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Babies: 6 - 9 Months
littledaisies
member
Air Travel with LO
littledaisies
member
For those that have traveled by air with your LO, any advice or tips you can share? How long was your flight?
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Re: Air Travel with LO
I did 4 flights with my daughter when she was 4months old (daddy couldn't come due to work). The flights were all under 2hrs each. I allowed lots of time at airports between flights so we could recover. So she could nap if she didn't on flight, feed, change and all that.
My daughter was a trooper she slept through most takes offs, landings and air time. When she was awake she was laid back. The only time she got upset was when they boarded us then took over 1hr15min to take off due to something. It was a longgggg time to sit still. She was tired and wanted the movement to help her sleep. I entertained her and nursed her and it wasn't bad at all.
Make sure you have everything easily accessible on the plane. I wore her in a baby carrier in airport (we do this all the time so she was used to it). The first security screening made me remove her and remove the carrier (pretty sure they aren't supposed to but I didn't feel like challenging then).
It was hard because the carrier went through the machine and came out but it takes 2 hands to put back on. I had my 4 month old in my arms and no stroller or anything. I improvised. I took an empty tray from xray machine and laid the baby in it...next to my carry-on and the next persons stuff. Security were laughing at me. It must have been quite the sight...looking like the baby went through the xray. But, it worked.
Be prepared but try not to over worry. It will just unfold how it unfolds and you can't preplan for everything!!
We did not bring a stroller or car seat since my SIL was at the other end with those (my nephew is 4months older). As much as many people on here will yell at me for choosing not to buy my daughter a seat we made the informed decision not to. We are fully aware of the risks and chose to do what we felt best at that time. My daughter HATED her car seat with a passion and screamed bloody murder (to the point of me having to frequently pull over and nurse her so she would breath again) every single time she was put in it and would scream till she came out. I was not about to do that to her, me or the rest of the people on the plane. Air travel is relatively safe so I, the safety fanatic, was ok with that decision. In regards to turbulence...I strapped my baby in the baby carrier to me at all times in the air, except take off and landing (as they don't allow that) so had their been any turbulence she wasn't going anywhere.
Nursing was awkward at best. But maybe that is because I had a group of 6 Chinese tourists sitting behind and beside me and for some reason they ALL seemed obsessed with my daughter and started at her the WHOLE plane ride...even while I was nursing her. the four that were across the aisle sat there staring at us...awkwardddddd. They stayed on the plane (continuing on) when we got off, I remember being relieved by that, as I felt like they would kidnap her they stared at her so much, talking in Chinese about us!!
Will you have someone with you, sitting beside you? If you do then nursing will be fine they will act as a bit of a shield and you can move into their space when nursing (so your 9 month olds feet aren't over on a stranger). If you can do a sitting baby nurse that would be easier too...where they sit on your lap facing you, then they won't be in the other seat at all.
I had expected to have to nurse her on take off and landings to help her ears...but she had no issues at all...she had her soother most of the time for that but she slept through it and was awake through some with no notable sign of discomfort (that was my main worry).
If your baby is used to being worn then I think you will be fine. I think babies that are not used to being worn are used to being free in a stroller or moving around all the time have a harder time sitting still being held so long. That's my theory I have no proof!
If your going gear free it will be easier. Though, an umbrella stroller can act as a carry-on holder if you have it. I had my daughter strapped to my front and our carry-on strapped to my back (a diaper bag backpack). It worked. Oh, I had a small thin blanket to put on the floor while waiting to board etc. this allowed her to stretch out and play. That helped a lot.
Also, some airports have family bathrooms with nursing chairs etc...I discovered this on the last leg of our trip. If you are travelling on your own and you haven't yet practiced it helps to know how to use the bathroom while wearing baby (I do this frequently). Lots of the baby change tables have no working straps and you really don't want to have to put baby on a bathroom floor lol.