12 hour air flight with newly potty trained 3 year old plus EC baby (4 months) -- bring car...

[porcelina]

I am a bit overwhelmed with the logistics of all this! We are going to be on a 12 hour flight.

For toddler, I guess I need to get him to start using a special insert that folds for the potty, and maybe bring back up diapers. Any tips? And, I can't decide whether to use car seat or one of those safety harnesses on plane. Where will he sleep better? It's an overnight flight! Thinking of purchasing a strap to lug it on luggage.

We are not buying seat for baby, but hoping we will keep an empty seat between us for him. Bring car seat? How do we transport it? It is not compatible with any of our strollers (would have to buy adapter). Tupperware for EC?

Do we need a double stroller? Prob not, right? Baby will be in carrier on me, toddler will be either in stroller or walking. But, if bring baby car seat, will need to attach it to the stroller for transport. Or is there some other way?

[sosurreal09]

I don't have all the answers just thought I would mention we did a 12 hr overnight flight recently and they wouldn't let me wear DD during it.

[TheGirls]

I flew a lot with DD (now 2.5) as a lap baby and a couple of times now as a toddler.  Next month we fly with DD and our twin 3-month olds.  The babes will be lap-babies and DD will have her own seat.

Definitely bring a carseat for the 3yo.  He'll sleep much better, and IME be more comfortable, especially on such a long flight.  We have a Cosco Scenera that was cheap ($50) that we use for travel, but DD has nearly outgrown it, so that may not be an option.   We use a rolling luggage cart ($20 from Staples) and bungee cord the carseat to the cart.  Then DD rides in it like a stroller, or if she walks, our carryon bag rides in it.   As far as the potty - it depends on  your kid and how well you think he can handle waiting if he has to go during takeoff, landing, turbulence, etc.  DD is VERY reliable about the potty, but we're still considering training-pants for the flights. 

For the babe, personally, I'd do diapers for the flight.  Take her to the potty if she needs to go at a convenient time, change her as often as you can, but I think an airplane is pretty close quarters for peeing in a tupperware.  Maybe if you have your own row, but I wouldn't count on that.   As far as wearing, keep in mind that most flight attendants will make you take baby off for taxi, takeoff, and landing, and possibly turbulence.  They may let you wear her during the regular flight, but they may not.  IME it is pretty much luck of the draw. 

You can bring the carseat and gate-check it if you don't need it.  I'd do that if I needed the carseat at the other end of my flight (rather than checking it all the way through).   For our flight, we aren't bringing seats for the boys (we have seats available at our destination).  Longer flights seem less likely to have any open seats these days, so we didn't feel it was worth it to bring a seat that we might get to use and that the babe might be willing to sleep in for a few minutes - we'll just wear or hold them for the duration.  

Are you traveling alone or do you have a spouse or partner with you?  We are opting to not bring a double stroller because there are two of us - toddler will ride in her carseat or the single stroller and each adult will wear a baby and a backpack while pushing a stroller or pulling a carseat on a cart.  A double stroller might be more sensible if you are traveling alone, though. 

[porcelina]

Hmm, these are all very helpful things to consider, TheGirls! I can't believe you're about to do it with 3 month old twins and a toddler! More power to you!

I am traveling with DH, thank goodness! I don't think I could do it alone! I had no idea that sometimes they don't even let you wear baby in flight! I am going to look up regulations and see if I can find anything on that. Very good idea with the luggage cart and bungee cord! Much cheaper than the options they sell!

For EC, we really only do poops, not pees, but I guess you're right -- it might be a little strange to hear/see a baby pooping! We're really hoping we get the whole row to ourselves...booked a very end row in the middle, leaving one middle seat free between us -- I doubt anyone will sit there unless it is booked, which might happen...

Anyway, thanks for the ideas!

[myfairbabies]

Aren't airplane toilet seats tiny? My 20 month old can sit on a standard toilet just fine, I bet your toddler will have no problems on the plane toilet, so you could leave the seat behind and have one less thing to lug around (um, unless the breeze freaks him out, in which case a seat wouldn't help anyway).

I always use the stroller to hold all my junk (including the carseat, it's not compatible but if the baby is in a sling, it doesn't have to be secure).

