We Are Traveling to Poland...... HELP!!! Any Suggestions?

I would also suggest non stop as well. Call the airline and find out what are the least vrowded flights, they can tell you from experience which ones go out full and which do not. That way if you choose a flight that may not be as crowded you are more likely to score an extra seat for free!
Another tip for traveling with a 10 month old is to have a cloth only baby carrier (woven wrap, cotton pouch). Most airports now will let you carry baby through the detectors with in a carrier with no buckles (to set off machines). That way you have baby on you at all times in the hectic airport and don't have to worry about taking him in and out of stroller.
Good Luck and have fun!!
K.

The pressure when changing altitudes is supposedly pretty rough on small children. My daughter was still breast feeding during the periods we took plane trips, so I had her breast feed during takeoff and landing, and it went smoothly for us. Packing a backpack full of his favorite distractions- especially "special" ones he doesn't usually have access to (stickers, for example)- will keep him busy and happy. Good Luck!

Hi V.,
I would say go straight there without a layover. I took my daughter on a trip when she was 11 months old and I had a lay over but I wish I didn't. The best advice I can give you is to book your flight well. What I mean by that is your son has a particular schedule I"m sure he is used to. Make sure it's not too early in the morning. Once you start messing with his schedule, he'll get cranky and crankiness in a plane is no fun at all. Good luck.

V....Most airlines for international flights have basinets that hook onto the wall for babies under one. As long as you request the seat that faces the wall. Its very helpful. My husbands family is from Holland so we've made the flight there many many times and having the basinet is a big help. Good Lukck!

I use to go on the plane with my oldest son at the age of 3 months to 2 years old. He did good. My suggestion would be if the flight is more than 10 hours then you should layover. Kids can only sit still for so long.The plane made him sleep so it wasn't that bad. Just remember to bring something to chew on at the take off and landing because of the air pressure change. It helps if you do. Good luck.

L. R

Hey,
We have traveled alot with our daughter and each flight is completely different, starting w/first flight at 3 months had an 8 hour flight delay,so be prepared for everything, it was suppose to be a quick 2 hour flight so I was super low on diapers and they don't sell them in the airport, also bring them w/you, usually way more expensive overseas. We have found that people are generally very helpful. Book the shortest flight possible, give him tylenol or motrin before helps but in our case it wore off way before we got on the flight, also I'm not sure if you can have liquids now for flight, so I've used "Norton teething tablets" Its going to be a long day but making it as much fun as possible helps, wear pants w/pockets,easy slip off shoes for securtiy, I tried the sling thing thinking it would be great being hands free but I had to take it off and take my daughters shoes off, have a change of clothes for both of you, my daughter(12mths then) loves fruit so she had a ton of it during the flight and had a major blow out (1st one, I knew the day would come) just as we were getting off, had to wrap her in papertowels and turned a receiving blanket into a sarong, then board a crowded airport shuttle before we could get to a bathroom - I ended up throwing her whole outfit away (so start w/not so cute clothes) and my husband bought me a goofy tourist shirt before we caught our international flight. Also you just take your stroller right up to the gate which is great. If he takes a pacifier have plenty, everywhere & more than enough for entire trip, I could not get them in some places and had 1 scraggly one for flight home, if you nurse do or bottle -decending is suppose to be the worst on their ears, I also like to use those sanitary wipes to wipe everything down on the plane. Customs is long, your going to have a ton of everything but you need it, Keep calm, keep smiling and if he starts to cry just think adults complain and talk loud all the time, Be very proud of yourselves and your little guy, you are exposing him to one of the greatest gifts of all - travel! Your going to do just fine! M.

Hi V.
Travelling with kids can certainly be stressful but there are a lot of things that can make it easier on you. First, TAKE THE NONSTOP! Adding a layover adds so much more time onto your trip and let me tell you, the hardest part of travelling with kids is the getting to,from,on,off the plane and getting settled.
Buy a seat and bring your carseat. Most kids know that when they are in their seats they have to stay there. It makes it more familiar and comfortable for everyone. Not to mention safer. You don't have to buy a seat for kids under 2 but the cost sons safety far outweighs the cost of a seat. The bassinet idea is a great one too, most only have a minimum number of bassinets so book early, reconfirm as far ahead as possible and again before leaving for the airport.
Make sure you bring enough juice, snacks,diapers and toys for double the time you think you'll be on the plane. Delays happen. If you let him watch tv, take a dvd player with headsets. Most airlines require that you wear headsets with anything that has sound.
And don't forget to bring on board a change of clothes for both of you.
Ascending and descending can be tough on little ears. During take off offer a bottle,breast,sippy cup and again 30 minutes before landing.
Hope this helps!
Happy Travels!

