Advice on Traveling with Wobbler?

I read in a magazine (one they have on the plane actually!) a fun idea from a mom who wrote in. she said she took a big towel (a blanket would work too) and she tucked it in around him and then into the seat in front of the child. that way she created a area that he could play with toys without losing anything. good luck!

I would suggest that you ask your family to get the crib. They can either borrow from someone or you could check and see if there is a rental place in their town. As far as the plane is concerned bring some of his favorite toys and books. you will be surprised how entertained they can be with a plastic cup. If you can I would bring your carseat so he can sleep if he wants to. It's really not going to be as bad as you think. They are pretty adaptable. There's also cruising the aisle which can be very entertaining. Good luck!

The last one had the best ideas, take the car seat keep him busy and don't let him walk around, you wouldn't let him do that in your car, right?
As far as sleeping we had a situation once in a hotel where we didn't have a crib and we took the dresser draw out (which was pretty big, folded a blanket up in it and our son slept just fine, and I think he was about 10-11 months at the time.
Not sure having him sleep with you is the best idea, creates a bad habit that will be hard to break.
I can't believe where you are going they don't know anyone that would have one of those beds, check with their church priest,or pastor, maybe they know of a family that you could borrow it from. Just a thought.

A couple of quick thoughts: if your wobbler usually sleeps in a crib (not in your bed) I think it's worth asking your family to try to find a used pack n play which presumably can be used on future visits, or else look into renting one (there is a business in Portland that rents out baby equipment such as cribs and strollers; other cities probably have similar businesses).

As far as what to do on the plane, I think the best advice for that age is to try to keep him sleep deprived until you're on the plane. If he's a little sleepy, the airplane noise and atmosphere is very conducive to sleep, and it will be a real blessing if he can nap at least a little bit.

Also, even before there was a charge for checking bags, I have always mailed a box in advance with some light items such as favorite stuffed animals, clothing, life vest (my in-laws live on a lake)etc. Life is lot easier if you have less luggage to deal with, and now that the airlines are charging, it makes even more sense to do this.

If you use disposable diapers and wipes, ask your family to buy them for you before you arrive, so that you only have to pack a minimal amount (just enough for the plane ride), and it will save you time having to get them yourself when you arrive. I usually give the in-laws a Target gift card to cover such expenses.

Have fun!

Hi M.,

I will happily pass along to you what worked very well for our kids. We did a lot of flying when our boys were infants and toddlers. First, we never failed to purchase seats for our kids regardless of their ages. We strapped their car seats (not booster) into the plane seats. With the advice and guidance of our pediatrician (essential!!), we gave our little ones appropriate doses of Benidryl just prior to boarding. This may seem extreme, but it kept them from going through the severe ear trauma that the altitude changes can cause. They were happily sleeping, and the other passengers didn't have to listen to screaming. My husband and are very conscious of safety and our kids' physical well being, and decided that having them sleeping in their car seats was the safest and easiest way for them to fly. PS: I gave up on traveling light with the kids long ago. I wish I could give you some tips to keep the luggage to a bare minimum, but I haven't found the solution, myself. Good luck and happy traveling!

By a travel crib there or have your family do it. Then it can be shared for future grandchildren. Also think about a car seat.

M., call the airline...they normally let you have one bag for the baby. Buy diapers and wipes where you are going, these are your items that will cost you in weight. What I do is take enough for 2 th 3 days in our carry on just in case you get stuck some where and then you are safe in the airports. Also Baby shampoo, take 2 small travel bottles one in your carry on and one in your suitcase. You can buy more at your destination, this again is a heavy hitter. Take clothes that are interchangable for the baby also, the more you can match together for you and the baby the less different shoes and accesories you will have to take. As for things to take on the plane, put a few of his favorite toys in his carry on bag now so they will seem like new toys all over again and he will play with them longer on the plane. I like for my daughter a portable magna doodle,DVD player (as a last resort), crayons (I use a travel soap dish so you are not chasing them down th plane), don't forget the color book. I get a lot of these at the dollar store just in case she looses them while travling, then I don't get as upset. But most important call the airline for their resrictions, don't trust a travel agent. More people have problems when they don't call the airlines. You want to confirm *how many bags??**How much can they each weigh??? **Does your son get a bag???***If you are going international does he need a ticket to pay taxes???***If you are going on a long flight is a basenet available???****What are their preboarding rules for parents traveling with young children???*** Depending if you are going domestic or international how many hours should you be at the airport???*** Is there anything else you should know???
****You can pull up the "TSA" at each airport (EX: TSAPDX)
for all their rules, you can also verify this with the airlines. I can tell you this... liquid is still 3oz. and must be in a quart ziploc bag, one per person. if you are taking food that needs to be cold with a hard frozen pac, then pack it up after security. Put your liquids in the bags with the frozen pacs to go through security. Yes your son counts as a body for a bag, and you could probably get an extra on through too, I do. Good Luck!! (Your friendly airline employee) C. B.