Also, I've always worn my dd during take-off, landing, the whole flight and never had a request to take her out. It totally depends on the flight attendants which really sucks because you can get jerks. GL!

[dejagerw]

My son when he potty trained at 22 months went straight to the big potty after first learning on his smaller one. Maybe start him at home getting used to full sized toilets. There's really no need to do an insert if you don't want to.

[TheGirls]

Yeah, airplane toilet seats are very tiny, I can't imagine that being a problem. However airport toilets are regular sized. My DD sits on regular full-sized potty seats when we are out and about so I wouldn't feel a need for the reducer ring, but if your DS is uncomfortable, maybe it would help him. 

And as far as EC, I'm pretty supportive of the practice, but even so I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with anyone pooping in a tupperware in the next aisle over.   I've sometimes changed a diaper on the floor in front of our seats (in the bulkhead row) and even then I get some dirty looks.  Plus airplane seats are really really small, and it's hard enough to maneuver a child to, say nurse...  

[rightkindofme]

I EC'ed my older daughter, so I'm very good with the process. :)  Please don't try to EC your baby on a plane into a Tupperware container.  There are 3,203,032 reasons that could end up going very wonky.  What if you hit turbulence and the poop spills everywhere?  That's just not cool in a public place.

I have no advice on strollers, I've never really used them.  I have never used a carseat on a plane.  We flew a few times when my older daughter was lap-able and for our upcoming trip we will use a CARES harness on my three year old. :)

[porcelina]

LOL!! Good point! Of course, I was told once on a plane that I was supposed to change the baby's diaper on my lap because there was no changing table in the bathroom. Now, THAT is definitely uncool! Not to mention just a little difficult.

I guess we'll have to try to run him back to the bathroom. He's pretty good about holding when he has to, and if he really has to go, he can just go in the diaper.

Originally Posted by rightkindofme 

I EC'ed my older daughter, so I'm very good with the process. :)  Please don't try to EC your baby on a plane into a Tupperware container.  There are 3,203,032 reasons that could end up going very wonky.  What if you hit turbulence and the poop spills everywhere?  That's just not cool in a public place.

The reason I want to bring carseat for both is that not only is it safer, but I also would like to sleep at least a little myself! It is really hard to sleep on a plane when holding a baby, even in a carrier. We did this trip when DS1 was about 12 months with no carseat, and it was a nightmare. I also think DS1 who is now 3 is more likely to sleep in his carseat than in a plane seat with no where to rest his head, and with seatbelt on.

Here's what I've figured out so far:

1. purchase and use a Radian carseat for 3 year old. These are easier to carry in airport, are narrow and fit well on plane, and we need the next size carseat for DH's car anyway

2. wheel Radian on luggage cart as mentioned above (thanks!)

3. bring just a single stroller. We can use it for DS1 or to hold stuff. 

4. I think DS1 will be okay in terms of pottying on the plane -- he is capable of holding his pee an entire 7 hours (avoids going at babysitter's, for now)

Still trying to figure out:
Where/how to transport DS2's infant carseat, how to/can we do rear-facing with it on airplane, will ours work (either an old peg perego or a snugride32, or even a britax diplomat)

[pianojazzgirl]

Honestly I'd do a dipe for babe and a pull-up or dipe for the 3yo.  A kiddo who's just recently learned to use the potty is almost definitely at that stage where when he's gotta go he's gotta go NOW (!!!).  There are so many times on a flight that you will have to wait to use the bathroom - during take-off and landing, whenever the seatbelt sign is on (during turbulence, while taxiing onto the runway), when all of the bathrooms are occupied, etc.  When we traveled with newly potty-learned ds we put a pull-up on him "just in case".  We talked about it with him and explained why, and there were a couple of times when he had to pee and I said he had the choice to use the dipe or try to hold it (and he actually did manage to hold it!).  I think it's just too much of a risk of soaking an airplane seat, yk?  If you do decide to go dipe-free for him I'd at least put down a water-proof change mat under him.

[Marylizah]

I would definitely use diapers for both kids during the flight. Sometimes you can't get up to go to the bathroom (right before takeoff or landing) and the newly trained tend to need to go immediately.

