First Time Flying

HI W.:

My advice is make him as comfortable as you can. Bring a favorite toy with you on the plane, a bottle to help with the ear popping, and some snacks.

Good Luck

we've done a lot of traveling, and what's worked for us is:
1. change dipe just before the flight--find a quiet part of the waiting area, it's cleaner and easier than the koala care tray in the ladies' room.
2. bring lots of small packets of snacks, ditto for small toys or books he hasn't seen before. the "new" factor will keep him interested in them that much longer.
3. if you're still nursing, it helps to nurse on takeoff and landing, as much for distraction as for helping his ears pop.
4. the thing that worked best for us was walking up and down the aisle when the plane was in flight. it kept her quiet and distracted. standing back by the lavatories or emergency exit was good too, since she could make more noise without disturbing others.
5. get a bulkhead seat if you can -- the extra room helps SO much. try to get an aisle & middle seat, if you can't get a whole row to yourself, since you'll be getting up and down, and generally just moving around more.
6. i know some moms who've dosed with benadryl to make the little ones sleepy, but if you're not sure how your guy reacts to it, you could end up with one very awake kid! ;)
7. some airlines let you preboard, but unless you really need the time to get settled, we found that it was better to have the extra 1/2 hour NOT on the plane and just board at the last second.

This is what worked for us -- GOOD LUCK.

Hi, I have 2 small boys, 12m and 2. I went to Walmart and bought "surprises":dinosaurs, cars, playdough and snacks like fruit snacks, cookies, crackers, variety cereal in the sm boxes. I wrapped the toys in tissue paper and gave them to my kids periodically on the trip. Playdough has resealable packets with accessories in different colors. I also bought a pad of paper, coloring books and crayons. It is alot to carry, but if you have the right bag (I had a backpack which also gave me the use of both my hands!) it will make your trip smoother. My doctor also said it was OK to give them Benadryl if things weren't working out! Make sure they have a bottle or sippy cup to drink during takeoff and landing too. It helps with the ears! Good luck!

My suggestion is to keep the baby awake all day and he will sleep on the plane.
Good Luck!

W.,
Don't be surprised if he is fussy. An 11 month old won’t know how to pop his ears, and this will frustrate him. Take his favorite things, a fuzzy blanket, binky, juice, and a favorite stuffed animal. And do your best. You might talk to your Pediatrician and ask him if he can recommend something in case he gets air sick or extremely fussy?

When my girl was little, I was advised to make sure she had a binky or some other teether to make sure she could regulate the pressure changes in her ears. Although everything is safe and pressurized, there are still variables that affect little ears and besides it helps soothe them. It works, because when I subsequently did a trip with my infant nephew without a binky, it was miserable. Reading their favorite book quietly to them also helps, as well as favorite "lovies". Be creative and downsized and you should have a great trip. Often they just sleep the whole way because after the initial excitement, the plane engines and movement lull them to sleep! Think good thoughts and enjoy yourself!

Bring a car seat for him to sit in. Even if you didn't buy him a seat bring it to the gate. If the flight is not full they will let him sit in it. Kids are so used to sitting in their car seats that they feel more comfortable. Bring snacks he is used to eating and likes. I make Cheerios necklaces for my kids. They can wear the necklace and munch on the Cheerios without spilling them all over the place. Also - if he is at all congested make sure he has a decongestant that your doctor allows so that his ears don't bother him.

Hi! My daughter began earning flight miles at 5 months ;o) The BEST advice I can give is to make sure he eats or drinks at take off AND landing.
To keep him busy during the flight- tire him out before the flight and hopefully he'll sleep through most of it. If not, take plenty of snacks and books. It's worked for me- my daughter has been on 5 round trip flights and I have been complimented on every one by the passengers and staff about how "good" she was during the flight. (She is now 2 years old and it's getting tougher to keep her in a seat for our 3.5 hour flights to Chicago). I hope this helps!! Good luck and have a safe flight.

I first flew with my son when he was 11 months old. He is now 3 1/2 and has flown about 10 times. Our flights are 5 hours each way b/c we go back to NJ to visit family about twice a year. All I can say is bring plenty of snacks (especially treats like stuff you don't normally give him - that will definitely distract him), try to schedule the flight(s) around his nap time so that will eat up an hour or two, the portable DVD player has been a God sent, so bring or borrow one of them if you can. I do all of these things every time I fly and it seems to make it a much easier less stressful flight for all of us. Hope that helps:)

I bought an extra ticket for my daughter so that she could sit in her car seat. It was soooo worth the money. I tried to schedule the flight at a time when she would usually nap. We got on the plane, put her in her car seat and within 10 minutes she took her nap. After 1 hour and 1/2 she woke up and we gave her a snack she loves and her sippy and then when she was done we brought out a new toy we bought her. I had read once that it is a great idea to purchase a new toy that your child would like and show it to them while in flight. Then when she got board with her toy she started to get a bit fussy so we gave her a mini sucker...she loved it and it kept her occupied for 20+ minutes. My daughter also loves books so we packed a few of her favorite board books to read together on the plane. My daughter was a year old when we did all of this (just in case your wondering). Good luck!

