Flying with an infant

[HaRuMaN]

We're going a trip soon, and this will be our first time flying with our daughter, who is just under a year old.

Anyone have any good tips to make this as smooth as possible?  It's about a 4 hour flight, non-stop.

[Howard_Casto]

Get one of those pet carriers and have her ride with the luggage. 

That will certainly make everyone else's trip as smooth as possible. 

[HaRuMaN]

Um, no. 

[Hoopz]

It's really the same as taking her anywhere.  Just have plenty of extra stuff (diapers, formula, change of outfits, toys, snacks etc).  Review TSA's pages about taking her through security too.  Check with your airline about the best procedure for getting her seat, stroller, etc checked in/carried on.

Make sure that you loudly berate the low brow idiots who complain about noise too. 

[CCM]

Take ear plugs to hand out to the people sitting around you... 

[HaRuMaN]

My daughter is a very happy baby, doesn't cry much, or scream, or anything like that.  Even when she's been sick she hasn't been fussy.  I'm not worried about noise.

[stu33]

Get some of those gerber graduates cookie things, something she can chew on to help mitigate the ear-popping.  (if she has teeth)

[Hoopz]

It's not like she's a new born so that helps.

[yotsuya]

Let me know when you are leaving so I can go borrow babysit your cabs.

[HaRuMaN]

Get some of those gerber graduates cookie things, something she can chew on to help mitigate the ear-popping.  (if she has teeth)

Good idea.  Yes, she has teeth. 

[HaRuMaN]

Let me know when you are leaving so I can go borrow babysit your cabs.

Haha... no

[yotsuya]

Seriously, though, if she gets sick on drives, try ginger cookies. Our daughter used to get carsick on long trips until we found that out. Worked on our plane trip last year, too.

[HaRuMaN]

She hasn't gotten motion sickness before, but probably not a bad idea to throw some ginger snaps in the bag, just in case.

[Kevin Mullins]

Carry-on snacks and entertainment. 

Hardest thing to do for a child that age is to keep them occupied. If you're lucky they will take a nap. Our last flight, with a four year old, was 10 hours.....one way. And she done really good, just had to keep her busy. Couple small games, coloring book, movies and music on a small netbook, etc, etc. A child's worst enemy is boredom when they can't get up and "do" stuff.

[hypernova]

It's really the same as taking her anywhere.  

Not even close...

Children that young have no idea how to relieve the pressure that builds up on plane rides (or even car rides when driving up and down mountains).

Hope for the best.  Prepare for the worst.  Because you'll have to get through it twice.

So what's the trip?  4 hours is a smidge over east coast to west coast duration, so maybe a little north to south in addition?

[Hoopz]

It's really the same as taking her anywhere.  

Not even close...

Children that young have no idea how to relieve the pressure that builds up on plane rides (or even car rides when driving up and down mountains).

Hope for the best.  Prepare for the worst.  Because you'll have to get through it twice.

So what's the trip?  4 hours is a smidge over east coast to west coast duration, so maybe a little north to south in addition?

It IS the same for preparation ie taking snacks, formula, diapers etc.  You're right, children that young don't understand how to relieve the pressure and you can't tell them what to do either.  So I wasn't talking about that.  I guess I should have been more clear.

To clarify:  I would take twice as much diapers, snacks, formula, wipes, etc as you think you will need.  The worst thing that can happen is to be under prepared for a situation like a long layover, delay in reaching a connecting flight, delay in getting off the plane etc.  

I was on a 4 hour road trip with one of my daughters who was about 18 months old.  We were stuck behind a fatal traffic accident in the middle of winter.  We didn't move for about 90 minutes.  We had to borrow a bottle of water from a truck driver to make her next bottle.  It wouldn't have been the end of the world if we couldn't borrow it but she would have been unhappy and vocal about it.  I can't imagine what would happen on a crowded or semi-crowded plane if someone ran out of food, clean diapers etc.

[lilshawn]

The fold out tray makes a great makeshift nap surface. We flew to Florida this past December with our youngest being 6 months old.