Hi V.,

I loved in Germany when my son was born. He made 3 trips back and forth to the US before his first birthday (it's a 9 hour flight). I would recommend spending the extra money to get him a seat on the plane. We did a trip with my son when he was about 8 months old. We didn't buy him a seat, but got lucky and were in a row without anyone else in it. It was a blessing because he could crawl around on the seat and floor without bothering anyone. I also used to buy my son a special toy that he didn't get until he got on the plane. This gave him something new to play with. I also took a ton of books with me (he loves to read). I would recommend a non-stop flight. My first flight with my son was non-stop and it was a blessing (he was 2 months old and I was traveling alone with him). The other flights had layovers and they were a disaster. One layover was delayed, so we were trying to entertain him in the airport while staying close to the terminal. The less you have to load and unload them from the plane the better. Also, make sure you have a sippy or a bottle for take-off and landing. It helps equilize the pressure in their ears. Finally, make sure you have extra of everything. The first time my son threw up was on a trip back to Germany somewhere over the Atlantic ocean. Always pack way more than you think you need.

We lived in Europe and took our daughter on a lot of trips and flights while there. What I found is that most everyone on flights is completely understanding. If he'll walk holding your hands, walk him up and down the aisles. Don't forget gas meds as flying often causes them pain.
Bring some of his favorite toys, stuffed animals and as many snacks as they will allow.

S.
www.sandigrass.myarbonne.com

Hi, V.! What a lucky child, getting to travel internationally already! (I was in Poland twice in the last few years and loved it, BTW!)

Our kids have been traveling for years, starting at 7 months old! They have been great travelers!

SEATS ON FLIGHT:

You didn't mention if you plan to buy your son his own seat.

Our kids are now 9 and 12, so when we started all this there was no option for the discounted tickets for kids. Back then, we would try to travel when the flights were less crowded. (Ex: at 8 AM for a 3 hour flight within the USA). We would book an aisle and a window where there are 3 seats across and cross our fingers that no one would be in the middle. That worked all but 1 time. We ALWAYS brought our car seat, and we had to check it at the gate just that one time.

Soon after, the option of buying an infant seat at 50% off started, and we always took that option. Yes, we hated spending the extra money, but we looked at it as a major safety issue, and being in a car seat on a plane is the safest way for a baby to fly. (You can research this, as I did.) Also, your baby no doubt is used to spending time in a car seat. We found that our kids were not restless during the flights and were quite content to stay in their car seats, someplace very familiar and comfortable for them. Sometimes they slept on flights, sometimes they didn't, but they always were easy travelers, and I think their familiar car seats was a big reason for this.

If you do not plan to purchase a seat for your son, I still would bring his car seat to the plane; if there's an empty seat, you'll have a free seat for your son, and he'll be comfy in his familiar seat. If there are no empty seats for the car seat, the seat will be taken with your stroller at the plane door, and it will be waiting for you when you exit the plane. When you check in your bags, talk to the agent about seating. He/she may see a better seating arrangement for your family and you can decide if you want to move.

Also, I just returned from a trip to Europe, and by chance flights each way had MANY empty seats. Many of ended up being able to take 3 seats across and sleeping, both going on a 10 pm overnight flight (a Saturday), and returning home on a noon flight (a Monday). An overnight flight to Europe is nice because the lights are turned off for most of the flight.

Additionally, international flights often reserve bulkhead seats for families with infants, and they will put "sleeping cots" in front of the seats, attached to the wall. I don't recall seeing this in the U.S., but I may be wrong. A bulkhead seat will give you more leg room. Often, however, the arms cannot go up on the bulkhead seats, between the seats (at least on the larger, international flights), so as your child gets older you may not want that if you want him to be able to cuddle against you during a flight!
So many airlines to Europe now have individual TV/movie screens, with plenty of kids’ shows. You can check with the airline, online, for the variety. Perhaps they will have Barney or Dora or something else that might keep your son busy from time-to-time on the flight.