Hello! I flew with our 7-week-old daughter and everything worked out good both ways. Check with the airline on what they can do for your or may need from you. Ours wanted a copy of the vaccination record. Since the flight is 4 hours long, I would look into a reduced-price-baby seat. If that works out, check if your car seat works on the plane so baby stays safe. Milk the baby-factor and make friends with the flight attendants : ) If you travel alone, you might feel comfortable with one of them to look after the baby while you run to the bathroom rather than take him along. With him being 11 months, he'll probably require entertainment. Plan for meals, as airlines do not provide baby food that I know of. Pack disposable everything, trash bags and lots of wipes. Have something at hand to trigger him to swallow during takeoff and landing. Plan for or look for help through Security, as they will want to scan the stroller, leaving you to juggle baby, bags, shoes and yourself. That said, bring plenty of time and slip-on shoes. Keep carry-on to a minimum, less to worry about. Dress comfortably and pack snacks for yourself so you can stay calm no matter what. I also got some tips from various websites when I looked then, but I did not keep the URLs (sorry!).
Hope this helps!
Good luck and safe travel!

Took my daughter flying for the first time when she was 5 months. Made sure I had a bottle of juice for her for going up in the air and coming down. I also breast feed her. It was a 6 hr flight with a couple of hours of layover. So when we went up and came down I just ensured she had something to suck on for her ears. She was not extremly active. She slept her nap on the plane and she sat in our laps gave her books to mess with and a few toys. Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.

Hi W.,

First time flights are always a little hairy. I took my son on his first flight when he was 9 months old. He did great except for when landing and taking off. The pressure in the cabin did a number on his ears especially since he had a cold and was already stuffed up. If you are breast feeding still and feel comfortable with it, feed him when the plane is taking off and landing-the sucking action will help their ears pop naturally, or give him a bottle or sippy cup. Bring everything you need on a carry-on and see if you can request bulk head seating. You have more room in the front of the cabin so when they are bored you can set them down and let them explore the floor rather than the seat in front of them. It is also easier to get on and off the plane. Also don't worry about it if he cries-I'm a mother and I fly regularly for business-I understand if there is a baby crying on a flight-sometimes I'd like to cry too! If other people do not understand they are obviously not parents. Your baby will cry more if you stress about the concerns of other people! And finally it's best if you have a long flight to do a plane change-sometimes they just need a change of scenery. Most airports have an area for kids to play in between flights. Chicago O'Hare has a great one. Good luck!

Hello W.,

When I travelled 9 hours w/my daughter overseas, she was 6 months old. I chose a flight at night so she would sleep. Everytime she cried I would walk to the toilet aerea and rock her to calm her down. Also a new toy and an old one helps too. Ah! Lots of books. Now that my daughter is older, sitckers make the flight a lot easier. Good luck!

S.

If he likes pacifiers give him that or something to suck on or stuff to drink to help his ears pop as long as he is swallowing his ears will feel better. My son slept most of the way when I flew 4 hours. Take books to read, snacks, can't really think of much right now, I hope other moms give some good suggestions too.!! Good luck!

If your baby is walking, don't be afraid to take her/him on a walk up and down the aisles. That will help get their energy and wiggles out and I have found that the other passengers love watching and smiling at baby! Also, try to keep baby up for as long as possible before the flight. Maybe have him/her skip a nap so that he/she will sleep. That could backfire on you though. You could end up with a very cranky child. You should make any decision based on your child's own temperment. Good luck!

We travel several times a year and here are some hints that work for us. I travel with a diaper bag that opens from the top so when it is on the floor you can get in it easily.
I put in it 3 diapers, compact wipes, garbage bag, bottle or sippy cup, two small new toys that your child doesnt know you have (walgreens is great place to get them)and a ziploc of cherioes or snack of choice. I also carry a boppy pillow, it is a little bulky to carry around but the use of it on the plane is priceless! Your child can sit on it on your lap and if she falls asleep it is so much more comfortable than having to fully support your child. Another hint that is good is dont get on the plane when they call for first call. I get on at last call and change her diaper while everyone is loading so she has a clean fresh diaper to start the flight. It is very hard to change a baby on the plane, and people give you dirty. looks. Waiting until last means less time on the plane! Also at take off and landing if your child has a pacifier it will help with the ears, otherwise if you have them sipping on their bottle or cup or chewing on something it will help also with the ears. Hope this will help. Have a safe trip!