Traveling Long Distance with a 14 Months Old for the First Time.

If you do not buy her a seat, you need to hold her. A carrier of any sort
will not be helpful because you need a seat to put it in. Try bringing new
toys with you. Good luck.

I had my son in a baby b'air vest on a recent flight. It worked great for us. When the seatbelt light went off my boyfriend and i could pass him back and forth entertaining him. My son also liked to take the papers out of the seat pocket in front of us and rip them. Bringing toys that can fit in the pockets could equal alot of fun play for your daughter.

Sucking and swallowing help with ear pressure. Giving your daughter something at take-off will help alot. If your plane isn't sold out, look for an empty row. I was able to walk back and forth with my son between our seat and a couple in the back. I was worried we might be bothering the other passengers, but most people just smiled. I was surprised when we landed at how many people commented on how good our kids were. If your lucky the hum of the plane will should make your daughter tired and have a long nap. Good luck.

I used to travel a lot with our little one on the plane. It really can be fun!

Some things that really helped me:
Umbrella stroller that I could take with me to the gate (priceless!)
Baby Bjorn baby carrier (I had to take it off on the plane, but it was GREAT through security!)
Favorite bottle or sippy cup (I bought milk once we were through security)
Travel Magna Doodle (small in size and endlessly entertaining; you can draw familiar shapes, and she'll love it! she'll also love drawing!)
A few board books, especially ones that have texture or flaps

And yes, find an open space (or relatively open space) and let her just run around. My son would climb over and under chairs for about 30 minutes before we got on the plane, and it was great! He would usually fall asleep during the flight. If not, he was in such a great mood that he was flirting with everyone in sight.

It would also be a good idea to write a list of your daughter's favorite songs, or other songs you could sing with her on the plane. I say "write a list" because when I get stressed, I forget everything! Some of my son's favorites were Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, If I Were a Butterfly, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc. We also played Where is Thumbkin. It can be really fun!

Someone else mentioned it, but let me stress again, do not, not, NOT forget to take bottles! It is a great way to prevent the pressure from hurting her ears and if she starts hurting it can be ugly (trust me from experience). Take-off and landing both.
Security is very good about allowing formula, but you can always fill bottles from water fountains or bottled water bought after passing through security. And if you have to, get a flight attendant to fill it for you before take-off. It may seem pushy, but everyone will thank you later!
Have a great trip!
S.

I have used the Baby B'Air. It worked great to keep my baby secure and with me. Here is the link to a website with more info about it...
http://www.inventiveparent.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd...

Good luck and have a safe trip.

My recommendation is to buy her her own seat on the plane. Whether she ends up spending most of the time on your lap is fine, but buying her her own seat buys you room and comfort.

M.

I've taken my 3 year old on 2 12 hour plane trips already, and we're gearing up for another one in August, which will be my first long flight for my 10 month old. I agree with using a stroller through the airport, great idea. In the airport run her ragged! circles, jumps, chase- whatever. It will bother everyone else in the terminal but they will appreciate it when she is fast asleep on the plane. In that same vain, do your best to keep her up and not eating a bottle until you get on the plane, than she can drink the bottle as they take off which will help her ears, and than she will quickly fall asleep. Once up, lots of walks to ask the stewardesses for juice is great. I always bring a bag of about 5 or 6 small, individually wrapped toys to take out as needed. Each is a great surprise and gives my son something to look forward to. Lastly, don't underestimate the value of the movie - there are always child friendly shows on the individual screens and that works great. Lastly, when you get to the airport ask how full the flight is and if you can get a bulk head or row with fewer people, the more room to spread out the better. And while an extra seat would be nice, i know that for us that was cost prohibitive for us. Happy traveling!

Please remember a change of clothes for the baby and you too. Trust me :) Put a full outfit in a big ziploc bag so you don't have to hunt for it. Also,Huggies overnights for the whole day traveling. My best advice is that at some point your baby will probably get fussy and cry. Stay calm and go with it. No matter how much you do to keep her occupied it will happen . If you are calm she will be calm too.Don't worry about anyone else on the plane. It's part of traveling. Bring snacks,new toys,books etc. My little ones loved their wheeled carryons that looked like a dog and frog. (Walgreens)We walked around the airport until we boarded.Change her before you board and also on the plane in your seat if you can.The bathrooms on the plane are so tiny and icky. Do it fast!Check your car seat and stroller in at the gate too. Happy Travels!

By carrier, I am assuming you mean a front-type carrier? I loved traveling with my Ergo because you don't have to take the baby off during security, and once you sit down on the plane, you just take off the armstraps, and my son loved that position to sleep in while traveling. He actually slept quite a bit on the plane even if it wasn't nap time - and you can run your daughter at the airport beforehand just to tire her out. Ignore the looks you will get...they will be happier with a tired baby on the plane.

I would get a few new toys, and some snacks (drinks are allowed through security for little ones, and it will help with the air pressure during take off and landing) too. My son was most interested in ripping newspapers and magazines during the flight. My husband tried to take it away from him, but I reminded him that we are told we can keep the magazine, and it was entertaining our son, so just be happy! :)

Also, an extra tip, go to Lowe's or Walmart and get a bunch of earplugs. With the chance that your daughter may cry, those around you will appreciate the thoughtfulness as you try to comfort her.