Any Tips for Air Travel with a 9 Week Old?

Hi D.!

We fly a lot with our two boys (3 and 1), and I have flown a great deal with them without my husband (just me). It's very easy as long as you're prepared.

1) Never think you have too much formula or diapers. If you think you do, stuff in one more diaper to your bag.
2) Time your flights around naps
3) Let your baby eat/swallow during take off and landing (#'s 2 and 3 will let them sleep)
4) Wear your baby in a sling. I still gate checked my stroller, but having the baby close made them snuggle and feel secure and it kept my hand free to do whatever I needed to to (tend to my older one, etc.).
5) Always take advantage of pre-boarding for both you and your husband. You both can pre-board even with one child.
6) If your baby fusses, it's OK!!! I know it is uncomfortable, and you will get nasty looks. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do, so just take a breath and hum or sing to your baby while you rock them and don't look at the people around you. You can't control their lack of compassion so don't try.
7) Bring little soft toys and books...anything you can pull out of your bag of tricks to use as distraction (when they get to be about a year, the window shade is awesome!).

As for what you can bring:

You can bring as much baby formula or expressed breast milk, BABY juice (not regular juice) and baby food as you want, and it doesn't have to be in the 3oz containers like other liquids. AS LONG AS YOUR BABY IS TRAVELING WITH YOU. When I traveled away from home for business without my children, I had a tougher time getting my expressed milk back home through security--the female TSA's were much more understanding than the male TSA's--the guys just don't understand how much work goes into producing that much milk and ask you to dump it??? NO WAY!

They will NOT make you taste/drink it, nor will they force you to feed the baby any of it.

If you are using powdered formula try to purchase room temperature water. Otherwise, you will have a very clumpy mixture because you cannot bring your own water through security, so you have to purchase water once you're through security. Don't even try it--I have tried at several airports. While they're forgiving on premixed formula and BABY juice, they are NOT forgiving with regular bottled water. You don't really want to pre-mix your formula though since it spoils so quickly.

Second, I would have LOTS of diapers! You never know if you will have a delay, cancelled, delayed on the runway, etc. While it never happened to me, I have a friend who was delayed on the tarmack (sp?) for 6 hours!!! Not to mention her son had a bout of diarrhea. She thought she packed enough diapers in her bag, and she would have if they weren't so delayed...the rest of her diapers were in their suitcases. She went through ALL of the diapers she had with her while waiting and ended up with diarrhea all over her clothes and still had to fly from FL back home to Philly. It was horrible.

I apologize for writing a book, but I hope you got some good tips.

Have fun!!

I wouldn't take mine in the air until they were two years old - fearful of ears getting injured.

My two year old screamed the whole take off and landing time - the change bothered her ears. My mother in law suggested Children's benadryl - and it worked. I don't know that a 9 week old can use it yet though.

When I was going to fly with my newborn, I researched this. I was told to try to hold him close to me during the flight. That would HELP to prevent him getting sick on the plane. It also said to give him a binky or bottle during take off and landing to help with the ear popping. With all the new regulations, I would suggest buying formula there (if needed) and just taking enough for the day with you. Good Luck.

Talk to your child's doctor. We flew our daughter when she was 18 mo old to St. Marteen. Our doctor gave us a special dosage of dramimine to give her to help her through the flight. Also if he has a pacifier, make sure he has it on the plane, it will help with the ears popping. Thank goodnes you have your husband along for support. Best of luck to the 3 of you.

If you can schedule the flight around the babies nap time even thought at 9 weeks they sleep all the time, for take off and landing have a pacifier or give a bottle so the little ones ears don't clog (like some people chew gum). Dress the baby in layers just to make sure you can easily adjust to the climate in the plane, airport and your final destination. Hopefully you will have a row to yourself so you can stretch out.

Also, you may look into the services that rent baby supplies, ie crib, high chair and other necessities, the expense is worth the avoided headache of lugging all of that stuff from home. You just have to supply you linens if you rent a crib.

