Air Travel Advice with 10 Month Old

Hi S.! First off, RELAX!! It is pretty easy to fly with a baby. Our daughter is 2, and we have taken her to San Francisco, San Diego, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and even Hawaii. First and foremost, the noise of the plane kind of helps most babies chill out. Second, when the plane ascends and descends, that is the hardest part for kids, due to the pressure in their ears. It is good if he can suck something at that time. I nursed, so I would just nurse my daughter at those times. If you don't, a bottle or pacifier would be a good idea. The first thing you have to do is navigate the airport. I am not sure where you are going, but I am going to assume you need your car seat there too. I am also not sure if you have purchased a ticket for your son, but I am going to assume no. Here is what we do. We bring the stroller. If you can, it will simplify your life. We use it to hold our daughter, and/or all our bags, then we check it right before boarding the plane. One thing to note...those airlines bang stuff up. Our carriage is now ripped, and they don't reimburse for that. Now we keep that stroller just for travel. When our daughter was that age,we put her in her carseat, and put that in the carriage to manuever, hands free, around the airport. Now, be forewarned, you have to take baby out of the carseat to get through security, and shoes come off, even for baby. Even for nice, sleeping babies...so just be prepared for that time. Once we get to the gate, we ask if there are any open seats on the plane, and ask for one for the baby. I have only once or twice not been told no. In those instances, you have to check the car seat plane side too. Otherwise, you have a nice, free seat, and a place to put baby where he is comfy and familiar with. As I said, our daughter is 2 now, so we bought the Go-go kidz. It straps to your carseat, so you can wheel it around the airport. Nice and easy. Once on the plane, just plan that you will not sleep...or read for that matter. You might get lucky...but you may not. My daughter is a great flier...but hardly sleeps. The key to a happy baby is an attentive parent. When she was young, I would bring books, sing songs, play peek-a-boo..whatever..just to keep her entertained. I would bring little toys, etc. Oh, pack enough diapers...plan to be stranded...just in case. You think this time of year that the weather is not so much a factor. We recently had a connection in Atlanta, and the whole airport shut down b/c of a tornado watch. Just have enough supplies for the what ifs. Now, I know your son is only 10 months, but I have a pretty good list of stuff for my daughter, so I will pass it on if you have to fly again. She has her own little Hello Kitty suitcase. In it I pack a blanket, her favorite stuffed animal, small books, a clipboard with blank paper, crayons, and some mini playdoh cans. YOu can use the clipboard for the play doh as well. Just some thoughts for later. I bought her a travel dvd player for Hawaii, but we didn't even need it. I hope any of this helps. Just give yourself plenty of time, so that you can be relaxed before you even get on the plane. Your son will feel your feelings, and respond. Oh, and most planes actually have a changing station that flips down over the toilet. I never knew it...til I was a mom. :)
A.

Instead of a stroller, we prefered a sling or a padapum (like an ergo baby carrier). Less tough to squeeze through airport crowds. Pack extra diapers in case you have delays (we did it with cloth diapers--it can be done!). If you breast feed, nurse on the way up and down if possible. If you don't nurse, feed baby something and or water on the way up and down because the swallowing will clear his/her ears. If my child was sleeping, her ears seemed to adjust themselves fine when asleep, but she'd been flying since 2 months and maybe her body had learned how? Bring small toys, maybe stacking cups, small fingerfood snacks, some books (light ones since you'll be carrying them). You can read inflight magazine to baby if you run out of stuff. Look out window. I also always show my child outside the window as we take off so she knows what is happening. Play with toy airplanes before trip to explain. If you have to and it's a time when you are allowed to get up, then get up and walk baby up and down aisle for a change of pace sometimes.

After you do all the preparations, etc. Relax and let the trip unfold as it will. If your child screams through the flight, cest la vive. You cannot stop it. Parents will sympathize and completely understand, and non-parents never will. Bring lolly pops and dont stress.

I flew alone last summer with my 8 month old and 7 year old and it went great! I had a soft structured carrier (like beco-mei tai-angelback-ergo) and it was perfect. My son is 28lbs and 18month now and I still use it.
Anyway, it allowed me to be hands free to dart in and out of crowds while holding onto my 7 year old of course and even allowed me to use the bathroom. The great thing about flying with a child is you get to board first! (You don't get to get off the plane first unfortunately but I always took my time to get packed up anyway).
My diaper bag was like a backpack and I had a separate little pouch that held my id, cell phone, itinerary, chapstick, gum, and Advil. :) My baby was not always content and did not sleep much and in those times, we made a trip to the bathroom.
Security only let me have one bottle of water for the bottle. I didn't understand that! You could call your airport and check with them to see what their policy is. I ended up purchasing a (much more expensive) bottle of water after we went through and then asked the flight attendants if they had bottled water once we got on the plane and they did but it was still a pain!
I decided to borrow a carseat from my family's friends where we were visiting but if you want to bring yours, you can gate check it although depending on the # of connections, it may not be worth carrying it around to each gate.

