Flying with a 13 month old...question/advice!!!

[N&B'smom]

I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips for flying with a 13 month old. How do I keep her ears from hurting due to cabin pressure? Anything else I should know????

TIA!

Shelby

 

[justhat]

Give her juice/water etc. to drink during takeoff and landing. It's more than just the sucking, she needs to actually swallow to relieve the pressure.

 

[dreamalittledream]

I have also heard that sucking on a piece of lemon helps. I guess it depends on the child if they will think it is a fun idea.

 

[N&B'smom]

Thank you!!

Shelby

 

[prplcrzy]

As well as sippy cup of juice, I have given my ds a dose of decongestant and it seems to do the trick.

Have a great trip!

Nancy

 

[stacy6552]

buy her a ticket. bring her faa approved carseat and put her in it for the flight. there is a great carseat dufflebag out there which is a must.

 

[N&B'smom]

She does have her own seat and of course we're bring her carseat. Just concerned about the ears is all! Thanks!

Shelby

 

[LynnTH]

We took my son when he was 11 months old and again when he was 23 months old. Both times we gave him Benadryl about an hour before takeoff (Asked Doctor and said this was fine). This made him tired and both times he pretty much slept through the entire flight. We are planning to do that again with our 2-1/2 year old daughter on our next trip.

 

[akline]

We flew with a 15 month old. Best advice was to give water/juice in a sippy cup, once take off begins. If you give before, the liquid could be gone before take-off and would do no good. Also .. we didn't give our DD anything to drink 45 minutes before, so she would be sure to drink upon take-off. We also had small Tootsie Pops that we had her suck ... that in conjunction with the water seemed to work fine.

 

[all4fun]

I was also wondering about this as well since we will be taking our first trip with our ds in May. Has anyone tried those earplug inserts for children (they make them for adults as well). Just wondering if they really work and if the one year minimum is a size issue? My ds will be 13mos old actual, but he's a preemie so he's smaller than most kids his age (His corrected age will be 10.5 mos old).

TIA,
Cheryl

 

[hookedondizney]

Does anyone know where to get the car seat duffle bags? We will be traveling with a 20 mo old and a 5 yr old? I will be purchasing a ticket for the 5yr old.....I don't know if they require her to have a car seat on the plane? I am not sure if the ones we have are FAA approved. We were thinking of checking the in with the baggage.

 

[NotUrsula]

The avg. 5 yo is approaching the upper limits to use a carseat on an aircraft; the FAA recommendation is to use them for children under 40 lbs. There is no *requirement* on the part of the FAA for any child to use a carseat on an aircraft, though some airlines are now requiring them if an under-2 is in a purchased seat. It is recommended for smaller children, though, and is definitely the safest way for them to fly.

Carseat satchels are a good investment, especially if you need to transport multiple seats (you can nest up to 3 in one bag.) They tend to cost between $15-30, depending on the brand and where you buy it. Target often has good prices on them, and they are also available at BRUS, and even Wal-Mart has begun to carry them in some markets. There is a new one out w/ wheels on it, but be careful of that one; reports are that the area around the wheels isn't properly reinforced, and the bottoms of the bags are developing holes where they scrape the ground. The Prince Lionheart that I have (from BRUS) is a good one with a thick vinyl bottom on it; it has taken a lot of abuse for the last 6 years.

 

[hookedondizney]

Thank so much for the information! I will be looking for these bags soon. Thanks again!

 

[tjmw2727]

When flying with children under two, a good idea for take off and landing is a bottle or spillproof sippy cup. The action of sucking and swallowing is the best for releving ear pressure. My girls also did well with lollypops when they got a bit older. Bring a couple just in case becuae these can work if they don't feel like drinking, esp if they don't usually have them. The sugar can help with air sickness as well and the bit of sugar won't make children hyper. I have seen the Gerber has some fruit chews that could work for younger kids if your leary of pops. If your child is healthy there is no reason to fear the pressure changes on the aircraft. A lovey and a couple books and new toys can literally save the day. My youngest dd played with a roll of tape for a 3 hour flight when she was just under 2!

I don't use benadryl while flying for three reasons. I personally won't give my kids OTC unless absolutely necessary. Benadryl won't help ear pressure and it can make children very hyper. You will ned a decongestant if you have reason to think your child will have unnecessary ear pain. If your child has a cold then some pediasure or other dr recommended OTC would be ok, again JMHO!!!

Have fun and don't worry children are much more resiliant than sometimes we give them credit for!!

TJ