F/U: flying with baby!

laura.noel

We're home! 

I'm happy to announce that the trip was a success, and my baby is a great flier!

He pretty much ate and slept on the boppy on my lap for the entire time we were in the air. I have gotten very used to NIP!

This would be a mile long if I listed all of the tips and tricks I thought of as we were flying, but I'll gladly answer questions! 

bikitybinx

Wow congrats!! We'll be taking a cross-country flight next year - granted, it is a long ways away but I am so worried about the descent and how she'll handle the change in pressure, not to mention carting all the baby stuff around.    Any tips on traveling with stroller, carrier, etc? 

laura.noel

We didn't really notice any problems with him and the pressure. If he was awake, I always nursed him on takeoffs and landings. If there was a problem, that seemed to fix it. It was also the one piece of advice everyone gave me.

We carried him in the ergo or k'tan through the airport and on and off of the planes, so my hands were freer. You can gate check one carseat or stroller (often there is a weight limit, so check with the airline). We only took the carseat, bc our stroller was too heavy. I highly recommend putting the seat in a bag if you do this! Our bag got destroyed, so I can only imagine what would have happened to the carseat if it hadn't been in it. 

laura.noel

Also, we only took the number of diapers we needed for the flight, and then we bought the rest when we got there. Saved a ton of room!

noryang

You checked the car seat? Did LO not have a seat of her own?When we fly overseas LO will have a seat of her own. Thisis required for most international flights and we aren't paying for it. So we plan to bring her car seat onto the flight.

laura.noel

We decided not to get him his own seat. It was a $1400 price difference, and we were paying for it. For the long flights we had the plane's bassinets, but he hated them, so he basically spent the whole flight on my lap. I'd say he easily spent a third of the 8.5 hour trans Atlantic flight nursing, so he wouldn't have spent a ton of time in it anyway. 

Had money not been a consideration, we would have gotten him a seat, but given how the flights went, I do not regret the way we did it.  

laura.noel

I thought of something else! If you can, wear the baby in a wrap through security. Apparently, the bulkier the carrier, the more they want to search you. They will also probably swab your hands, which is no big deal. 

Also, almost any liquid, in any size, is allowed if you say it is for the baby. So if you have meds, etc., in 4 oz bottles, which is common, don't worry about them.