As for carseats, if you'll use them at your destination then it's worth lugging them with you. For the lap-baby, when you check in they can tell you if there's any chance you'll get an extra seat. If there's no extra seat, you'll have to check it then, or, best-case scenario, gate-check the seat. I personally *hate* lugging carseats through airports for only the flight-- if we have seats waiting for us, or aren't going to use them, I prefer to use a CARES harness. DS1 has  never had any problem sleeping in the harness.

Best of luck! Travel with kids can be tough, but it's rewarding for everyone.

[eloise24]

I flew a couple months back with my littles.  My DD had been potty-trained for 6 months, but I put her in a "pullup" because of the situations mentioned about- times when you just can't get out of your seat to take them to the bathroom.  Plus I knew I wouldn't want to juggle a baby and a toddler in those tiny bathrooms . . .  it was easier for all of us.  I personally, like having a stroller to push all our junk around and/or put a child in, as necessary.  I usually wear one and the other walks or rides.  I just use an umbrella stroller, but it works for us. 

I like having a car-seat to put one child in but it was nice to be able to move around (the other time we flew) with no car seat to juggle. 

Regulations "state" that you can't have baby tied to you during taxi/take-off.  Whether we agree or not, the bigger issue is that sometimes attendents will notice and other times they won't.  Depending on what you have for baby, you can just undo the straps and keep baby covered like a blanket (I did this with my mei tai).  Or wait until after they check on everyone for take-off and put baby back in :) HA! 

Good luck and if things are hard (which they will be at SOME point on a 12 hour flight), remind yourself that it will all be over soon.  My DD threw up every 20 minutes (stomach bug) on our last flight . . . it was a nightmare come true but I just kept reminding myself that in a few hours we'd be off the plane and no one would ever see us again hopefully!!

[porcelina]

Originally Posted by eloise24 

Good luck and if things are hard (which they will be at SOME point on a 12 hour flight), remind yourself that it will all be over soon.  My DD threw up every 20 minutes (stomach bug) on our last flight . . . it was a nightmare come true but I just kept reminding myself that in a few hours we'd be off the plane and no one would ever see us again hopefully!!

Wow, wow, wow, that is HORRIBLE!! I feel for you!! I'll keep that in mind when things get rough on this flight -- at least we aren't all wretching every 20 minutes! (assuming we aren't..err...maybe I shouldn't assume anything...)

That also explains how my mom got the stomach flu on a flight a while back ;)

I have now determined we'll be using our snugride 32 for the flight, and we'll just tote it on top of our junk on the stroller. Planning to borrow a gogokidz from a friend for the radian. So, we'll be wheeling one carseat (which DS2 can sit in if he wants) and the stroller with our 3-4 carry ons. The hardest part will be when we have to wheel two additional suitcases before they get checked.
 

[porcelina]

I was just remembering this thread and came back to it since we are about to travel again, though for a shorter (3 hour) flight! The flight discussed above overall went great. The very best advice was to bring and use a car seat on the plane for each child. It was awesome to have kids in car seat and actually sleep myself a bit on the plane! Even though we did not book a seat for baby, we got one on each of the flights, and used the car seat on all but 1 (regretfully -- they had announced the flight was fully booked, so we sent the carseat as baggage, and then ended up getting the empty seat anyway). It was totally easy to wheel around car seats with the cart, but would NOT use the gogokidz again -- that ridiculous screw was awful -- the bungee cord system with luggage cart will be much better. We also brought that Trunki carry on for DS1(3) and also regretted that -- it was novel and fun for the first trek through the airport, and after that, he didn't want to wheel it. Won't do that again!  EC for baby went quite well -- he pooped in tupperware in the airports between flights (off to the side where no one could see). He refused to go in the bathrooms -- too much light/hubbub/unfamiliarity. We brought a familiar potty seat cover for DS1, and he did great with it (would not have done well without it!!). Just tucked it in a plastic trash bag, attached it with the bungee cord to the wheeled carseats, and no one was the wiser. The hardest part of the travel was the over-tiredness and whining/tantruming (mostly on the part of the 3 year old) on the way back!!

This time, baby is going to be 13 months, so trying to figure out what to bring for him!! I tried to find some toys, but had a hard time finding plane appropriate things!! Got a bunch of activity books for DS1.