3 month old on airplane

[waltskids]

DH and I may fly to WDW and our DS will be 3 months old at the time. Has anyone flown with an infant that young? If so, what have been your experiences? It would be a 2 hour flight and I bottle feed. Thanks for any advice!

 

[justhat]

We've done 3 trips with 3 month olds (all to WDW too) and all of them were very easy flights. Actually, now that I think about it, I also took both of my kids alone to Phoenix when my son was 2 months old as well. So if that could be a good experience, you should have no worries!

My best advice would be to buy a seat and bring your son's carseat on the plane. Having a place to put our kids (even when it was just our daughter) was invaluable, plus they're safer than when on your lap. I think bottlefeeding makes it easier cause you can feed the baby in the carseat if you have to (takeoff, landing, turbulence, eating something yourself, whatever).
(I breastfeed, but try to pump a bottle when we fly cause it just seems to make life easier-so no comments about how easy nursing is on a plane or whatever!) With my kids at that age, I generally feed them right before takeoff, strap them in their carseats where they fall asleep till the next feeding.

Be warned that not all planes have changing tables so be prepared to change the baby on your lap or your seat.

Overall I think it's a really easy age to fly with a baby. They still sleep a lot and are pretty happy with just eating and sleeping and playing with Mommy/Daddy so you don't have to cart a lot of toys on board.

 

[akrake]

i also second the carseat thing...i've always purchased one...it just makes it so much easier...think about when you go on a long ride in the car....a 3 month old falls asleep fast (generally)....same in the plane....

at the very least you'll have a lack of sore arms if you bring the seat...at the most...a safer trip.

you can bottle feed in the seat...i'd skip changing the baby until you land & get out of the plane...odors travel

bring the carseat...if it fits on your stroller, gate check the stroller & it'll be there when you land.

 

[disneymomof6]

I flew with my daughter who, at the time, was about 2 months old... I did not pay for the extra seat. I tried to use a front carrier with her but the airline made me remove it due to safety issues on the plane... I held her close to me the entire time.... she didnt sleep for whole ride but it was easy flying with her. She was always such a good baby and I took the trip alone.

I just threw her in the front carrier again when I got off the plane and while walking through Airport it was very helpful.

 

[Princess Roo]

I agree that it's an easy age to fly with. My son has flown 15 round trips since he was 8 weeks old (now 22 months), and we never bought a seat. (We knew he would be flying that much to see family - grandparents that can't travel - and it has saved us thousands.) We do bring a carseat, though, and are allowed to use it if there are empty seats. (If the plane is 3 across, we book aisle and window near the back - those middle seats are the last to go.)

I breastfed, but I read the advice somewhere of using a slow-flow nipple on the bottle if you've switched away from that already, so that it takes longer to feed. And bring an extra bottle in case her ears aren't popping.

From what I've been told, you're not allowed to use the baby carrier (Bjorn/Snugli) while the plane is taxiing/takeoff/landing, but you can use it in the air.

Good luck!

 

[dsneygirl]

DS flew at 3mos, 4mos and 5mos. He slept almost the whole time, every trip. I think the loud engines act as white noise for baby and keep them sleepy. Of 6 legs only once was he in his car seat and he had no problem sleeping in our arms. I also gave him a bottle on take off but he never showed any signs of discomfor from his ears.

 

[DreaGirl]

I flown with my DD who is 8 months old 3 times. The easiest trip was when she was around 3 months old. We bought her a seat because I was traveling alone with her.

Make sure you change your baby right before you pre-board. The airplane bathroom is too small and other people will be grossed out if you change him in the seat. I nursed her on the take-off (make sure you don't start too soon because there could be delays). We played for about half and hour and then I put her in the carseat. She fell asleep and slept through the landing.

If there are two of you it will be fine. I would still buy the seat though, your DS will be more comfortable and so will you!

 

[kmk160]

Flew with ds at 18 months and three times since. Always bought him a seat.
Flew with dd this past Aug. at 4 months and did not buy her a seat. I regretted that the whole flight home.
We hit pretty bad turbulence and I was wishing she would have been strapped in her carseat.
Are heading back to WDW in Aug. again and both kiddos will have own seat with their carseat with us.

 

[wrighter]

Initiated both of my children to air travel when they were two months old, and have flown long distances with them many many times since. I've always said that those first trips were by far the easiest! All they do is eat and sleep!

Do what works best for you with regards "to purchase a seat or not to purchase a seat." Either way I think you'll be fine - especially since there are two of you to share the load. Do be sure to hold off on feeding until you're taxiing if you can - and then of course, as you're coming down on the other side. Other than that, I'm guessing your little one with sleep in between.

If you have to, do ask the flight attendants if any of the bathrooms have the pulldowns - some do and some don't. Make sure you bring lots of wet wipes! Good luck!

 

[waltskids]

Thanks for all of the advice!