Airplanes for Infants

I used to fly a lot with my daughter when she was an infant and started flying with her when she was around 6 weeks old. One of the things it is important to do is bring milk, juice and water in bottles. Feed them a bottle on take off until the plane levels out, then again on decent until landing. The sucking helps them pop their ears so they are less uncomfortable.
Sincerely,
J. M.

I took my 5 month old on a trip where we had to take 4 planes. I had heard many things like the ears popping and the recycling of air may be a problem for him. I waited to have him take his bottle when we took off each time which seemed to work wonderfuly. I think it may have helped him with the ear popping, for he fall asleep right after his bottle and never woke up until we landed. I brought some baby saline spray also just in case, but never had to use it.

I have flown with both of my very small children all across the country. The thing I did was to hold off feeding until we started to take off. This way the sucking would release the pressure in the ears and make them pop. The plane also works like a car, the rumbling puts them right to sleep.

I just took my 6 wk. old on his first plane ride. He did great! And no fusses. We had also taken our first child on planes when she was under a year old with no problems. Every time we took them as a "lap child". To counteract the ear pressure...if they're awake, nurse them (or bottle-feed) as this gets them to swallow which helps pops their ears. Happy travels!

I started taking my son on airplanes at 3mos and just made sure that I was breast feeding him or using a bottle during take off and landing, another good tip is using a pasifier during those same times to reduce the chance of problems with ears taking off and landing. The only time I would be conserned with airplane travel is if your baby is having congestion problems. The earlier you start them getting used to the plane the better, and travel gets easier and easier as they get older.

My daughter took two airplane trips before age 1 (one trip was transatlantic, so totaling 6 take-offs and landings). They all went good. It turned out that she took one trip with an ear infection and never complained (we found out she had it at her check-up the day after we got home).
A piece of good advice traveling with little one is to also bring a change of clothes for yourself, it's not very comfortable being covered in soda for 10+ hours :-(

Hi J., I have traveled with my son when he was an infant the trick about the ears is a bottle to suck on or if you are breastfeeding feed the baby during take off and landing, this will help there little ears, good luck... Penelope

We took our 6 weeks old daughter on a cross country plane trip for my brother's wedding. My advise is to nurse (or bottle feed) your baby the same way you would chew gum to reduce pressure on your ears. I would do that during take off and sometimes during the decline towards landing. It seems to do the trick.
D.

We took our 6 month daughter on a 4 hour plane ride to Chicago. The take off and landing are the times where the ears pop the worst. I nursed her during these times to keep her jaws moving and I gave her a little bit of baby Tylenol to calm her down a bit. No problems!

it was sooo much easier travelling when they were little and not mobile. if you're worried about ears popping or not popping try nursing or offereing a bottle during take off and landign. worked for my 6 week old. now my boys are 4 and 1 and require more amusement and opportunities to stretch their legs! btw- you can take any amount of liquid in a baby bottle or sippy cup.

I have taken my daughter, who is now 4, on several airplane rides when she was a baby. When she was 3 months, 6 months and 18 months. Every time she loved the ride and I had no problems with her. When she was three months she slept through a three hour flight. At 6 and 18 months she just played with the other passengers and gave everyone else a good ride. You can have a baby on your lap during a flight, or put them in a carseat. They can fly for free if they are on your lap, but I always brought the carseat with me, and when you are at the boarding area go up and ask if there is extra room on the flight for the carseat. If there is you can set your baby in the carseat next to you and have your hands free. If it is a totally booked flight, you have to check the carseat in the boarding area, the same as a stroller, and have the baby on your lap. A stroller is great to have at the airport, but you will usually be targeted to be checked from airline security. Try to travel with only the essentials so it is easier during at security check points. They will check your purse, diaper bag, and stroller and carseat. Hope all goes well for you in the future.

We took our 2 month old on an airplane from portland to kentucky. It was acutally a pleasent experience. The airlines are very helpful and accomodating to anyone traveling with a young infant. It best if you can try to feed at take off and landing or give a pacifier. My daughter just slept through most of the flights. She was actually hard to wake up to feed her. The white noise and movement were very soothing. I took a boppy so it was easier to hold her for a long time. The airlines will let you leave them in thier infant seat and stroller until you get on the plane. Good luck getting pregnant and have fun if you go.

Here's what I did that worked great: get a prescription or OTC the counter decongestant--I worked with my pediatrician to get the correct dosage. Put the medicine in a bottle with formula or juice and give it to your baby when you get on the plane--the sucking motion helps to keep down the pressure in the ears during take off and keeps the ears from plugging up during the rest of the flight--the nice side effect of the degongestant is that it will make your baby sleepy and you will have a happy baby and a great flight! Always be sure to use the correct dose of medicine as when they are young it is strictly based on baby's weight. Good luck!!

