Flying with an infant?

[MycatlovesEeyore]

We will be flying for the first time in May to Orlando with our then 7.5 month old daughter, Katy. What ID will we need at the airport for her?

This is just a pre-cursor to a summer flight to Seattle to see Grandparents in July so we hope she handles it well.

What else can anyone suggest about flying with an infant?

 

[Beast fan]

Last May, when DS4.5 and DS2.5 flew to HHI, we did not need any ID. To be sure, I even went so far as to (about 1 month before the flight) contact someone at the Toledo Airport security office. They told me that (as of last May) children under the age of 16 did not need ID. To play it safe, I will have the child's school ID available as they become of age. Good Luck!

 

[jel0511]

The first thing I would recommend, is to get her her own seat, if you haven't already. It will make for a much more enjoyable flight for you and her. I've always bought seats for my kids after a DISASTER first flight with my first child. I didn't buy a seat, and it was a nightmare. My DD was about the same age as yours, and at that age, they don't want to be held for long periods of time. She fidgieted and cried the whole flight. It was SO BAD that I actually purchased a seat for her for our flight home(full price), what a difference. Strapped into her familiar car seat, she sat quietly, even slept, and generally was o.k. Since then, I've always purchased a seat for my kids. Children under 2 can flu for half fare, so it's really not that expensive and it's also MUCH safer too. On our last flight we encountered AWFUL turbulance, and there is NO WAY I would have been able to hold onto my DS. There was another infant in the plane and this child got tossed around like a rag doll, eventually hitting his head on an armrest. My DS slept through the whole thing, although I did feel bad for the baby who hit his head and got a BIG shiner!!! I've never had to produce ID for either of my kids, but I always carry their birth certificates, just in case.

 

[MycatlovesEeyore]

jel0511-

We have already purchased her own seat for the cross-country flight to Seattle. But we thought we would try the hour long direct flight to MCO with her sitting in our laps as an experiment.

I will make sure we carry a copy of her birth certificate with us.

 

[NotUrsula]

... to determine if they are really young enough to fly as no-charge lap babies. If the child is so young as to not be walking yet, they won't ask. (That is for domestic flights, of course. If you were flying internationally, she would need a passport.)

Give her a bottle (or nurse) during takeoff and landing; the swallowing will help clear her ears; if you go with a bottle, though, I'd suggest water. As this is your first flight with her, be prepared for the possibility of airsickness. Resign yourself to the understanding that an infant cannot use an airsickness bag; if she gets sick, you will be wearing it (and the person next to you might end up getting hit, too.) This means that you will need to carry a spare outfit for her, and one for yourself, too. I suggest unisex grownup clothing if at all possible; Dad could be holding her when it happened. Also pack several gallon-size ziplocs, a whole lot of wipes, and a small bottle of Febreze (your seatmates will thank you for that last one. A cloth diaper or two are helpful if you need to scrub at anything; wipes don't work well for that.)

Bring snacks and quiet toys, not for the flight, but for the wait in the terminal before the flight. Even though the flight is short, if there is a weather delay you could be trapped in the terminal or on the runway for several hours; be prepared for that possibility. Gate check your stroller (remove all the loose accessories from it, first, though, and fold and secure it yourself at the end of the jetway.)

I know that this makes it sound like you are preparing for a battle campaign, but it isn't, really. Being prepared for the worst doesn't mean that it will happen, but if it does happen, you'll be able to clear the hurdle without breathing hard. Take it from me, the woman who once got off a 45-min. flight from Atlanta wearing a flight attendant's pajamas. (We had been stuck on the runway for 3 hrs before takeoff, and the plane's AC didn't work on the ground. My son did not react well to the heat, and the worst happened, about an hour into the wait. He drenched me down to my underwear, and I would have had to stay that way for the next 3 hours, but an FA had pity on me and gave me her pajamas. That woman has been assured a place in heaven.)

 

[jel0511]

NotUrsula - I'm sitting her laughing at your plight, because this happened to a VERY good friend of mine!!!! I remember her story very well, and she didn't have extra clothes for herself and smelled the whole flight!!! She said it was probably one of the worst experiences she's been through, and the looks for the other passengers weren't too nice!!! I'm sure when it happened to you, it wasn't funny, but as a parent, I can see this happening and more and this gave me a great laugh today, for that I thank you!!!!!