We just got back from flying with out 10 month old. He fell asleep right as we took off. My doc said that you can give them a little bit of tylenol just before take off to help with the ear pain etc. We flew deta and Us and neither charged or considered car seats or stollers as checked luggage. The stroller we just got a gate check tag and left it right before we boarded the plane and it was there when we got off. I have also seen travel blow up cribs that are super light weight and easy to pack, we didn't get one. Family bought a playyard at a consignment shop.
We also got a couple special new toys and would pop them out when the boys where getting a little restless, entertained them for a bit. My little guy liked to spend most of his time flirting with the flight attendants, they were SO HELPFUL!
Baby food and kids juice boxes and any ointment like desitin don't count towards the 3 oz 3 quart bag rule, you're just supposed to tell the screener you have those items. We forgot but they didn't say anything. We also took raisins and fig newtons and some crackers and they didn't care.

Hi,
I did this with my two boys who at the time were 5 and 1. My advice is this: pack a whole lot of snacky food, and more than that little toys he hasn't ever seen. Only take one out at a time and as soon as he gets fussy pull another out. It will keep him entertained for a long time. Plus, order yourself a glass of wine so you can relax. Nursing is always helpful as well.
Good Luck!
Babies can always sleep with their mamas! People all over the world do it and if it works for you then you don't have to be hauling extra loads of stuff everywhere with you.

Travelling with little ones can go great or wrong very quickly. I Like to bring a roll of tape(take off pieces sticks to them and little tables MY kids favorite), Cherrios and fruit O's on a elastic string(not just jewelry but can eat them), Small light up and buttons toy that does several things(if you worry about the noise level you can put tape over the speakers to make it quieter, We got the books that you can pick songs and the mic/wand thing sings but took the tape off because the plane was loud). And the umbrella stroller is a life saver not just for carrying kids but other stuff when you let them push it around for some exercise on the layovers then they don't touch quite so many...yuckey surfaces that wobblers like to touch. Best wishes hope you have a great trip!

My mom started traveling with us when I was four months old. By the time I was one she had taken me to Japan, Singapore, Korea, Hawaii, & Guam (from Seattle). The list gets a lot longer, but you get the idea. My dad was in the Navy...and was out to sea at least 6mo of the year, so she did a lot of traveling with the 3 of us kids when he was gone.

Her favorite kind of "travel crib"? A dresser drawer.
- line with a blanket or a towel
- set on the floor.

What to do once the little one's (us) started crawling?

She stretched a net across the opening of a closet (secured with a couple small eye-bolts @ 6 points on "her" side of the net). Not a net with large holes...i believe she used a modified laundry bag. Then she simply placed the drawer-crib in the closet with the door open and the net secure.

She also fashioned 4 neoprene corner-covers from an old wet suit that fit over the corners of the drawer, so we wouldn't bonk ourselves on sharp corners, when/if crawled out. She would bring a small tube of spackle, so that when we left she just filled in the holes IF they were noticeable.

She kept all of the above (except the drawers, of course, which belonged to the hotels/friends/relatives we were staying the night at)in a small bag she would tuck into our diaper bag.

-mesh laundry bag
-small eye bolts (a handful of them)
-neoprene corner covers
-tube of spackle

* * * * * * *

From my own travels with my son : (and yes...i've used drawers as cribs)

1) Bring Infant Sudafed (the actual, not the new PE stuff)...unless its obvious he has a cold or ear infection you probably won't know until after you've already taken off if the change in air-pressure is screaming misery. A half dose 20 min before landing can keep a repeat from happening...or if he's still screaming after having reached (and been for a few minutes) @ cruising altitude. This probably won't happen, but it sure sucks to be 10,000 feet above the nearest drugstore.

2) Give him a bottle or something to be chewing/sucking on during take-off and landing, to help his ears adjust to the pressure.