Good luck!

I took an 11 week old from PA to FL years ago. Have your baby awake & playful before the flight. Feed him while taking off. ( Swallowing helps with the ear popping.) After that he should sleep the rest of the way. Have a great trip.

Hello, I just took my daughter to Maine and the best advice I can give you is take toys, drinks and food. She did great, she actually fell asleep on the way there and the way home. I just made sure I either nursed her or gave her a bottle and had some jar food for her. I was worried about her ears bothering her so I made sure she had a bottle during take off or you can use a pacifier...my daughter never took to one so I used a bottle!
You also need to be very relaxed...even though flying is never really relaxing!
Good luck!

Hi D. ~ We traveled with our 4 boys (the baby was just 6 weeks old) to Florida. I was scared to death, I was prepared with his nuk, a blanket to cover up so I could feed him,but he ended up sleeping both to and from. Your guy is so little that he'll probably do the same. ENJOY your trip!! Also if he does fuss, he's so little that everyone will be oohing and aahing over him. Blessings ~ J.

Hi D.

One of the biggest things I can suggest is to One have something for your baby boy to suck on (bottle, pacifier, etc.)when the airplane takes off and lands.

To go through security bottles and any food for the baby should be placed on the belt separately and do not be surprised if they ask you to taste the bottle.

When it comes to boarding the plane, when the airline offers pre-boarding either your husband or yourself should board first with all of the baby needs such as car seat and if you have a stroller you can gate check it. The reason I suggest someone board first at the pre-board is that it takes a while to get all of the other passengers boarded and your baby will not want to be confined for any longer than necessary.

Hope these suggestions help. I am a pilot and was a flight attendant. If you have any other questions email me at ____@____.com

Your baby is so little that traveling should be pretty easy. My best suggestion is to leave the stroller at home, check your car seat and use a wrap or sling to carry your baby. If your baby is in a wrap, you do not have to take him out to go through security. My favorite wraps when my son was small were the Moby Wrap (just a long piece of jersey fabric) or a peanut shell (loop of fabric). Both of these allow you to hold your baby close and keep him comfortable and safe. You can easily nurse (or give a bottle) in the wrap, which will help with ears popping. Also, you do not have to wake your son up for take off and landing because of his ears. My son was only uncomfortable if he was awake. If you're interested in wraps/sling, you can go to www.thebabywearer.com for more information and local places to purchase these and get help with sizes. Good luck and have a great trip!

You can also get a ear numbing drop RX from you pediatrician.

I just recently read in a magazine at my doctor's office about travelling with infants. Two tips I remember are giving the baby a bottle during take off and landing to help with the ear popping and contacting the airlines about guidelines for keeping a baby safely strapped in the seat. I wish I could remember which magazine it was. If it comes to me, I'll send you a message. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Traveling with a little one is super easy! It is when they get mobile that it gets more challenging. You will do great. I traveled with my son a lot when he was an infant.

Make sure your car seat is FAA certified (there should be a sticker on the edge somewhere) because they won't let it on the plane if it isn't.

Get a seat cover for your car seat so that if you have to check it, it won't get damaged. I bought one at Babies R Us that has wheels - which made it much easier to lug through the airport. Here is a link: <http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=267495...;

Always gate check your stroller and car seat - that way they won't get "lost" with the luggage and they will be there waiting for you when you arrive. When you gate check, you pick them up when getting off of the plane, so you have them to transport your child through the airport as well instead of having to get them at baggage claim...and if you are lucky there will be an empty seat on the plane and you can put your child in his/her car seat instead of holding them on your lap. When you get to the gate, ask for a gate check tag and ask teh gate agent if there is an open middle seat that you can use for the car seat - they can rearrange your seating so that there is an open seat next to you. Whenever I book tickets, I always book a window and an aisle for my husband and I so that it will less likely that someone will take the middle seat.

Have a great trip!

J.
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