Hi J.,

I've been flying allover the country with our son since he was 1 month old, and never had any problems with his ears. I always nursed him during take off and landing, and the swallowing alone seemed to do the trick. Now that he's four,it's a lot more work!!! We bring tons of toys and books to entertain him, and trust me, I don't enjoy the trips much, but as far as ears go, I think he's used to the sensation since we've been flying since birth.

J. B

Continental and United has set out some new luggage rules so your two bags free may not exist any longer. Call your airlines to verify.

Usually when one airline changes their rules the other airlines like to follow, so please check before you travel and get the agents name and date and time you talked to them just for backup at the airport.

We took our baby on the plane at 4 mos. Our ped. told me to have him nurse or suck his pacifier during takeoff and landing. While the family was having all kinds of ear pressure complaints and pain, Silver stayed cheerful through it all!

I have not done it myself but I hav heard from others that you need to make sure there is something to make the baby swallow on ascent and descent. Binky, bottle, food, blowing in the face,. Don't let them sleep but make them swallow to pop their ears.

I can't wait to see what others say...

jem

I have had children that play and enjoy the entire ride, and some that cry for the entire (as long as 6 hours) flight. They will not get sick though but will be having mild pain. Plan to travel during naptime, a bottle or nursing, or a passifier will get the ears to pop and relieve the pressure, same as gum for the older kids. Unless your baby has an ear infection or sensitive ears you should not have much of a problem. (in the misserable case above, my daughter was cursed with my sensitive ears that pop when driving uphill:)

I just took my 7-week old baby on a trip. I mostly nursed her going up and going down to facilitate pressure equalization in her ears. She did wonderfully even when I didn't nurse on one descent. She did yawn a few times and that will also eliminate pressure imbalance. My best to you in conceiving and flying with your little one.

Does your child use a pacifier? It is said that if the baby is sucking on the way up, but, more importantly, on the way down, it should reduce ear pain. I've been told that if they are awake, upright, and sucking, this is the best. I traveled with a 6 month old with no problems, but have friends who did the same and had a baby throwing up. How severely the baby will be affected, I am sure, depends on each individual baby. Have you had problems going over (mountain) passes with your little one? If so, that could mean problems in flight.

We took our son on a plane flight twice before he was one. Both times I nursed him during take off and landing. He did really well both times. Bring a favotire toy or two and plan on walking the aisles a couple times. The nicest thing the airline employee did was to put us in a seat with an unoccupied seat next to it. That made diaper changes so much easier than having to do them in the bathroom. I recommend you ask if that can be done. It made all the difference in the world.

Everyone else has already addressed the sucking issue, so I won't go over that again.....but...

I would make sure that you plan to have enough time on the layover to let the kids get the wiggles out! Usually when we do our Disney World trip, we like to get the connections as close as possible, but when travelling with an infant and a four year old (the older two would probably be fine with going straight through), it's nice to maybe have lunch and let them walk and play for a little bit before having to get back on the plane. Then perhaps the baby will be ready for a nap for the last leg of the journey!

As far as Disney World goes, definitely take advantage of FastPass to minimize waiting! Make reservations at any of the sit down restaurants if you want to go to any of those, in advance is necessary to minimize wait. If you need to change the time, something's happened and you're stuck at this place or that place, carry the phone numbers of the restaurants with you so that you could call and let them know that you're running late but you are coming. If you have a Disney Visa card, I've heard that stroller rentals are free! Use it for the 4 and 6 year olds (there is so much walking around, don't be afraid to let them ride!).

Oh and a hidden secret at Disney World, it's become our tradition the last night of our stay....at the campground they have movies under the stars! There is a camp song singalong with Chip and Dale, you can roast marshmallows (you buy a kit that works for our family of five for about $6!) and then there is a movie (my favorite was watching Toy Story with the kids at the campground!). It's so much fun! They do it nightly I think. Take a blanket or beach towels for the kiddies to sit on if you want, but there are benches as well. You do NOT have to stay on property to do this, it is free to anyone who knows about it!

Have fun!

I have taken my baby on the plane at 3 months and 6 months. I nursed her upon take off and landing the first time because that is what I heard works to prevent the ears poping. I didn't do it the flights at 6 months and everything was fine. I haven't heard of any problems from any of the moms i know.

