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September 2015 Moms
Growingapepper
member
Death in the family.. Flying necessities?
Growingapepper
member
So my great grandmother unexpectedly passed away yesterday. I'm flying out to be there for the funeral and taking LO.. probably without my husband. What are the absolute necessities for this short 2-3 day trip? I'm thinking about checking a bag instead of a carry on, and of course I'll have her diaper bag. I'm going to take my ergo carrier for the airport and her carrier car seat so we have a car seat when we land. How does that work? Do I have to carry it through the whole airport??? Also thinking about taking the pack n play so she has a place to sleep and/or a safe baby proof area while I'm showering or whatever. Might not be necessary though, do you think I could do without? Would I have to carry that through the airport too? Instead of the carrier should I bring a stroller? I feel like it would make the airport part much easier but it's another thing to lug around, I'm not going to need it for the rest of the trip..
Re: Death in the family.. Flying necessities?
Im sorry about your grandmother. Can you look into renting a pack n play and such from the city you are going to? Some people swear by it. Like if a hotel has them to rent, that way you aren't hauling lots of things at the airport?
Bring your car seat. It's checked free at the baggage check in. I would buy a cover for 15 bucks at Target or Babies R' Us, just to keep it clean, since the plastic they give you sucks and rips easily.
I woild bring the stroller. It allows you to put baby down in the bathroom or if you need to eat, and it also allows you to use it to push your bags (purse, diaper bag, etc) so that you have your hands free. After going through security, you just go to your gate attendant and ask for a bag tag. They put it on the handle and then when you board (usually, they allow mothers and infants to preboard), you just fold the stroller up at the door of the plane and leave it for the attendants to put beneath the plane. When you deplane, it will be waiting for you right outside the door of the plane. Pop baby in and you're good to go.
if you bring a pack n play, which is entirely up to you based on what you will have available where you are going, many planes allow you to check that free along with your car seat, so it may just make your life more convenient to bring it. Worth a phone call to the airline. If not, as the previous poster said, many hotels provide rollaway cribs, but the pack n play would also allow you to put little one down for naps while dealing with family or if you are out late and baby gets fussy.
If you're breastfeeding, be prepared to nurse during take off and landing (it'll help pop baby's ears, so it will help with discomfort as you change altitude). If not nursing, then bring a bottle. Try to get an aisle seat, since you may want to get up and move or to change a diaper (there is a changing table in the lavatory).
Bring more diapers on the plane than you think you'll need and changes of clothes for both you and your munchkin. I would put both of you in comfortable clothes (I always have Will travel in footie jammies). Also make sure you have favorite toys available and a blanket.
Everytjing else should be fairly straightforward. Expect to have your hands swabbed for gunpowder at the TSA checkpoint, since you will have to carry baby through the metal detector and will not be able to go through the full body scanner.
Sincerely, it's super easy travelling with baby. Just give yourself some extra time and make sure you ask airport staff for help if you need it. You'll be fine.
William Alexander born 18 September, 2015
Harper Grace born 9 June, 2017
Colton Miles born 9 June, 2017
Bowen James due 19 June, 2019
We're going on our first vacation by plane with LO on Saturday, so I had all the same questions when I was initially planning it. Here's what we plan to do:
- Bringing lightweight, cheaper stroller to wheel LO around at airport. You can gate-check it for free. We bought a bag off Amazon to put it in when gate checking so it's more protected. Keep in mind that security lines have been awful lately so plan to be there extra early (at least 2 hours before flight, more if flying out of one of the busier airports), and if you're flying Memorial Day weekend (especially Friday), allow even more time for security. Depending on how heavy your LO is, you may want to consider the stroller route vs the ergo carrier, unless you're comfortable carrying baby for hours. Our LO is 22 lbs, so that's not happening!
- Bringing lightweight convertible car seat with protective bag and gate-checking it (for free). (Our LO doesn't fit in his carrier anymore - big baby - but if he did, we would take that instead.) Are you bringing the base? If not, do you know how to install in a car without?
* Both strollers and car seats can be checked initially or gate-checked for free. We're choosing to gate-check them both so they'll go through less handling and will hopefully have less of a chance of getting ruined.
- Renting a full-sized crib for the majority of our stay from a baby rental company (there are usually baby rental companies located in major tourist areas, so depends on where you're going), but we're purchasing a pack n play once we get there to use for the initial two nights when rental wasn't available, then returning to the store. Yes, I feel bad doing this, but we didn't have many options and I refuse to pay $25 each way to check it. It would be just as cheap to buy one there and give it away by that point. I know I can't be the only one who has done this! I will be bringing his pack n play waterproof pad and sheet so it won't get ruined.
- Buying baby food once we get there, but packing a few 2 oz jars in my quart-sized bag for the flight so it doesn't have to go through additional security measures. You are allowed to bring breastmilk, baby food, etc., in access of 3.4 oz, but it's subject to additional testing. This could include making you open the food so they wave the testing strip over it, but once baby food is opened, it usually needs to be refrigerated, so I'm trying to avoid this by just putting it in my quart-sized bag. I plan to buy all my liquid essentials once we arrive at our destination. If you're checking your bag, you could place most your liquid stuff in your checked bag. (We aren't checking.)
- Bringing a backpack on board that includes diaper changer, diapers, and wipes, change of clothes for me and LO, new toys and books for LO that he's never seen before to keep him entertained, and my iPad with kid's movies loaded on to it just in case he decides to throw a fit. We don't usually let him watch TV, but I will make an exception for the flight and other passengers' sanity!
- We're bringing any sleep aids LO uses, like his sleep sack, white noise machine, sound machine/projector, and nightlight so he feels like he's at home.
- I'm bringing my manual pump instead of my automatic since it takes up less space and I won't use it much.
- LO's birth certificate: Check your airline to see if they require it. Most don't, but there are a few that do, so we're bringing ours just in case.
Hope that helps!
You could either check the car seat with the luggage, or gate check it. Gate checking might be slightly safer, but I've done both.
You could check the pnp if you need to bring it. Can you ask around for one to borrow on the other end? I brought my own once (and it survived being checked with no damage) but 4/5 places we stayed had found and set up a playpen for us. After that we either borrowed or coslept.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/perils-of-carrying-kids-in-your-lap-on-planes/
There are carts you can buy to attach convertible car seats to (and use like a stroller in the airport), like this: https://www.amazon.ca/Britax-Seat-Travel-Cart-Black/dp/B005CNEQK0
Question: if we buy a seat for LO, he gets a carry on bag also, right?? So his diaper bag could be his carry on? While my purse could be mine?