Bring extra diapers and snacks and be sure to bring a blanket and if you can spare the room, a small pillow for the young one. If you can get them to sleep through the flight, your golden!

[lilshawn]

P.S. Get a small fold up stroller and when you get o the check in, get a  "gate check" tag on it... Then you can take it right to the door of the plane. Then they toss it in with the baggage once your all on and have it ready for you when you depart the plane.

It was a life saver for us.

[Blanka]

Take a car baby seat. Often there are a few unbooked chairs, and then the baby can sit next to you in a baby seat. You don't want her on your lap 4 hours! Our kid slept like a baby the whole flight.
You can also book a chair for her, but often a free ride is possible. And if not, they take the baby seat into the baggage room at the gate.

[ChadTower]

Just don't be that ---uvula--- that drugs the kid with benadryl and then wonders why the kid is a screaming mess for the next two days when she doesn't understand the migraine from whatever pressure got in there and was never let out.

[HaRuMaN]

Just don't be that ---uvula--- that drugs the kid with benadryl and then wonders why the kid is a screaming mess for the next two days when she doesn't understand the migraine from whatever pressure got in there and was never let out.

No, definitely not gonna do that.

[Vigo]

Just don't be that ---uvula--- that drugs the kid with benadryl and then wonders why the kid is a screaming mess for the next two days when she doesn't understand the migraine from whatever pressure got in there and was never let out.

No, definitely not gonna do that.

You don't want to drug your kid for the sake of knocking them out, but keep in mind the biggest issue that affects kids in a plane is the cabin pressure building change. If your kid has a stuffy nose, it will make the problem much worse, don't be afraid to have her take some decongestant medicine if needed.

Also, during takeoff and landing, giving her some juice or whatever to suck down. It will help her equalize the pressure when it is changing with the altitude change.

[gryhnd]

The advice WRT having your child drink during take off and landing to help relieve the discomfort of pressure changes is a sound one. That's what we used for our son whenever we traveled. It's not 100% foolproof though!

We also did whatever we could to distract him so he would be less likely to notice any discomfort: read a favorite book, play with a toy, act silly, whatever works best.

And yes, take extra diapers, wipes and bags. You never know what sudden intestinal emissions may occur when under stress  Or for your daughter for that mattter

[shmokes]

Particularly have her drink from a bottle.  The sucking and biting on the nipple pops plugged ears sort of like chewing gum.  If you have lots of money you can buy her a (often slightly discounted) ticket of her own and strap her car seat right in.  This has the added benefit of having a car seat handy at your destination to get her from the airport to wherever you're going.  Otherwise, kids fly free on your lap until they're 3 years old.

Also, bring a stroller.  Security and finding your gate and waiting for your flight will be a nightmare without it.  Don't check it with your bags either.  You can take it right up to the gate and they will take it from you while you're boarding and have it waiting for you at the door of the plane when you arrive. 

As for entertainment . . . most of the advise so far is for older children.  You can't really "entertain" an infant on a flight.  You comfort her.  It's not like you can just hand her a DS or some crayons.  Have an aisle seat if possible so you can get up and walk laps up and down the aisle if she gets cranky. 

And, yeah . . . don't let the stigma of being "that ---uvula---" keep you from giving your kid needed drugs.  If your daughter is congested, for god's sake now is not the time to question whether the congestion is severe enough to warrant medication.  Severe discomfort or pain isn't going to do her any good (and can actually cause permanent hearing damage).

With all that said, I've flown a half-dozen times or so with my daughter (who's 4 now) and the flights have almost always gone really well.  So don't worry too much.

[ChadTower]

And, yeah . . . don't let the stigma of being "that ---uvula---" keep you from giving your kid needed drugs.  If your daughter is congested, for god's sake now is not the time to question whether the congestion is severe enough to warrant medication.  Severe discomfort or pain isn't going to do her any good (and can actually cause permanent hearing damage).

