Traveling with LO

xiheatherix · October 2013

I will be traveling by plane with 13 month old to disney and would appreciate any tips recommendations...

singingirl96 · October 2013

I just flew with my walking 15 month old last week. We had a 3 hours direct flight.

Lots of dollar store toys and cheap trinkets that your child has never seen before. Introduce one at a time as he loses interest. Stickers were a huge hit. I wouldn't get paper stickers cause those are hard to remove. We got these plastic bubble stickers and thicker cardboard stickers. They kept him entertained and we could easily collect them after. Stacking cups were a hit too (great set from ikea). And the slinky was also good entertainment.

Also bring lots of snacks, water and milk. You do not have a limit on liquids if in a bottle or sippy cup. Try to delay giving your baby milk until the plane takes off. it will help depressurize their ears.

Check the stroller and car seat at the gate. We purchased this and this and they were a lifesaver since when we landed there was a torrential downpour and our car seat would have been soaked if not covered. These bags fold really small into a zip pouch so it is easy to carry.

If you fly in the afternoon, try to delay naps at all costs so he/she'll sleep on the plane.

Good luck. My son did wonderful on both flights. But I really think that is mostly because we were so prepared

Have fun!

FabulousMrs.P · October 2013

-Bring lots of snacks and milk for the plane ride.
-For take off and landing, bring either a pacifier or have them drink. It helps with the pressure changes.
-We bought a few new small toys and wrapped them. When DD started to get antsy, we would bring one out. She got the fun of unwrapping a present and then playing with the new toy.
-We also brought her favorite books (in particular she loves a seek and find book that entertains her for awhile looking for different objects.)
-Bring either a travel aquadoodle or magnadoodle. They can draw over and over again.
-A favorite blanket or doll is a must. You never know if there is going to be a delay and you can always get them to sleep if you have to. (We had a 5 hour delay coming home from GA due to weather and then a mechanical issue. She ended up sleeping the whole way home.)
-Use overnight diapers on the plane...they hold a little more and that way you aren't stuck with an issue if you can't get to the bathroom to change your LO right away.
-We gate checked her stroller...it was much easier to get us to the gate with her in the stoller. Then we let her out of the stroller once we got to the gate so she could get some energy out!

Good luck!

preggersin2011 · October 2013

I put LO in our travel carseat( i have a $40 cosco one) since I do not what to have to install a carseat when we return & put it on a luggage cart and roll her from the car to the airport in it. It rolls right down the aisle of the plane too. Thermos (12+hrs cold) for milk, empty sippy cups, water. Snacks and more snacks. I pack a banana, apple sauce, yogurt, peanut butter, and cheese for more protein/meal like things. Read the TSA rules on items, you are allowed a cooler with a gel icepack under a certain size so i put the perishable items in there.
New toy & favorite toy. Books. magnadoodle. Favorite blanket and animal.The blanket and animal i put a shoe string around so they are tied to the car seat. I give LO advil before flights since she is always actively teething when we fly and that is what our pedi told me to do. (something about the inflammation and air pressure) Skymal magazine is our best friend for playing i spy
Let LO sleep whenever her normal nap time is. I've flown during nap time and bed time, it doesn't make a difference. usually too much excitement to sleep anyhow. I tried the delay nap until the plane thing and it back fired on me. I had an overtired cranky kid the entire flight.
I've always flown alone with LO so i check the stroller and a bag, then put my carry on bag on top of the car seat/ over the luggage handle so I am hands free minus pulling the kid/bag.
Tons of extra diapers and a few back up clothes. I never give LO a pacifier, but i let LO have a pacifier the entire flight if she wants one. I bring disposable covers to the changing table in the airport and on the plane.
I put all of the food pouches into one bag since some airports put those through the other xray machine that they test the milk in.
If you gate check Car seats and strollers they should go through the xray machine separate. So if you put the car seat in a travel bag filled with other things, the TSA agent might have you empty it out-huge time delay. If you check it thought then you can fill it with diapers/wipes/other things you will need on the other side.
Good luck and don't stress. make a check list and put it on the door, that way you know everything is in the car/taxi before you leave. my advice is make sure you know the rules of the airline you are flying and comb through the TSA rules. If it says birth certificate, don't assume that means 'copy of one' , it might say you can gate check stroller OR car seat, etc...

vintagejjane · October 2013

We flew when DD was 15 months old. We bought her a seat so we could all have a row together. We didn't have a carseat which worked out great because she could go back and forth between us. I think she felt like one of us having her own seat!

We filled a book with pictures of her and all of our family She LOVED it! Also, we never let her play with our wedding book so we brought that and she looked at that book for about 75% of the time. I had pre-made snacks ready to go in a separate plastic bags.

singingirl96 · October 2013

LalaMama81 said:

singingirl96 said:

I just flew with my walking 15 month old last week. We had a 3 hours direct flight.

Lots of dollar store toys and cheap trinkets that your child has never seen before. Introduce one at a time as he loses interest. Stickers were a huge hit. I wouldn't get paper stickers cause those are hard to remove. We got these plastic bubble stickers and thicker cardboard stickers. They kept him entertained and we could easily collect them after. Stacking cups were a hit too (great set from ikea). And the slinky was also good entertainment.

Also bring lots of snacks, water and milk. You do not have a limit on liquids if in a bottle or sippy cup. Try to delay giving your baby milk until the plane takes off. it will help depressurize their ears.

Check the stroller and car seat at the gate. We purchased this and this and they were a lifesaver since when we landed there was a torrential downpour and our car seat would have been soaked if not covered. These bags fold really small into a zip pouch so it is easy to carry.

If you fly in the afternoon, try to delay naps at all costs so he/she'll sleep on the plane.

Good luck. My son did wonderful on both flights. But I really think that is mostly because we were so prepared Have fun!

I would absolutely NOT do that. It is much better to try to get the nap in when they are tired as opposed to delaying it and possibly having a super cranky, overtired kid on a flight.

I guess it depends on the kid. We kept our awake until 4pm. When we took off he was out like a light for nearly 2 hours.

xiheatherix · October 2013

Thanks for advice very helpful

singingirl96 · October 2013

I should add that if you're going to check your carseat at the gate, you'll need something to roll in on to make things easier.

We just used a luggage cart with 2 bungee cords... but they make special ones which you can strap your kid onto. They even have a hook thing that hooks it up to your rolling suitcase and your kid can still sit in it while you wheel it around.

xiheatherix · November 2013

Thank you

salbabe79 · November 2013

If you happen to nurse, I would suggest nursing at take off and landing to help equalize the pressure in the ears

verticgm · November 2013

https://www.amazon.com/BRICA-Roll-Car-Seat-Transporter/dp/B0074JKQ0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385787601&sr=8-1&keywords=brica+carseat+cart

buy this and put your car seat on it for airport travel and check your stroller! so easy! we travel quite bit so it was worth the extra money. i just flew with DS (23 months) internationally by myself to meet DH and it was the easiest thing ever. DS thought it was a fun ride and was begging to sit in his car seat.

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