Baby on a plane and vacation. Advice please! (: « Back to Group Discussions

[thedenverduo]

The last time dh and I went on a legit vacation was 4 years ago when we didn't have kids.  My extended family goes to Florida every year and up until I got married I had gone every year for 18 years in a row!  Long story short, we moved to Colorado (everyone else lives in Ohio) and so all our vacation time/money has gone to visiting Ohio rather than going on vacation.

This year we are making it happen! Dh's sister who lives near us is getting married in January, so we'll get to see all dh's extended family then, so I don't feel as bad skipping Ohio this year and just going to Florida with my fam.

So! I need advice! Sol (ds1 who is 3) has flown before and is a champ in general.  This will be Ezra's first flight (and really first travel more than an hour from home).  Anybody have experience traveling with little ones? 

Florida is 2 hours ahead of us, so I'm not sure if I should try to get the boys on Florida time (we're only going for a week) or just let them stay up late/sleep late.  Like 7:30 is bedtime, but 7:30 our time is 9:30 Florida time.  My boys are generally happy, go with the flow dudes... but should I make it a point to try to stick to our normal routine?  Or should I just let it go and let them get out of routine because it's a special vacation?

Also, we spend a huge chunk of our time in the pool (the house we stay at has a private one).  Is 6 months too little to be in the pool?  I don't think we took Sol swimming until he was more like a year old.  Would it be best to carry Ezra in the pool? Sling? Get him a floaty seat?

I have some sunscreen that I don't hate because it's rated the best in terms of chemicals and such... but I'd still prefer long sleeves/shade over sunscreen, especially for Ezra.  We rented a big beach umbrella so we can try to keep in the shade a lot... do you think that will work?  We will be outside unless we are eating or sleeping.

Oh my word I'm sorry for all the questions! Last one: besides nursing on takeoff and landing, and keeping Ezra in our favorite sling, do you have any other advice for airplane travel with a little one?  What about packing?  Am I crazy to want to take his Bumbo and playmat?  I don't want to go overboard on packing for just a week, but I also don't want to be wishing I had brought something along.

Any and all advice appreciated!

[forestmushroom]

I think taking some baby containers such as playmat and bumbo are excellent ideas. If someone has a pack and play this is the best care for them as well-- sure you are used to plopping your little one down on the floor on a play mat and home, but if you are sharing a house with others who may not be used to  a baby,,,

pack and plays are great for "HEllo! Baby in here!" designation. If you know what I mean.

Just nurse baby during take off and landing, and the flight should be fine. The change is pressure is more painful for little ones, and getting candy/gum for your little guy and then nursing baby will help with that.

And just make sure someone is watching-- I mean doing nothing else but watching -- you toddler at all times around water. But you know that. :)
 

[persephassa]

baby orryn has been on eight flights... about to check off 12 at xmas :) flights have been fine, except when they keep us idling on the jetway. i don't use a pacifier but i bring one for the plane.

i don't know, in my experience (visiting family), someone is always holding baby, so it isn't like i need bumbo to sit him in while i fold laundry or whatever. at this stage, i bring a quilt, tho, for him to play on.

i'm going to try and take orryn swimming at the rec center at 6 months--everything i've read says that at 6 months babies are better able to regulate body temperature. i'm hoping to take him swimming on our xmas trip, too--leaving ohio to visit pagosa springs (co)!

[Rowdie]

I started K in the pool at two months. At that time, because of the concerns over temperature regulation, I made sure the pools we went in were at least 84 degrees (I don't know where I read that was an acceptable temp.) and would get out if she started shivering. She never cried because she liked the water so much, shivering or not.

The moby worked well for me on the plane and in the layovers. Besides having her snug while wrestling with the suitcase, I would use it to help me "fly" her up and down the aisle (I would face her forward and just thread her legs through the X and hold my hands under her middle in the "airplane" position).

Have fun!

[BubbleMa]

We'll be taking our first flight with Layla at Christmas and I'm nervous.  We flew a lot with DD1, and it was always smooth.  We even got compliments on her excellent behavior!  Layla does not sleep well unless she's on her tummy, and she SCREAMS when she gets over tired.  It's only a 2.5 hr. flight, but when you add drive time, check-in, security, and wait time I'm really nervous she's going to be crabby patty for the flight.  :(  I'm not really sure how to avoid that. 

Anyway, as for the stuff...we don't plan on taking anything other than the clip on highchair and carseat.  There will be plenty of people to hold her and entertain her.

For the pool, 6 months is definitely not too young for the pool IMO.  Assuming it's nice and warm.  We had Layla in the water at about 8 weeks, I think.  I wore her in a mesh water wrap.  Fun stuff!

I wouldn't bother with adjusting them to the time zone.  I don't think it'll mess with them too much if you just let them go to bed later and wake up later.

[thedenverduo]

Thanks for the advice everyone! We just got home from our trip and Ezra did fabulously! One thing I wanted to mention in case it helps someone else... about 3 weeks before we left I started putting some of his toys away in a backpack in the closet.  He has lots of toys/things he loves to chew on, so when he would go to bed I'd think about what he had the most fun playing with lately and stick it in there.  We had like 12 toys/random things (like a flannel nursing pad I made that he loves to gnaw on) set aside by the time we left.  Then anytime he would start fussing or crying we would pull one of those bad boys out and for all he knew it was a BRAND. NEW. TOY!  And it would keep him occupied for awhile.  We also stuck to the "if it ain't broke don't fix it rule" in that as long as Ezra was happy we just let him be.  Besides making sure to nurse on take off and landing I didn't really try to keep him entertained.  If he was happy sitting and people watching I just went with it and resisted the urge to play pat-a-cake or read or get out a toy.  So then when he was fussy I had a whole bag of tricks. (: