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Babies: 6 - 9 Months
Travelling with 8 month old
I was invited to a wedding in the Caribbean. LO will be a little over 8 months and since we need a much deserved vacation, we are thinking about going. Are we crazy to go away for 4 days when he's 8 months? Just wanted to see if anyone has tips or experience with it. Maybe it will be a total nightmare, IDK...I'm just worried about his sleep schedule and eating habits. I assume he will still require some formula and will be eating solid foods by then.
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Re: Travelling with 8 month old
I don't think it's a big deal. We took our 6 month old to Florida. It was only a 2 1/2 hour flight though. He did great, but then again he's a real low-maintenance little guy.
I guess it all depends on how long the flight would be. Also, you need to make sure you have any travel documents you might need if it's out of the country.
I think you should do it while it's easy! We took our son abroad to London when he was 7 months and it was a piece of cake. There was a 1 year old behind us who was learning how to walk and couldn't sit down for at least 10 minutes! The poor mom looked exhausted at the end of our 11 hour flight. Good luck and have fun!!!
Tips:
1. Don't fret the sleep schedule, LO will adjust when you return. I think it's easier for LOs to adjust than adults.
2. Someone here recommended the bassinet request through your airlines. Do it! It makes it easier to eat and gives your arms a rest. And allows LO to nap or sleep if it's overnight.
3. Get a *travel* umbrella stroller. I say *travel* because it will get damaged when you check it in or travel (London streets are brutal). We use ours just when we travel and it sits in our coat closet waiting for it's next venture.
4. I bought disposable bottles. I tried them out before we left and LO hated it, but I brought some anyway and his regular Dr. Browns too. I found out that when LO was hungry any bottle would work
So we ended up using the disposables which made life grand 
We just took our 6 month old to FL to meet my husband's family and had a great experience. Here are some tips/lessons learned we found worked for us:
1) Pay for the extra seat if you can. Besides being safer for the baby if the plane hits turbulance, it was more comfortable for her and for us. She was sleeping happily in her car seat before the plane even started down the runway. We had several families on the flights with us that did the infant in arms thing. Neither the children or the parents looked comfortable. I know it is more expensive but very much worth it for safety and comfort.
2) If you get the extra seat make sure your car seat says that it is approved by the FAA for airline travel. The flight attendants checked on three of our four flights.
3) Pack all your liquids in one large gallon zip lock that you can easily take out at security. We brought two bottles and three small containers of fruit/veggies with us. Having it in one clear ziplock made pulling it out to be checked so much easier on us and the security team.
4) If you have a layover make sure you give yourself some added time if possible. We had to connect in Atlanta and I made sure I gave myself an extra hour than I normally would. This ensured we would not have to rush to the next gate and it gave us a chance to give DD her cereal and veggies. Oh and we got to eat as well.
5) While on the plane have water and formula ready. We would give DD sips of the water during flight take off and landing. When our ears started to hurt/feel funny we gave her little sips. Also, if you give water out of a cup I found that worked as well. A little one two rows behind us had horrible ear pain and screamed for the last 10 minutes of the flight. It just breaks your heart. Our DD made it without any problems, but we were very prepared.
6) My DD pooped on every flight. I think it was her way of not making things too easy on us. It was actually funny....by the third flight I knew exactly when it was coming. We had one of those portable diaper changing kits that contain all your supplies and has the mat that folds out. It was great. We didn't have to lug the diaper bag back with us. We did a two man operation. My husband grabbed the baby, I grabbed the supplies. One of us changed DD while the other stood outside ready to help if needed. BRING PLASTIC BAGS. We used the grocery kind and it made cleaning up very easy. When finished I handed DD off to husband and cleaned up the mess. Went through lots of hand sanitizer.
7) We had DD travel in pjs that buttoned up. It wasn't the fanciest outfit for her to meet her relatives in but it was the easiest for changing her in the tight spaces. The snaps help because it can get warm on the flights. It was very easy to unbutton the bottom and let her cool off. On the first flight we had her in a zippered pj. When it got warm I had to open it up from the top. Learned the snaps were easier to work with.
8) Take lots of pictures and try to enjoy the adventure. We have videos of her sleeping on the runway, smiles as we took off (probably wasn't allowed) and next to travel signs. She got her Delta wings and we took some pictures of her with them on. We tried to make it fun for her and for us.
Good luck! Hope some of this helps a bit.
We traveled with our daughter at 6 weeks old and 4 months old- no problem with two adults and one easy going baby. I am traveling next week alone with our 8.5 month old and I also think it's totally doable.
Just plan in advance with some/all of the following: umbrella stroller or baby carrier to get through the airport easily, basics in the diaper bag include change of clothes, fully diapering detail, formula packets, lots of toys! And bring some patience! It might not be the easiest day for you or your baby- but the travel destination is worth it!