3) As always, its handy to keep the "baby-first-aid" kit also in the diaper bag.
(most airlines don't count diaper bags as carry-on, unless they're gi-normous. Also...if you have a "seat" for your son & not just "lap only", he's entitled to the same carry-on as any other passenger. It super handy to have a small duffel for his toys that can be kept at your feet.)

4) BRING ABOUT 4X AS MANY DIAPERS AS YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED. (and a change of clothes for both of you)

5) Jammies make the best traveling clothes.

6) If your son likes ANY movie/cartoon/etc. AT ALL, buy a cheap portable dvd player and tuck it (and the dvd) into either the diaper bag or his carry-on. ESPECIALLY on any flight over 5 hours.

7) Buy and bring a ziplock full of nice earplugs...for the other passengers. I LOVE saying "sorry guys, I'll do what I can to calm him down, but in the meantime would you like some earplugs?" and out I whip a bag with new pairs of earplugs. :) :) :) It's the only time I have people further away wishing they were closer. The look of longing is priceless.

8) Relax. The more you're relaxed the more he will be. And even if EVERYTHING goes wrong (and it so rarely does, they're usually just fine. Ever notice there's usually four or five babies on a plane, and only one tends to be fussy? Those are great odds that it won't be yours.) who cares? You're being the best mom you can be, to someone who desperately needs you, and you never have to see any of these people ever again.

btw...

Probably the thing I, ME, & MYSELF remember most about traveling when we were little was our "travel blankies".

Essentially summer crib quilts, they went everywhere with us...on planes, trains, cars, and overnights...when we were traveling. My mom'd rely on where we were going to supply ACTUAL blankets...but these would be next to our skin. The looked, smelled, & felt like home, and they were OURS...so no matter where we were sleeping (on a plane, train, car, hotel, or house) we had a piece of home with us.

Bon Voyage!
May it be the first of many, and may what little goes wrong, always be funny.

~Z.

Great advice given so far. I want to stress that do not let your son sleep with you, it will create a habit hard to break. We went on a trip with my son when he was one and thought it was only a couple of days he won't get used to it, boy was I wrong and it took us almost 2 years to get him out of our bed, we finally had to put his couch on the floor next to the bed and that worked.
Also on the ears needing to clear during ascent and decent a pacifier or bottle work great and allow the ears to clear. You can also rub his ears and just down his neck to help them along. Best of luck to you, K.

we are getting ready to travel with a 1 year old on tuesday. what i am doing is instead of brining the travel crib with me i am going to buy 1 off of cregs list when i get there. even if i cant find 1 used it would still be cheaper to buy a new 1 then to pay 50$ to bring thye 1 i have back and forth. as far as occupying him im bringing lots of snacks and books. (they let you bring food and drink as long as its for the baby) i dont really have any other ideas hope this helps.

ask the family your visiting to go to st. vinny or goodwill and find small crib or such maybe even garage sale. offer to help pay maybe they can have a grage sale after you leave and get their money back that way. good luck have a great vacation. m.walley

One important comfort need is to give the baby a bottle when taking off and landing. this prevents ear pain from altitude changes. I learned this from a new mom who was sitting next to me. She needed to nurse him and asked permission to do so.
I'm a 73 year old grandma. Never flew when my children were babies. ~E.~

Hey M.,

There are agencies that rent baby equipment. I'm not sure where you are traveling but you can try babiesaway.com. Or (it might be naughty) buy one for the trip once you get there and return it before you leave..... Good luck!!

Hello M.,

I have traveled with both of my kids at 2 weeks and older my family lives in Oklahoma so we travel alot.

My dr told me that I can give them tylenol or benadryl to help with the nerves and kinda relaxe them. This works with my girls they usually sleep but I always bring tons of finger snack foods. A cup for them to sip on while we are landing and taking off. Books with lift the flaps were always a hit and my girls at the age were into coloring. So, I got the markers that only write on the paper and nothing else they loved that watching the color appear. Also always bring 5 or 6 more diapers than you think you need and extra clothes for him. One of my daughters always gets air sick so we always need extra clothes. Light up toys and a favorite blankie or toy work great also. I know that sometimes if they seem to be scared etc that it works for me to hold them really close to me where they can hear me and sing to them. This works good also. Good luck he will most likely be fine. My girls have never had an issue flying. They usually are asleep before the plane takes off.

Jenn

M.,

Most people on the planes are great with kids. The staff and passengers alike. Check the car seat if you need it on the other side...we were not charged for this service, and a child under 2 can travel in lap.