STROLLER:

Airlines have a very nice system for strollers! You can take one all the way to the plane door! Sometimes I miss having a stroller with me all the way to the door! What an easy way to carry everything! Specifically, take your stroller down the walkway and all the way to the door, with the baby in it all the way, if you want. When you are about to step on the plane, you'll take the baby out, fold the stroller and leave it right outside the plane door (in the walkway to the plane). (If you have specific questions, just ask before you board.) It is so convenient! I tended to take a small stroller with me for travel, the one that the car seat fit into. I left my large, much nicer one at home, on purpose. Sometimes it would have been nice to have the bigger one, but my advice is to travel light when you can! It’s hard enough to do this with a baby)

NON-STOP vs. LAYOVERS:

I know at least one person wrote you recommending having layovers. I don’t have experience with that, as we always book non-stop flights, even if it means driving an hour or 2 to an airport in another city. If this is what you want to do, make sure the flight is a non-stop flight...not just a direct flight (which may stop but without a plane change), but non-stop.

Although my kids now are 9 and 12 and are great, seasoned travelers, and although money is not flowing, we still opt to pay a little more money for a non-stop flight. It just is so much easier with kids...less chance of ear problems on the plane (with the landing and take off pressure changes), less time to get antsy, less chance of delays that set back the whole day and sleep cycle, less chance to be extra hungry because of delays, less chance to cut into the vacation if there are delays. Of course, a non-stop flight can have delays, too, but the more fights you have on a trip, the more of a chance for delays you have.

FEEDING

Keep your child drinking on take off and, even more importantly, on landing, to avoid any ear discomfort (which would lead to a screaming child). I would hold off on the liquids right before a flight so that my babies would be thirsty on take off. Then I would hold off as much as possible during the flight, so they will want to drink a lot during the longer, sometimes more painful (to the ears) landing process.

I nursed my kids, but not on the flights, although I know a lot of people do do that, which is great. I brought pumped milk with us for them for the flights; as much as I really wanted to nurse on the flights...help with the ear thing, as well as the normal routine...my husband and I felt it more important to keep the babies in their car seats, especially for the take-off and landing...so we fed expressed milk in bottles. (I don't know what the TASA regs are on all that now.)

TOYS AND EXTRA THINGS

I always brought both familiar and new toys and books for the ride there and the ride back. I used to wrap them to add to the excitement, and every so often during the flight to give a new toy. I would keep half of the wrapped toys/books for the return flight.

Also, travel with lots of extras...diapers, milk, snacks, etc...just in case of flight delays. Ditto re an extra change of clothes, in case your son gets sick or spits up…not that I would anticipate that, but better to have some extra clothes than to have a child in wet clothes for hours.

Also, try to relax! Your son will be fine, but if you're stressed and nervous, he may pick up on that and be less relaxed on the flight!

Have a nice, safe flight, and good luck!

Hi I have 4 kids (2-9years) and have always lived overseas with my husband's job. We have traveled back and forth a lot with babies. I just want to agree that a nonstop flight will bring you the least amount of stress, and Check with your airline to reserve a bassinet . Just a note, there is a changing table attached to the wall above the toilets on all the aircrafts now that folds down. One more thing…if you are not a mommy that gives your baby sugary baby treats, you may want to bring some along just incase of an all out screem-out. A sweet will surprise him and calm him until you can reorganize and refresh yourself. You will be surprised at how many people will be there to help you out with luggage, holding baby while you run to the toilet… etc. Have fun in Poland!

R.

Hi V.,

I have a five month old and he has had 12 airplane rides since he has been born. One at 5 weeks, 3 months, and 5 months. Our doctor told us to give him Motrin about an hour before the plane ride to help with this ears. Also, give him a bottle/sippy cup for take off and landing. I also encouraged a pacifier for the other time in the plane but my son didn't always want it. I didn't have to buy a seat for him so he was on my lap the entire time but I can honestly say that he was more happier laying on the seat next to me playing on the one flight that the seat next to me wasn't occupied. For your son, I am guessing that he will want to play so a layover might be a good idea. And traveling at night, so he can sleep might also be a good idea. If you have any more questions, please email me.