I hope it goes well!

Try to make your flight at night, so he'll sleep over most of it. Make sure you have bottled water of juice and some snacks, in case he asks. Also carry his favorite toy and blankie. The first time my grandaughter flew she had one of those dvd players with a couple of her fav. movies. The flight went so smoothly for her that when she started singing (at full volume) the Hi, Ho, scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, we knew everything would be OK.
Have a nice trip.

all of the responses are great. If you haven't booked the flight yet, always try to do nonstop, overnight or early AM. If you are breastfeeding, BREAST is BEST - at take off, during and landing.

C. Magloire

S.,

I would do almost everything Amy just suggested. I also traveled with my 10 month old son to Canada and did most of what Amy did. I would also re-iterate to choose if possible the time of day you travel based on your baby's schedule, choose the window seat if you can, pack your stroller and use as carry on. My son did extremely well when he travelled except when we had a delayed flight and it had gotten late for him, he became fussy. Bring a washrag to just freshen his face with some warm water because with all the handling he/she too will get clammy. Enjoy your flight.

first, dont get to nervous about flying. we've all been on those flights with the crying baby, and so what. we get over it. but you can avoid most of the crying by letting the baby suck on something while you are taking off. they usually cry because they can not pop their ear, so the sucking helps. ohter than that, the baby should be good, they get a lot of personal attention from mommy by sitting on your lap and what baby doesn't love that. good luck.

I have done a lot of international travel with my 3 boys by myself from the time they were a few months old so I understand the stress that you go through. I think the key is for you to stay calm and just roll with whatever comes your way. The flight is delayed, no big deal. I found the more nervous and stressed that I was the more freaked out my children get. Just make sure to bring toys, books, whatever you think you need to entertain your child. Then get on the plane and relax, or at least try to. You take care of your child on a daily basis with out any problems just look at the flight as a smaller piece of you living room. When my guys were little they slept from the moment the plane left the ground until we landed. They couldn't fight the white noise so maybe your little one will sleep too! Good Luck! It will be fine!! Just remember to stay calm.

Do you have a dvd player? Baby Einstein videos are the best at that age. They saved me many a time traveling with my daughter. That will help pass the time on the plane & keep him busy for a while. You could also take some books & definitly ask how full the flight will be, most carriers will let you take his car seat on if you didn't purchase a ticket. It makes a world of difference to have them in their car seat. Also try & compact everything you need for the flight into only one or two bags that are easy to handle. Maybe a rolling backpack that you can put under the seat, so that everything is handy. You will want to travel as light as possible if you are changing planes, so you don't have to drag it all with you to the next flight. Good luck & safe travels!

I traveled with my son when he was 10 months also. IF you can afford it, splurge for a GoGo Kidz Travelmate (if it will fit your carseat). I used this to wheel him through the airport. At the gate, I asked if there were empty seats on the plane, and if there were, I was able to just take this and put his carseat on the plane. When there weren't extra seats, I just gate-checked the travelmate with the carseat. This was a life-saver for me. Also helps to have a bottle with you to help with pressure during take-off, etc. I also made a point to pack interesting toys and snacks that he had never seen before. This kept him pretty well occupied.

If you purchase a ticket for your child, which is probably required, absolutely bring the car seat, which is a comfort zone and also safe for your child. Bring whatever he's used to having, the comfy blanket, teddy bear, bottle or sippy cup, change of clothing, diapers, etc. Not to get overwhelmed by it; but the above are his comforts. The airplane ride will make anyone's ears fill up, so sucking on the bottle or cup will aleviate that discomfort.
Blessings, S.

We fly alot too and we found that if you can, get the little one their own seat! So helpful for the baby to be in the car seat that he/she is already so used to and it will give you a little extra room to maneuver. If your little one falls asleep in the car...chances are that they will fall asleep on the plane too. Mine is almost 3 now and always sleeps on the plane. Also a bottle or pacifier was always very helpful on take off and landing. Hope all goes well! I'm sure it will :)