I have twin girls who are now 3 yrs old. We have probably been on airplanes with them 8-10 times so far (including yearly trips to Taiwan). I think it's key when they are babies to make sure they are sucking on something (pacifier, bottle, etc) during take off and landing- this seems to help a lot to equilibrate the ear pressure changes. Things are fine as far as their ears go during the actual flight.
Traveling with small children is really difficult, but it can go well with a lot of planning. Having enough toys/things to amuse them during the flight is also important. As they get older, I always take a couple of little books or sticker pages or something that they have never seen before to get out partway through the flight when they are getting bored.
Good luck with your trip- hope this is helpful:)

The airlines now suggest not taking an infant under six weeks on a flight.
Probably real good advice. If you do travel with a nursing baby, it is
definitely a good idea to have him nursing or sucking from a bottle during
take-off and landing. It will keep her ears cleared. I always made sure
there was a pacifier nearby as well. One awful flight I left my one year old's
binky on my tray by mistake....... He screamed in pain during the whole
landing. When children get older and experience ear pain during a flight,
ask the attendant for a paper drinking cup with a napkin folded in the
bottom on which she has poured a bit of very hot water. Then have the
child hold it over his ear. The warmth of the steam is very soothing and
in most cases alleviates the pain. Good for you, J., thinking in
advance. Bon voyage!

D. LaTourelle, WK
Mom and Birth Coach

I have flown with all of my kids. The youngest we flew was when my first daughter was 3 weeks old but before she was a year old she had flown more than 10 times. I never had any real problems. We nursed on the take offs and landings just as a precaution and there were a couple of flights that you could tell her ears were bothering her. Mine bother me horribly so I was sensitive to hers possibly being a problem but we didn't have any issues. My second daughter also never showed any signs of having issues. She used a pacifier and again was able to suck through any discomfort.

In regard to the sickness part of your question, I think it is more an issue of the recirculated air in the cabin that causes illness than an ear problem unless you mean motion sickness? I always started taking (or giving as they got older) echinacea about three weeks prior to the trip and that seemed to do the trick. My middle child is allergic to echinacea so I used the eldeberry immune support you can find in the health section of Fred Meyer or pretty much any herbal store.

I would certainly say fly if you want to go somewhere!

I flew with my baby twice this past year on flights that were about 2.5 hours - once when he was 4 mos and once at 8 mos old. The key to keeping any child comfortable is to help them equalize their ear pressure. The easiest way for a child to do this is by swallowing. Nurse or bottle feed your baby on the ascent and descent. These are the times when their ears will bother them the most (if at all). During one flight, my baby slept right through the descent, so I didn't even have to worry. During the other times, drinking worked just fine, and he didn't seem bothered by it at all. This trick works for kids of all ages. When my eldest was younger, I gave him a sippy cup of juice on the descent (the ascent never bothered him). Now, he's almost 6 and he drinks too quickly for that to work, so I use suckers. They work great! All kids are different, and those with ear problems probably have more trouble, but both of my boys have always done fine.

Neither of my boys have ever gotten sick because of flying. That has to do with motion sickness, not equalizing ear pressure, and my kids don't have problems with motion sickness. If you have a "typical" baby, I don't think this will be a problem for you either.

The hardest thing about flying with an infant is to keep them entertained. Bring toys and books, and take them on walks down the aisle. It's a blessing when they sleep through a flight, but there's no guarantee that they will. Good luck, and I hoped this helped!

Hi there. I have taken my son on a few plane rides since he was born last June. Your baby shouldn't get sick due to the ear popping - it is just an uncomfortable feeling that may lead them to cry or fuss. The best thing to do to avoid the ear popping fussiness is to feed your baby (either breastfeed or bottle) during take off and landing. Their swallowing will keep their ears from popping, or lessen the feeling. My son didn't even register the ear popping while he was eating, and pretty much slept the rest of the flight. Best of luck!

I took my daughter on her first airplane ride when she was 2 1/2 months. We did not have any problems on the trip to. On the way home she was fussy. I tried nursing her and holding her close. The flight attendants were helpful and so were the others sitting around me. We took her again just after her first birthday. She had a bit of a cold the week before and she wasn't real happy flying but we lived through the experience (fussy and crying). Coming home was much better because she felt better. She was a little unsure of the taking off and landing but she was a trooper. Our flight was 2 1/2 hours and she got bored easily. Bring lots of toys. When permitted I walked her up and down the aisle. My family likes taking vacations. I don't see me changing a thing. We will figure it out as we go. Just make sure you and your husband are very patient and flexible. With that attitude, you can't loose. :O)

When my daughter was 3 months old, she took her first plane ride. There didn't seem to be any discomfort for her at all. The plane attendants walked her up and down the isle when she got fussy. Her next plane trip took place when she was 11 months old with no ill effects. I'm not sure if everyone has ears that "pop" in airplanes, but most people experience that when they travel up a mountain in a car so I don't think that being in a plane could be any worse. Have a nice trip!

