plane ride w/an 8 mo. old. what do i need to know?

robynjkrastel · January 2012

we'll by flying to orlando in a few weeks. i've never flown with a baby and i'm nervous. i'd love to hear from anyone who's flown with their infant. i'm looking for suggestions/advice/guidelines.

thank you so much ladies!

Narumi · January 2012

Just remember that you have to show a copy of LO's birth certificate when you check in at the airline desk. I didn't realize that until 2 days before our flight & had to take time off work at the last minute to get a copy!

This is only if LO is flying in your lap. If you actually cough up the money to buy them their own seat, it's not required. The birth cert is to prove they are under 2yo.

clineak · January 2012

Narumi:
Just remember that you have to show a copy of LO's birth certificate when you check in at the airline desk. I didn't realize that until 2 days before our flight & had to take time off work at the last minute to get a copy!
This is only if LO is flying in your lap. If you actually cough up the money to buy them their own seat, it's not required. The birth cert is to prove they are under 2yo.

We flew (with our 4 month old) in December and did not have to provide DD's birth certificate. We flew Alaska. You may want to call whichever airline you're flying and check on their policy about this. Besides that, suggestions I have are:

If you're taking a car seat/stroller, check them at the gate. That way, when you arrive at your final destination, they'll be waiting for you at the gate.
Bring some (quiet) toys for LO to play with during the flight. Snacks might be a good idea, too.
Nurse/feed during take-off/landing, if possible. It'll help with ears popping.
At the airport, use the family (security) lines if they have them. They do, for sure, in Orlando.

Have fun!

clineak · January 2012

Also, if you don't want to pay to check extra bags/lug a ton of carry-on stuff, you can order diapers, wipes, etc. online and have them shipped to your hotel or wherever you're staying.

peacelover · January 2012

Having just done this, I've got some advice:

I just flew from NC to Nebraska (three flights each way--one on a 16 seater, tiny plane!). The first trip my husband was with us and the way home, it was just LO and me! I was so terribly nervous. He is not a good traveler at all-we can't be in the carseat for more than 10 minutes without crying. However, it went wonderfully! He was 6 months on the way there and had just started crawling the day before we left. I took a blanket to put on the floor in the airport to let him get in some action in between flights. He was 7 1/2 months on the way back and a blanket was not going to keep him in place. I tried but ended up letting him crawl on the nasty floor. I tried to find a quiet spot to let him roam and I washed his hands a million times. He loved watching people and the passengers were really nice and helpful, especially when I was by myself. On one flight, the flight attendants were very nice, offering to hold him while I used the bathroom (if need be). At that time, he was still napping every 2 hours. It was hard to get him to settle with all the stimulation around him, but he did usually take a 30-45 minute nap 3xs each day. These were long, 12 hour days too.

Things I Took:

car seat, stroller (both can be "gate checked". I checked the car seat and used my travel stroller to carry diaper bag), enfamil packets, handi-wipes (i wiped down every surface of the plane I thought he would be in contact with), toys, blanket, diapers, extra clothing, etc...I would take a travel stroller over an umbrella because i could store a few things in the basket (even when folded and checked). I snuck in an extra blanket, my coat and used bottles this way.

Flight Details:

I took his birth certificate, but didn't need it. i did have to call the airlines to check in an "infant" after purchasing tickets. he had his own boarding pass as a lap passenger. we did not pay to get him a seat for himself. I carried my own bottle of water for the formula but did not premix bottles as I didn't want to have to carry cooler packages too. If you do premix the bottle, they just do a little test before you get on to make sure it's nothing "bad".

Things I Would Do Differently:

I would not take as much stuff (toys). The hardest part (especially when I was on my own) was handling a big diaper bag. Keeping that under the seat and still managing to grab toys and pacis, etc...was a nightmare. Things kept falling out and it was just a mess. I found my way to the back of the plane and found some plastic cups and things and he was just as happy to play with those. If you need to take several, take smaller things.

Good luck, but it will be much better than you think. Now, our next trip is a 24 hour flight to Singapore. I'm guessing I won't be so excited about that one.

peacelover · January 2012

Sorry I'm writing a book, but I also wanted to mention we used the GoCrib. We were traveling for over 6 weeks and it was so worth it. It can fold up into a backpack. We actually didn't carry it on, but would have if my husband had been with me. It was $249 (more than his regular crib) but worth every cent!

12bailey18 · January 2012

I flew with DS when he was 8 months and will be flying with DD (and DS) when she's 7 months. Sit towards the back of the plane- the white noise can lull them to sleep. It also is noisier back there and can help drown out the noise if she gets fussy. Bring "new" toys and gadgets for LO to play with. I was always pulling out new, shiny things for DS to look at and gnaw on. Paci or bottle at take off and landing helps with the ears too.

dbadura01 · January 2012

I just got back yesterday. I flew there with LO by myself and had help on the way back. A lot of this advice depends on your baby. My DS LOVES to watch people, so I just brought one soft book on the plane for toys. A water bottle is more entertaining than anything for him.

Bottle or sippy cup (he doesn't use a paci) on the way up or down unless he was sleeping. Don't worry about it then. Keep LO awake while in the airport so they'll sleep on the plane. I made sure to let LO walk/roll around while in the airport and had some puffs/yogurt drops on the plane in case he got fussy.

First time flying, I checked the stroller and car seat at the check-in counter and just used a carrier due to short layovers. This time, I used the stroller in the airport and rented a carseat with the car rental. It was great!

It was much easier than I expected....just go with the flow and other passengers will help to entertain LO.

Bat_Ish_Crazy · January 2012

We just flew from Dallas to San Diego on Sunday. It was remarkably uneventful. DD seemed to actually enjoy take off and landing despite having an ear infection right now. She got fussy a little during the flight ... but that had more to do with missing a nap to see the excitement on the plane & being bored with the couple of toys we packed in the carryon.

Feed a bottle or offer the breast at take off and landing to help with the changing pressure in LOs ears. Bring a favorite toy or two for entertainment. Clean diaper right before you board ... the flight we were on didn't have a changing table.

laurakaz13 · February 2012

Bat_Ish_Crazy:

We just flew from Dallas to San Diego on Sunday. It was remarkably uneventful. DD seemed to actually enjoy take off and landing despite having an ear infection right now. She got fussy a little during the flight ... but that had more to do with missing a nap to see the excitement on the plane & being bored with the couple of toys we packed in the carryon.

Feed a bottle or offer the breast at take off and landing to help with the changing pressure in LOs ears. Bring a favorite toy or two for entertainment. Clean diaper right before you board ... the flight we were on didn't have a changing table.

Agree with all of this. I'm about to take my 5th flight with LO since she was born. I would also recommend, if at all feasible, buying your LO their own seat.

We always buy her a seat and take the carseat on the plane. She naps a lot in her carseat and it's much easier on us in general.

Mrs07 · February 2012

FYI, I didn't have to show a birth certificate, but I brought a copy and his passport(with his photo) to fly domestic just in case.

Just be prepared for the descent- both swallowing and crying help them pop their ears, so try to bf/ have a bottle ready but be prepared for a ballistic baby. The first half of the descent was worst for us, so get to feeding as soon as you feel that downshift, before the pilot announces you are x miles from the airport. On four flights, we' e had ballistic descents on two, but both times he was fine by 15,000 feet. Just comfort as best you can. ( the others he slept once and I managed to keep him nursing the other, although he was looking at me with big eyes and clearly concerned with what he was feeling)

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