As usual you're responding before processing.  I'm talking about people who knock the kid out with benadryl specifically.  Nobody said anything about withholding medication that has an actual purpose.   

[shmokes]

Whoa there tiger.  I processed just fine.  I didn't say knock the kid out regardless.  I said, don't let the stigma of being "that ---uvula---" keep you from medicating if necessary.  



edit:  heh . . . accidentally defeated the autocensor.

[HaRuMaN]

Of course if she needs something, she'll get it.

[lilshawn]

okay peeps chill, let's not get this moved to Politics and Religion, pass the dutchie to the left hand side! kumbaya.....

[Vigo]

Apparently they make baby leashes designed for airplanes now.....



I don't quite see the point, but then again, there are the kids I come across that I wish were on a leash.... 

[lilshawn]

oh yah, i forgot about the crash landing exercise you will get from the steward(es).

if your infant isn't in a seat with a seatbelt, you have to uncomfortably hold him/her face down with their head in the crook of your neck... for all times that the fasten seatbelt sign is lit.... which can be quite difficult if you have a squirmy wormie like i do!

[shmokes]

What the?  No you don't, lol.  Or, at least, nobody has ever said anything of the sort to me, nor have I ever heard a parent told this on any flight.

[lilshawn]

What the?  No you don't, lol.  Or, at least, nobody has ever said anything of the sort to me, nor have I ever heard a parent told this on any flight.

maybe they wanted to make me look like a fool!


flight attendant 1: ha ha look at that dude tryin' to hold on to that kid!

flight attendant 2: lol

[Kevin Mullins]

As for entertainment . . . most of the advise so far is for older children.  You can't really "entertain" an infant on a flight.  You comfort her.  It's not like you can just hand her a DS or some crayons.  Have an aisle seat if possible so you can get up and walk laps up and down the aisle if she gets cranky. 

This particular "infant" is just under a year old.....so yeah, some "entertainment" is in order.
Obviously age appropriate stuff, but entertainment to occupy them non-the-less.
Hell, it's actually harder to keep a 1 year occupied than it is a 4 year old.

[shmokes]

An almost one year old just can't be occupied much, in my experience.  Small games, coloring book, movies and music on a small netbook would be entirely ineffective.  They will not hold the child's attention or keep the child happy for even one minute.  Infants need to be entertained, but the way of doing that is by, like, holding and rocking them, or talking to them, or bouncing them, or playing with them.  They're just not old enough for most of the diversions that had been suggested in this thread.

[HaRuMaN]

Well, the trip is over and she did great.  As people disembarked the plane, the ones that sat near us commented on how great she did.

The flight out, we had a couple of grandmothers sitting behind us...  our daughter would stand in our lap, pull herself up, and look over the back of the seat at them.  Of course, the two grannies were eating it up, playing with her, etc...  so that helped.

Changing diapers on the plane is... interesting.  The changing table in the bathroom was adequate.  On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

[ChadTower]

On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

That's disgusting and your fellow passengers hate you for doing that.

You pretty much have to assume anything for general public use like that has ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on it. 

[HaRuMaN]

On the flight back, I ended up using the tray tables on the seats.     I hope they disinfect those. 

That's disgusting and your fellow passengers hate you for doing that.

You pretty much have to assume anything for general public use like that has ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- on it. 

We have a changing pad that was put down first, nothing ever touched the actual tray. 

[ChadTower]

We have a changing pad that was put down first, nothing ever touched the actual tray. 

Yeah, because babies are well known for staying still and keeping everything nicely contained during diaper changes.  And nothing ever gets airborne.   

Don't get me wrong.  I don't care.  I find it amusing, actually.  I guess pinballjim was never a baby.

[HaRuMaN]

I'm just wondering how rude a parent you have to be to expose a diaper full of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- to a stranger sitting 3 inches away from you.

You do what you gotta do.     I would have used the bathroom with changing table again, but the line was like 6 deep, and there was a bit of turbulence as well.

[ChadTower]

He could have done it on the tray in the aisle behind him where the old ladies were sitting.