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May 2015 Moms
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Flying over 20 hours with 6 month old baby?

chipmk228chipmk228 member
in May 2015 Moms
So my husband's parents live in HI and refuse to fly to Florida to visit us for Xmas. They have no reason other than they dislike flying. My mom has offered to fly from California to Florida because she knows flying will be hard on the baby. So my husband wants us to fly from Florida, spend a few days in CA and then fly to HI, spend a few days in HI and then fly over 20 hours back to FL. He thinks I'm over reacting but I think this is a awful idea. What do you guys think?
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Re: Flying over 20 hours with 6 month old baby?

  • saric83saric83 member
    Maybe I'm not following along well after a long day, but why the heck is it 20 hours to fly from Hawaii to Florida??  Is that with multiple stops or something?

    I personally wouldn't want to do that because I would just be stressed out the whole time and not enjoy any of it.  

    But in some ways, this may be the easiest time to fly while your little one isn't as mobile, so it might be worth doing it if the compromise with your husband is that you don't do it again for a long time.  
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  • chipmk228chipmk228 member
    Yes we can't get a nonstop
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  • kremerj1kremerj1 member
    We are flying from LA to OH at thanksgiving with our 6 month old. I'm terrified!!!! The rest of our family is going to CA in April and I don't know if we are going because of the flying. You def. have a right to be super nervous! Good luck!
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  • CanadaMom17CanadaMom17 member
    It'll be easier now than when they're mobile, at the least.  Insist his folks buy the tickets?  :P  Invest in a good baby carrier if you don't have one, so you can wear baby around while you're stuck waiting in airports, or on the plane if they want to sleep.

    I'm mainly of the mind though his parents are adults and can freaking suck it up and fly themselves.
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  • marijaa333marijaa333 member
    Unless they're elderly and frail, I think it's inconsiderate. Travel, especially air travel, is stressful even for the most seasoned adult travelers, and going through it with the baby is practically guaranteed to stress you all out, including the baby.  Not to mention that exposure to crowds, however careful you are, will give all kinds of germs access to your little one. Last month, we took a short flight and got home with the baby having the sniffles, which then lasted for two weeks.  Sniffles translated into frequent night wakings and destroying the semi-good sleep habits he had before he got a cold. Not to mention the extra trips to the pediatricians, and the worry that it might develop into something else (thankfully he's fine now).
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  • chipmk228chipmk228 member
    edited September 2015
    Thank you for your replies!
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  • mars8kmars8k member
    I took LO on a 5 hour flight when she was 3.5 months. It wasn't too bad. I would just recommend that you buy LO a baby seat. We paid for a bassinet and it would have been horrible without it! With a baby less than 1 you can either have them on your lap or buy them a seat or bassinet. Or maybe that varies from airline to airline?

    I agree with pp that unless they are elderly they should be the ones flying!
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  • rae430rae430 member
    We've taken DS on two round trip flights (3 hours each leg). He was fine, but 20 hours would be really stressful. If you end up doing it, I really recommend wearing your baby, particularly bc it makes security SO much easier and they can sleep better on the flight. That said- it would be so much easier for your in laws to fly!!! If they insist on you flying, the least they could do is chip in for the tickets
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  • supersarah77supersarah77 member
    I've traveled a lot with DD, who is now 2.5. Her first flight was at 3.5 months and it was a 4-hour nonstop. It's stressful, and really can either be fine or hell, there's no way to guarantee either way. Personally I think it's worth a few hours of hell for several days or weeks of enjoyment at the destination. Particularly when you have your partner with you, at least you can take turns being the one with headphones listening to music and flipping through a magazine. Ask the gate agent if you can get a row. We've been really lucky with that and it makes a huge difference.

    I will say that 20 hours sounds pretty hellish for just an adult with no kids. And, my gosh, that sounds pretty selfish of the grandparents to expect you to go through all that when they won't only because the "dislike flying." Pretty sure you'll more than "dislike flying" on that 20-hour day.
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  • Knottie76365376Knottie76365376 member
    I totally get how you feel, but you might have a great time and decide that traveling with a baby is kinda cool and appreciate the experience. That's what I'm hoping bc I just got our tickets for Christmas in Italy. Not quite 20hrs, but close! I'm trying to stay positive, believe it or not, we are court ordered to do 2 weeks in Italy a year, so I don't have a choice!
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  • katiekaufmankatiekaufman member
    I fly all the time with my 4 month old with no issues. Just make sure you are very prepared and try and get the bulk head bassinet seat where they can take a nap no problem! Or just buy your baby a seat, they can sit in their car seat in their own seat. Always give them a pasifier on take off and landing so their ears pop. Bring an iPad to entertain them or books...
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  • smbolton360smbolton360 member
    20 hours with multiple layovers during Christmas (more people, more delays, etc) sounds rough, especially since you are only spending a few days in each destination and are changing time zones several times. I haven't changed time zones with my girl yet but heard many babies take a few days to adjust. Plus new sleeping environments, etc. The whole trip sounds exhausting to me. Good luck!
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  • chaglundchaglund member
    We've flown from Europe to the west coast a dozen times since our little was 2 months. We've been prepared for everything every time we've flown but honestly she's so easy and doesn't need much. We don't stress over the flight or travel and I think that helps her too. Baby wearing helps a lot, the extra contact and inability to be overwhelmed by all the crowds of people helped keep her calm walking through all the airports and made our lives so much easier to be hands free! The time zone issue was rough for us, 9 hours is a hard adjustment but what can you do other than take it when it happens and keep moving on with life and figure out how to make things work. You guys will do fine momma! You got this!!
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  • SmrBrd2012SmrBrd2012 member
    There are multiple reasons why I would personally say no to this but the most important one is that I know the temperament of my LO would not withstand 20 hours of flying. Some other reasons include expensive air fare and the fact that your in laws are adults and should be able to suck it up to visit their grandbaby. Just my 2 cents!
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  • chipmk228chipmk228 member
    I agree! There is absolutely no reason for them not to fly other than its a long flight and the difference in time zones. As a new mother, there is far more risk to my baby to fly such long distances during the holidays. For starters, she's still immunocompromised. Then there's the radiation exposure, stress, etc. I find it incredibly selfish of them and I am putting my foot down on this one. As much as I want my daughter to have a relationship with her grandparents, it's simply not worth the risk.
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