Flying with babe - should I bring a stroller?

[bethanymama]

I'm flying (alone) with my 7-month old next month. Short flight, layover, another short flight. I leave my city about noon and arrive at my destination about 5. I'm trying to decide if I need a stroller, or if it would be easier to just carry her in my moby. I did not purchase a seat for her. Any thoughts? Bethany

[trumpcard]

I've flown many times with DD. Up until she was 7 months I always used the Moby but our trip in January had two layovers in big airports and I was exhausted hauling her 20 pounds all day long. I took a little umbrella stroller for our trip the following month and it made life much easier for our complicated plane changes. I didn't regret having it although it made managing a carry-on bag a little more complicated (I hooked it over the handle of the stroller and we did alright but it was awkward.)

I wouldn't have wanted to mess with a bigger stroller and if we had easier layovers I would probably have just used the Moby.

HTH

[bethanymama]

Thanks! She's only about 14 lbs, so not as heavy as yours, but I still wonder if I'll be like "get this baby off me!" by the time I get there if I just use the moby, lol.... I dread lugging the stroller around, especially if she is wanting to be carried.... I still can't decide!  I think I have the best chance of getting her to nap in the moby... I'd hate to have to carry her and push an empty stroller at the same time. 

[Blessed1]

Hi. I just got back from a similiar flight and I only took my ERGO.  It was the BEST!!! I saw many parents struggling with a stroller and the child was rarely in the stroller anyways.  I saw parents pushing an empty stroller and carrying a baby.  I say stick with a baby carrier if you can.  As soon as I got to the airport I put my babe in the ergo and checked all my luggage and just kept a baby diaper bag backpack on my back. I kept her in the ERGO the entire time until we boarded and sat in our seat on the plane.  I then took her out and sat her on my lap and played.

As soon as the plane landed I put her back in the ergo carrier and off we went. It was super easy and I was complimented a lot on how clever I was to use a carrier. My hands were always free and it was really a no-fuss solution!

[St. Margaret]

I fly just with my wrap or other carrier. I wouldn't do it any other way! Just bring a blanket to be able to put baby on the floor-- while waiting to board and they might make you remove the wrap to go thru security. One way they did, and then coming home they let me keep it on and just did a (non-creepy YouTube style) pat down just on the wrap (I held baby to the side during it). Lol.

[JPiper]

I have flown many times with little ones and have always brought along a stroller, which gets gate checked.  I can wheel my LO right down to the airplane door, fold and leave the stroller there and it is ready and waiting at the next leg of the trip.  While I generally preferred a soft sided carrier or sling or something to carry my LO's, the stroller has always come in handy for carrying my carry-on, giving my back a break or even letting my LO's push it around as a walker while we're waiting around.  I purchased a used umbrella type stroller (and did this a couple of times over travels with 3 kids), so I didn't mind if it got banged around in flight, and it was easy to fold up and stow away.  Happy trails!

[NannyMcPhee]

I'd use the sling but bring an umbrella stroller too. If you don't use it, you can put your bag/s in it for easier transport.  The main reason I usually bring an umbrealla stroller with me when I am travelling is there is often times that I have to put baby down, for searches etc and I don't wanna have to put bubs down on the dirty airport floor.

[scrandall1173]

I took a stroller on our last trip and it was no hassle at all. Security helped me put in on the X-ray machine (or whatever they are called-- lol!). Then when we got on the plane, they took it and put OT in the luggage compartment-- then they brought it up to me when we landed.

My daughter was just newly walking on that trip. I liked having a clean, contained place for her to sit.

With my newbie I never seem to mind much having an empty stroller when she would rather be carried- it seems there is always something I can put in it-- I'm such a pack rat!

Have a fun trip!

[PatioGardener]

I've flown quite a few times with my baby (over 5 months - 12 months old) and always carry him in either the ergo or moby. I've never taken a stroller and I have never regretted it!

[bethanymama]

Oh my gosh I didn't even think about having to remove the Moby wrap for security!  Eek!  I can't take that on and off without setting her down... PatioGardener & trumpcard - how did you do that? I don't have an ergo but I have a baby bjorn.  Maybe that would be easier... although not as comfortable for me.  Leaning towards the stroller now...

Bethany

[trumpcard]

Well, I have always had nice security people who want to help, in fact almost too much at times.

Everytime we've flown the rules about going through security were different. Once I was able to walk through with DD in the Moby, but I had to remove her little shoes. Once I could leave the Moby on but I had to take DD out of it and walk her through security that way. Once I was able to leave the Moby on, carry DD through security and then had a G-rated pat down while holding DD.

Most often I have to remove the Moby and put it through the scanner and carry DD through. I have a security person help carry my things to the seating area where I will sit DD down (either on a blanket from the diaper bag or, when she was bigger, on the chair itself) and retie the Moby. Everyone was always very patient and helpful except once when I had breast milk in bottles that I wanted them to hand scan and they acted like I was being completely unreasonable. Grrr.

