol-based santizing wipes for hands, trays, etc., is a good idea. Right now there's some pretty nasty stuff flying around, and I think traveling with a sick baby would be even MORE difficult! I don't sanitize everything in our world either, but I would definitely be whipping out the alcohol at the airport, especially in a high-traffic time like Thanksgiving.

[Peony]

I love taking early mornings flights with babies, I usually get the first flight out or close to it. My original reason for this years ago was to try to avoid flight delays, the earlier the flight the less that happens. It really is not fun to sit in an airport for hours or get stranded overnight with a baby, BTDT. Now I love it for other reasons, I wake baby up as we are heading out the door, by the time we get to the airport, get checked in, through security, baby is ready for a nap. Mine always fall asleep right after boarding or during and sleep a good portion of the flight because I woke them up so early. While I am tired from getting up early, it isn't as tiring as doing an overnight or late night flight. Plus babies are always happier the earlier in the day it is.


I always bring a smaller stroller when traveling, less for the baby ( I wear them) but it carries the carry on luggage and suitcases after landing, it makes getting through the airport so much easier when traveling alone IMO.

[georgiegirl1974]

DD traveled on 6 round trips during her first year, and DS took his first flight three weeks ago (at 10 weeks old). It is much easier than you think it will be. Babies tend to sleep during the flight because of the white noise. I never did early morning or overnight flights. I just tried to make sure the flight was around naptime (at least one leg.) Definitely sanitize the area around you and pee before you get on the plane. It isn't fun trying to pee in the airplane bathroom with a child strapped to your body.

[lness]

Well, we're in the daytime flight. There was one available early AM but I just couldn't see getting us to the airport by 630 or so for an 8am flight - she gets so cranky all day when I wake her up early (and yet, I'm not allowed to be cranky when she has a short night and makes me get up early...) It doesn't even help if she gets a good nap a little later. So I figure, if she gets cranky on the flight, at least it'll be midafternoon, so she can annoy people but at least I don't have to worry about keeping awake 200 other people who were trying to sleep.
She'll be traveling on my lap...did you know the airlines have a rule that you can't have your baby in any "device that ties the child to another person" during taxi, takeoff, or landing? I assume this means my wrap, but I'm planning on using it anyway, I can always take it off if someone says something. DH thinks it's a safety concern, but that they probably won't ask me to take it off.

[claras_mom]

Re the sling, they might ask you to take it off if they notice. I'm not convinced of their reasoning--it is supposed to be a safety issue--but whatever. I'm a little jaded this morning: flew this weekend with 6-1/2 mo dd. Had to take her out of the Bjorn the one time I actually had her in it as opposed to having it all undone. Flight attendant couldn't tell me why, then came back with a reason. But they'd also made me switch seats (meaning four people plus dd had to get up and move) because I was on the wrong side for the extra oxygen mask...but considering I couldn't check in online because of the baby (i.e. presumably so that the check in people could catch things like that) I thought it was lame that the seating got messed up.

On the plus side, I was not required to take dd out of the carrier to go through security, and the TSA seems to have special lanes now for families with children.

In retrospect, I'd be tempted to take Peony's advice and travel with a small stroller, even if I don't intend to use it. For the airport toilets, really. Trying to pee with a baby on your lap is challenging to say the least. Don't forget plastic bags for dirty diapers/clothes. One-handed healthy snacks for yourself and baby (if she's eating). Airplane food is overpriced and not very tasty. Thanksgiving weekend is the biggest travel weekend of the year, so be prepared for that.

[tabrizia]

I fly all the time with DD and DS, though not solo yet with the two of them. I have flown solo with DS since he was 8 weeks old though.

I would personally take the day flight unless you are buying baby their own seat. Neither DS or DD will sleep as long in arms as they will in their car seat. So if they have their own car seat on the plane they might sleep at night, then again as DS proved on our 15+ hour flight to India they might not. I do try to fly around nap time so they will nap on the plane, but it doesn't always work, I also try to fly slightly earlier in the day rather then later in the afternoon/evening since they tend to be a bit grumpier then, even if they have napped.

I find a carrier/sling the main thing I need when flying. I wear DS, DH wears DD and we have never needed to take them out at security. It keeps them contained and means they aren't running around the airport. I also always check our larger bag and then bring along a smaller suitcase, with a diaper bag/backpack inside it for putting under the seat. The bigger carryon holds extra diapers and a change of clothes for all of us just in case, it also holds some extra snacks and toys. The diaper bag/backpack holds some snacks, a couple of toys, a board book or two, a book for me and a few diapers in case I need them on the plane.

I have only brought a stroller once on a flight since I was transferring it to my Mom's house and I did not find it any more convenient then traveling without one. In fact I found traveling without one easier.