You've already gotten lots of advice but I had to put my two-bits in too as we just got back last night from a flight. It was a 2 1/2 hour flight. My four month old loved it. He loved staring at the other passengers. On decent, he yelled some. I just get bouncing him. He didn't want to nurse much. I think he was afraid of how much he'd miss. The worst thing was they wouldn't let the four of us sit next to each other cause they have only 3 oxygen masks per side in the smaller aiplanes! Good luck!

Hi J.,
I am mother to an 8 month old and we've been on 3 plane rides so far. The first was when she was just less than 3 months. What was suggested to me by a flight attendant mom and friend was to nurse her upon take-off and landing. This seemed to work. One of the times she had a cold and I was really worried about her experiencing pain so I also gave her baby tylenol before the flight and once during as it was a five hour flight. She didn't have any noticeable discomfort thankfully. I've also heard that if they do start to get blocked ears and scream you are to put your mouth over their mouth and nose and gently blow in to unblock their ears (might want to check that one out further as I've never had to do it). Given my experiences with plane rides and my daughter so far, and with the advise of friends, I would highly recommend taking trips before they get too mobile. 3 to 6 months is a great age. After this time, they tend to be a bit more squirmy and want to move about more. Hope this helps and that you have a great trip to Disneyland.

Hi J.. I have not travelled with an infant for years, but my daughter has taken six plane trips with her infant, now six months old. The tube between the out ear and inner ear is straight until a child turns @ eight years old. Therefore children are more likely to get ear infections and be aware of air pressure change. To counter act this it is important for young children to suck on something. Sucking creates a counter pressure. For older kiddos chewing gum works. Bring a backpack of favorite games, books, and toys for the older children, because they will get restless. Have fun. Travelling with kids always brings an extra layer of unexpected challenges, fun, and watching them watch you cope is a great learning experience.

I have extensive experience in this area. We took my daughter on a flight at 5 weeks. Except for the fact that I was by myself cross-country it was fine. I nursed her going up and down and she was perfect. Bring lots of extra diapers, formula (if applicable) etc. My daughter has then flown extensively since then (about 40 flights) and she is 2.5 yrs old.

We stopped flying for a bit when she started walking since nothing was going to keep her from moving. Now we bring the DVD player and we are all set.

We took our three month old son and 4 year old daughter to disneyworld and it was just fine. I just made sure to nurse him a lot during take-off and landing.

My best advice is to try to plan your trip around your infant's nap time and then give the baby a bottle during takeoff and landing. The sucking will help with ears popping and you'll have a relatively stress-free flight while your baby sleeps!

I have taken my oldest on short (1 hour) to long (5 hr) flights. He does great. For little ones a binky, bottle or nursing during take off and landing. If they are too old for that then a sippy cup works great. And if they are old enough then gummy bears/fruits or even gum works to keep their jaws moving and extra saliva so they keep swallowing.

Also a cheap and easy form of entertainment is scotch tape. Let the children play with a piece you have torn off for them. They usually will be intrigued for a while. It doesn't take much tape to entertain them. Therefor it goes a LONG way. If they are old enough, don't take crayons and paper, take a Magna Doodle it's easier to erase and the pen is attached.

Use the stroller to get to the jetway, then leave it and you will have it to go get your luggage! If you don't wanna buy a seat for the littlest one then carry the carseat to the gate and ask if they have extra seats. A lot of times they will and you get a free seat for a baby!

Check out the Disney website . . . you can see the baby areas that they have in each park. We printed out maps and were prepared. They have micros and places to nurse and changing tables. It's really pretty cool! I would HIGHLY suggest taking your own stroller to the parks. There strollers are hard plastic, not comfy for the kids. And you never know who's is who's. While you are in a ride your stroller might be moved by a Disney Castmember.

Hope this helps!! Have a great time!

Hi J.! We fly twice a year with our kids (now 10, 7, and 4, and have flown with them since they were 7 weeks old. My biggest suggestion is to feed the baby during take-off and as the plane begins to descend (can be 30 minutes before actual landing!). If they're sleeping -- they're usually fine. If they wake up, they need to be swallowing. Take-off is better than landing. SWALLOW (drink) during the landing process. (You'll notice your ears begin to feel different as the plane starts a slow descent. The baby won't know what's going on then and needs your help to start swallowing then!) ENJOY! We have lots of "airplane" tips here!

I took my baby on an airplane several times and we had no problems. It is good to either nurse the baby, feed them, or give them something to suck on while ascending and descending. This will help their sensitive system to adjust to the elevation changes - even some kind of lollypop will work and may calm your baby down if fussy. Good luck and enjoy your trip. S. Young