If you leave enough time so that you can be relaxed it is completely do-able, but, like I said before, I was glad to have the umbrella stroller for our last trip. DD was happy to sit in it and watch all of humanity passing us by and my back wasn't killing me after a 12-hour, 2 layover, marathon trip.

[lifeguard]

I think it depends on whether you normally like to have a stroller. We never used a stroller normally so I didn't even consider bringing one - the idea of having another thing to keep track of was just too much for me. Ime I was never asked to remove ds from the carrier but I know that that is often not the case.

[PatioGardener]

We've had 12 or so flights and I have only had to take the moby off once. It was a total PITA that time - so now I wear the ergo.

[MamitaM]

I'll be flying alone with my son who's now 7 months in a couple months. I'll be wearing him in my Pikkolo (unless I get an Ergo by then) and will also be bringing an umbrella type stroller. He' a big boy at 20 pounds and walking through the airport is going to be hard if I have to carry him the whole time along with our bags for part of the time. I plan to use the stroller for him or for the bags and then wear him when one gets to heavy. It will also make bathroom breaks easier for me and if I need to patted down or whatever I don't have to worry about having him on the floor.

Another MDC mama shared her blog with me. It's great and full of info about traveling with kids.

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com/

[is it puppies?]

We flew a couple of months ago and debated the whole stroller thing, too. We brought it for use on the trip and boy was it great to have! I wore my 20lb DD in my boba in airports (and they never made me take her off) and we gate checked the stroller, but used it to throw all of our carry ons in. We had a whole bag of stuff for baby plus a carry on each (me and DH) and it was a wonderful way to cart stuff around, as well as a place to stash her while we ate etc. And we didn't have to pack things up quite as thoroughly, we could kind of toss stuff in lol.

Also used it a lot on the trip, but we were a long walk from the beach. Normally I am about 95% wearing her except for strollering around the neighbourhood and maybe the mall (again, it's a great place to stash stuff while shopping). I have a chicco liteway so it's a bit more bulky than an umbrella stroller but not a lot.

The biggest hassle was packing it onto busses or into vans etc transporting around town, but she sleepsin a stroller when we are doing a lot of walking and sometimes fights the carrier.

[megannt]

I flew with my daughter and we didn't bring a stroller. That being said, I was with a couple family members so there were lots of helping hands to carry my bags, etc. I think you might want a stroller to carry everything else, just a thought. somtimes the baby isn't too much, but when you add in a backpack and a diaper bag, etc., it can get overwhelming, especially if it's just you. Someone else mentioned this, but you can check your stroller at the gate and not have to worry about it. Then you get it back as soon as you get off the airplane.

When i went through security, they let me go through without taking my daughter out of the sling. I walked through with her and then they did a pat down and it really wasn't a big deal at all. They had a woman pat me down and it wasn't anything that made me uncomfortable. You can always request a woman if they send a man to do it if that makes you more comfortable.

[calizacar]

My son and I have been on about 16 flights so far (he's almost 12 months and his first flight was at almost 6 weeks ) I find bringing both is helpful.  I would carry your baby in the Moby because security won't make you take your babe out of the Moby, they will make you take him/her out of an Ergo or Bjorn.  It happened to me.  If you have a small stroller or even a carseat snap and go stroller it's really no big deal.  Just be prepared to go through security and then once you get through the ex ray machine, you can get your stroller and load it with everything else that went through, pull off to the side and get your self back together without feeling rushed or in anyone's way.  Gate checking is a breeze.  And if you have a delay in any of your flights it may be nice to be able to set your babe down for a minute and give your back a break.  Good luck and safe travels!

[macy]

i've had to take my sleeping baby out of the moby wrap in the security line before, while before other flights screeners let me keep the moby wrap on and baby in it. i think whether they let you keep the baby in or not totally depends on the screener, not the type of carrier you have. it could also vary according to airline, i'm not sure. all i know is you can't predict whether you will get to keep it on or not. i'd bring a blanket to set the baby on for a minute or two in case you have to take a carrier off and put it back on again. the security screening is the worst part of flying with a baby.

[luckiest]

I say pass on the stroller, but by yourself the Moby might be a hassle as well.  When I flew, they made me take it off completely through security (thankfully I was with my husband who took our then 10 week old), and also made me take him out of it during take-off and landing.  

A soft-structured carrier or a ring sling that is easier on/off might be worth considering.  My personal recommendation is the Baby K'tan - similar in effect to the Moby, but without the tying. I bought mine about 6 weeks ago and haven't touched the Moby since.

Happy traveling!

[outlier]

 For those of you mamas who gate-check a stroller, do you also gate-check a car seat?  Like the OP, I'll be flying alone with a 7-month-old, and he'll be on my lap.