I have twin boys who are now 2 yrs. We read books, looked out the window, and sang some songs. Whatever your child loves will help entertain.

When we flew, we chose to have a lay over to allow them time to stretch legs and get out some excess energy.

I would advise talking with the doctor to see if there is anything recommended for your child to take to help with ear pressure.

Good luck.

T.

We traveled with our son at 9 months, and will again with a 3 month old and 2 year old in a few month (both trips to visit my parents). We didn't take anything except for clothing. We borrowed a pack-n-play for sleep, car seat and booster seat from friends. My mom bought diapers so we didn't have to bring those. She also already had a bunch of toys for other grandkids at her house. For the airport, if you have a layover, it can be very helpful to get a really cheap umbrella stroller (one that folds very small, so that you can count it as a carry-on). Also, we went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of cheap little QUIET distraction toys that we only pulled out on the plane. Our little guy actually did really well. I was still nursing him at the time and it worked very well to nurse on take off and landing, so that he didn't have an issue with his ears (if you can get your son sucking on anything... it will be a lifesaver). He has a bit of an adverse reaction to Benadryl, so we did a prophylactic dose of Tylenol 20 minutes before each flight, just in case he was teething or anything. He already had 10 teeth at that point, and was always getting more in.

This time, we are going to check into whether or not it is cheaper to overnight a box to my parents instead of paying airplane fees (and the annoyance of carrying around luggage.) Overnighting boxes is actually relatively cheap, and it will probably be worth it. We can also then send some extra's that our kids can't do without that we would never actually take on a plane.

We were very lucky on the planes, because we were around people with great attitudes about flying with babies and then made lots of faces and played with our boy when he wasn't nursing on take off and landing. On the return trip, I was by myself, and he actually slept for both airplane rides - a total of nearly 5 hours. I think that was a result of prayer. :-)

Good luck... get lots of distraction for your boy, and you should be okay.

M.,
If your relatves can, have them get a crb at a garage sale or on craigslist. Bring your own sheets so the smell is something he is used to. Bring plenty of his favorite snacks in little baggies and buy some little toys and when he gets bored bring out a new one. Ask you pediatrician about Benadril(it helped my girls ears) Try and stay calm and cool. Most people have gone through what you are going through. Have a good trip.

S.
Mother of three girls

I have traveled with my son (who is now 2.5) nearly every month since he was born - usually alone, sometimes with husband. I never have had an issue taking him on a plane. Do you have a seat for him? If so, bring your carseat on the plane, strap him in, and to him, it will be like a car ride. Bring books and small things to entertain, but try to make him skip a nap so that he will sleep during the flight. Little snacks are also helpful...I have NEVER taken a DVD player, and I have NEVER let my child walk up and down the aisles...he doesn't know either are an option, so he is not begging to do either.

Can you just let him sleep with you so you don't need to take a pack and play? Or, at the home you will be staying, is it possible to bring an air matress into the room you stay in and let your son sleep on it on the floor? Otherwise, see if someone your family knows has a pack and play you can borrow...

We fly a lot with our children (ages 3 years and 3 months) since our family lives out of state. For the plane ride I would suggest a "special" toy that you bring out just for the plane ride. When my son was 10 months old we flew to Mexico (about 3 1/2 hours on the plane) and I bought him a Winnie the Pooh light up phone...I pulled it out after take off it occupied him on and off for the entire trip. Snacks too are always good to keep him occupied. Also, make sure you have a bottle or sippy for take off and landing to make his ears more comfortable. Chances are your son will probably fall asleep if he's buckled into a car seat...the "white noise" sound of the airplane when it's flying always seems to know my babies out for at least part of the flight.

If your family doesn't have a crib, I would bring your travel crib with you...just make sure you put it in it's bag and then ask for a large plastic bag from the airline staff at check in or it has the potential of being filthy when you get it off the plane. Also, even though family knows you are coming, they may not have things safety proofed to your standard or liking... it's good to have a "safe" place for him to sleep and chill out when you can't watch him (like when you take a shower, etc). I always took a little baggy of outlet covers and rubber bands (for securing cupboards closed) too.

Take about 2 days worth of diapers with you and then buy diapers when you get to your family's house...nothing takes up more room in a suit case than bulky diapers. Same goes for baby food.

Happy flying!

J.

