DH, LO and I are going to be flying to Australia when LO is about 7.5 months. We want LO to meet the Aussie side of his family.
Bit scared for the flight and time zone change.
Are any of you experienced travelers with babies? Any tips or advice?
I know to feed at take off and landing. Plan on bringing a new toy or 2 plus some favourites and books. Also planning on buying earplugs and a treat with a note apologizing to passengers around us.
Will be in the air just under 24 hours, plus 1 3 hour layover.
TIA
Re: air travel with baby
Nora Grace Due 12/26/2016
Two Angel Babies
07/03/2012
08/08/2015
"If you're still my small babe
or you're all the way grown,
my promise to you
is you're never alone.
You are my angel, my darling,
my star...and my love will find you,
wherever you are."
Our flight was no where near as long but we did go through 3 time zones.
I worried WAY too much. I stressed over the trip for weeks before hand and in the end it was much easier than I had imagined. LO was great and slept for most of the flight. He's overall a great baby and even while awake he was content playing with us. People all around us kept commenting on how good he was or how they didn't even know there was a baby.
@BellaOso had suggested buying an extra seat if you could swing it. We couldn't, but if you can I would recommend it. Carrying a baby in your lap for that long is TOUGH! On the flight home (we took the red eye in hopes he would sleep the entire time) I held him for all 5.5 hours. I was exhausted and he was sleeping but I could not get comfortable. It was awful on my back, etc. DH and I agreed that next time we fly with a baby we'll buy them their own seat and carry on the car seat.
Good luck!
FTR: LO slept through the landing both ways, so he didn't feed. And he didn't want to eat on the way up when we were headed back but showed no signs of pain/stress/etc.
If all else fails, you can always take him to the bathroom if he's having a meltdown. And diaper changes in the plane are the worst!
Reading these posts I feel pretty lucky.
The diaper change wasn't hard for us at all. On the way home we had inside seats and the guy in the aisle seat was sleeping so we changed him in our laps. It was comical but worked (just pee not poo, that would have been disastrous).
I second getting an aisle seat. Feeling confined with the baby is the worst.
As far as time changes and such, you baby is going to be so messed with scheduling after a long plane ride, it probably won't matter much. I suggest staying on the move when you want little one to understand it is daytime and making it as dark as possible 1 hour before you want it to be bed time for the night. Regardless there will be adjustment and it will suck, but you will probably have plenty of helping hands if you are visiting family.
I think the earplugs, treat and note thing is a stupid. I know someone did it and it went viral and blah, blah, blah, but honestly? Our culture needs to get the f over apologizing for babies acting like babies. Babies are a part of life. They are going to be around and they are going to cry - someone doesn't like it? They can stay home. When we act like babies "shouldn't cry" or are "a nuisance" when they cry we enforce an expectation that is totally unattainable. Some how we are "failures" if our baby cries or we have the dreaded "bad baby". I don't apologize for my crying babies anymore. I try to focus on resolving what may be causing them to cry, but I don't worry about people around me being upset, just like I don't worry what anyone thinks when I BF in public.
I love you, @BellaOso. That is all.
DS born 9/3/13; DD born 7/22/15; LO due 5/28/18
FS (age 5) and FD (age 2) to become AS/AD very soon!