I really don't worry what people around me say about the baby/toddler doing baby/toddler things. I will do what I can if they are melting down/tired cranky etc, but if they are just making happy noises and blowing raspberries I don't worry about it. Some people are going to be cranky regardless of what you do, even if baby is an angel the whole time. As long as I know I am doing all I can to control my child I don't worry if someone is upset that my baby cried for 5 minutes on the way up and down.

[Peony]

As far as the wrap goes it is a rule, but is depends on the flight crew if they enforce it. There has been many a thread on this subject over the years and some people get asked others don't. I have always been asked to and twice have been made to stow it in the overhead bin while they watched to ensure that I couldn't put it on later. All the rest of the times when I board the plane, baby is always in a sling, and I get told then to take baby out when I sit down. Another time I was using it as a semi-cover after sitting down because baby almost asleep and I didn't want the light to wake her up again, anyway I got reminded that it must be stowed. I must always get the crew that is a stickler for the rules!

[birthangeldoula]

Originally Posted by Peony

As far as the wrap goes it is a rule, but is depends on the flight crew if they enforce it. There has been many a thread on this subject over the years and some people get asked others don't. I have always been asked to and twice have been made to stow it in the overhead bin while they watched to ensure that I couldn't put it on later. All the rest of the times when I board the plane, baby is always in a sling, and I get told then to take baby out when I sit down. Another time I was using it as a semi-cover after sitting down because baby almost asleep and I didn't want the light to wake her up again, anyway I got reminded that it must be stowed. I must always get the crew that is a stickler for the rules!

that's nutty! It must depend on the airlines? I flew to California from Michigan and back on overnight flights with DD in her sling. Nobody said a word. In fact the flight attendant said how cute and cozy she looked in there.

[mokey4]

I flew with DD in the Ergo from the west coast to the east coast and back when she was 5 months old. On the way out there we had an early morning flight. She kept trying to fall asleep but there was an older baby behind us wailing and it kept waking DD up, poor thing. So she didn't get a nap in at all after us waking her up at 4:30am, and when we finally arrived at our destination (an hour's drive from the airport) she hadn't napped and she was a wreck.

On the way back we had a nighttime flight, there weren't any other babies right near us (phew), and DD slept almost the entire way. I kept her in the Ergo and she just conked out after nursing for an eternity. It was great- I got to eat and nap and read and everything, just like before I had a baby .

I'm going to be flying again with her in a month, when she'll be 9 months old. It's a much shorter flight (just to AZ), but now she's not so easy to get to sleep. She never sleeps in the Ergo, or when there are interesting people to look at, so this is going to be different. She does get seriously cranky if she's tired and overstimulated though.

I think the idea to bring a stroller is a great one- now that DD is much heavier I'm going to have a hard time wearing her AND carrying a backpack (I don't do wheeled luggage for a long weekend). So I'll wear her and put my luggage in the stroller .

[oolongtea]

Just flew with my 6 mo old, and we did the flight to coincide with first morning nap (11 ish). It worked out fine, really. Nursed/nap during takeoff, toys for the rest. DS does take a paci, though, so I'd pop that in whenever my ears were popping but he didn't want to nurse. I used the Ergo to go through security and I didn't have to take it off for that. I did take it off while in my seat, so I don't know if they would have allowed me to keep it on. I think the rule is that you have to sit in a window seat, which is somewhat annoying for getting up with the baby (carrying the baby and shimmying across the two seats). Also, I'm not sure if this is the rule, but on our Delta flight there was no changing surface in the bathroom! Had to close the toilet lid and use the top of that, even though DS was hanging off. So if I were you I'd bring a blanket/trash bag type thing that you can lay on the toilet or bathroom floor as a surface for changing, if your LO still lays down for changes.

[veganfox]

Thank you so much for this thread.

We are getting ready to fly to Greece in a couple of weeks and the closer we get, the more stressed out I become. DS is 5 months old and generally does great with traveling by car but I have no idea how he will react to the flight (and it's a long one...Almost 24 hours on the go).

He won't have his own seat, he'll be sitting on my lap.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Very helpful.

[veganfox]

Just wanted to update this thread with our experience. DS did pretty good on our long trip to Greece. He was 5 months at the time and he dealt with everything like a trooper. United Airlines and Lufthansa were very accommodating and they offered a nice bassinet which made our flights so much easier. We could put DS in there with his toys and get a break from holding him and I was able to put him in there for sleep for a nice 4 hour stretch. We were bfing when landing and when taking off and that helped him a lot. No fussing, no melt-downs. He was actually so tired on our way back that he fell asleep before getting on the plane and woke up when we got home.

Oh, having the ergo with me helped tons. I don't know how I could have done it without with these longs walks we had to take in the airports to get from one gate to the other. We didn't have a stroller. I need to get one for our next trip this summer cause he'll be too heavy for me to carry around.

Any suggestions on light weight strollers for traveling?

[ithappened]

we're doing a 17 hour flight next week with DS who will be 9 weeks old.

I'll update everyone once we've survived