As far as keeping him occupied, I am sure you have gotten many suggestions: portable DVD player and Baby Signing Time or Baby Einstein videos, hiding his favorite toys until the trip, introducing new toys on the plane, new and favorite books, stuff like that. Nursing or giving him a bottle or pacifier on the way up and on the way down will help keep his ears from hurting. If his ears really bother him, you can ask the stewardess for 2 cups and 2 warm washcloths. You put the warm washcloths in the cups and put those over his ears, and that can help, too. :)
But as far as what to take, I found a really cool company that you can rent anything you need from. Carseats, cribs, sheets, strollers, playpens, whatever. And they are pretty affordable and in most states. Here's there website: http://www.babysaway.com/
Good luck!

Hi! It will be so nice to see your family. Maybe you could ask your family, if they have, or any of their friends have a travel crib. Personally, when I travel with my daughter who is also 10 months, I pack her clothes in my suitcase, and then in my carry on, I pack her favorite toys, a small thing of wipes, a few diapers to get me through the flight and traveling, some things for her to snack on, and a change of clothes. I keep it light as possible. I also try to make it so she is ready for her nap during take off, and most of the flight. I know my family is going to spoil her, carry her around more then she needs, :) and that as long as she has me, and her toys, she is happy. I do pick up baby food there, as well as a small thing of diapers. It is actually much, much easier to travel with my 10 month old then it is to travel with my 8 year old. Good luck, I hope this helped a little. Have a great time with your family.

We just got back with our 10 month old, and did a 6 hour flight to and from Hawaii. We got lucky, he slept landing and takeoff on the way there, and had no ear trouble. Took little toys (bath toys!) he likes to play with, he had a great time dropping them over the back of the tray table into his diaper bag. We also took his favorite book, blanky, and plenty of pacifiers! He also really liked to play with the headphones they sell you and the magazines behind the seat :) We took food and snacks, and cheerios were any easy way to pass some time :) We had an overnight flight on the way back, and he (luckily!) slept the whole way, even through an occasional "ding" and the turbulence. We didn't get much sleep though! I'm not sure he would've handled the flight home as well if it had been during the day again, but you know your child best and it's worth it to take the fun stuff! We gate-checked our stroller and were able to borrow pack-n-play's and carseats (or you can rent with car, but charge) when we got there from family. Good luck!

Lots of times when we travel, we take mattresses from where we are and put them on the floor. Push it against the wall and then use pillows if you need a barrier. We've done this at the in-law's house and in hotels (using the mattress off a pull out couch). So, if that's a possibility, it can work great. You could even just layer some blankets on the carpet, kids are used to the harder mattress, so sleeping on the carpet isn't so bad for them either :)

Good luck with the flight. I've used the Benedryl method as well, helps calm the nerves and makes it so their ears don't hurt. I've talked with a pediatric nurse, and he said their ears are not fully developed and have a hard time with the cabin pressures, so that it's a good idea to use something for their ears. Made me feel less guilty about using medicine when they weren't technically sick.

Anyway, have a good trip!

The airlines will not charge you for the baby items(carseat/stroller/ travel crib, ect.),however, it all adds up to stuff you have to move around. My babies love sleeping in the carseat so I don't need a crib and we co-sleep anyway. You may also consider the place you will be. My usual destination is grandma's, she keeps her floor imaculate(sp?) so I put a blanket down and baby takes a nap on the floor and there is always someone who want to hold her during a nap too.

The length of your trip will factor in for carry on items if you have a delay you can always pick up somthing so I plan just a couple of toys and books and bare nessities for the planed hours traveling. There is usualy some grandmother sitting near you who will make faces and such for entertainment and I never use everyting I pack. I try for 1 snack per hour and buy more at the connection if I need to.

If your flight is more then 3 hours per segment and during sleeping hours you may want to try to carry your carseat. I can usualy get an extra seat baby can sleep which is so much more comfortable. For short flights with connections it's just not worth the hassel and I check the carseat. Even if you don't take the carseat ask if you can have an empty seat next to you if there is room.

Pack something that will keep the sucking/chewing motion if he does not want to eat for takeoff and landing. I have to get creative sometimes. Some kids have no trouble with their ears and others have to use special flight attendant tricks because it's so bad. I only medicate if they are sick to aleviate sinus pressure.

Have a great trip! I hope this helps.

Have you looked into renting a crib or travel crib when you get to your destination? I recently did a little traveling with my son and found that where we were going there were several businesses that rented baby items on a daily or weekly basis. (I just did a google search to find them.) The fees seemed pretty reasonable to me. I think the travel cribs were $25 or $30 for a week--and they offered delivery and pick-up service, also.