 

[MycatlovesEeyore]

NotUrsula-

We will definitely take that into consideration. As I am very easy to get motion sickness, Katy may have gotten that from me. She is also known around our house as the Spit-Up-Queen. We will definitely try to be prepared for any projectiles from our [ittle Katy-Bug with extra clothes and clean-up materials.

Thanks!

Any other suggestions?

 

[NotUrsula]

... but at the time, I felt absolutely awful. The FA's were fighting over me outside the lavatory. "She's got to come out of there, I've got coach passengers trying to use the first-class WC." "Oh, give the poor woman a break; it's not easy to take a bath with baby wipes!" I even had to wash my hair with bottled water. I have a huge collection of Delta Air Lines cloth napkins from 1st class; they gave them to me to sit on and cover the floor, and of course, they didn't want them back, so I stuffed them in the plastic bag with the rest of the clothing. The flight was continuing on after the stop here, but they had to delay departure while the seat cushions and seat belt were replaced.

My DH absolutely refuses to ever take a flight through Atlanta again; luckily we don't live there!

BTW, a bit of warning: the most common time for children to get airsick is when you are on the ground; right *after* the plane lands. Don't take your eyes off her while you taxi into the gate. DS pulled that stunt more that once as a baby, and an FA told me that that is the most common time for it to happen.

 

[MycatlovesEeyore]

Anybody else?

 

[dvc guy]

I think you have gotten expert advise , and I think they have covered all the bases. One last though....talk to the baby's doctor about over the counter medicine that help with ear pain. Some are in favor and some are opposed. Your child might be a little young for any type of medicine.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

One major piece of advice I can add is if you are lapping your infant, gate check your car seat. This serves 2 purposes. If you book 2 seats on a flight and indicate you will be lapping a child, most airlines (not Southwest) will assign you the window and aisle seats. Unless the flight is overbooked, the seat between you may stay empty. When you check in, ask the gate agent how full the flight is and explain to her/him that you are lapping an infant. Again, most airlines will work with you to try to keep a seat next to you empty as long as possible.

If you check your carseat when you check your baggage, you will not be able to take advantage of the empty seat near by. Also, if the airline (god forbid) loses your luggage, you can continue on. If they lose your carseat (because you checked it with your luggage), you are pretty much stuck at the airport until your carseat shows up! Ugh!

I have lapped both my DDs until they were too old. Never had too much of a problem until they started walking, at which point neither of them wanted to sit in mom or dad's lap! But we still do it. Our "last" trip with a lap child will be this summer when youngest is 22 months.

Good luck, and just remember, not matter how much your baby cries, you will probably never see any of those people around you ever again!!!

 

[Claudia1]

Take teething medication!!!!!

We just landed a few hours ago from a tough trip with our 7-month DGD. Her ears were fine but she decided to cut 2 teeth during our vacation and was not a happy camper. It took 3 of us to get her calmed down, with Tylenol, Oragel, and Hyland tablets. She wanted to be comforted and we could not completely meet her needs.

She is accustomed to being walked for comfort, too, which was impossible during the flight. Be sure that you develope a comfort system that can be done in a plane seat!

Fortunately, she only screamed for about 10 minutes on each flight, but the round-trip included 2 flights both ways.

She was a dream when she was 4 months old but was very, very alert and aware of the difference as a 7-month old.

 

[LtlTee]

I agree with NotUrsula....giving the baby a bottle with water, not formula, was the way to go for us. Four years ago we were flying with our son, who was 9 months old. To try to avoid the ear problems, we gave him a bottle with formula right as we took off. Well, I guess airsickness hit, and he screamed for about ten minutes and then he spit up a huge amount (poor guy, it even came out of his nose!). He settled down after that. On the return flight, we gave him water in a bottle, and he was fine.

I found a trick for the toddlers. I give my 2 older kids gum to chew to help alleviate any ear discomfort, but couldn't give it to my 2 1/2-year-old. (She doesn't yet understand that gum is not supposed to be swallowed, and boy does it make a really cool toy to play with and get stuck in her hair!) Gummy bears or gummy worms require that same chewing action as gum, but they're okay to swallow. These are her favorite treat and keep her occupied as well as help avoid those ear pains.