Flying with Six Month Old

[Cinderella37]

This will be our first time traveling on a plane with our six month old little girl; we're leaving in a week for Disney. Does anyone have any suggestions/advice? We'll be sitting the in the first row of first class and she'll be a lap baby. Any advice is welcome! We're scared to death she's going to cry and people are going to hate us!

 

[malibuconlee]

Mine was 7 1/2 months on her first flights. I had the same worries. She actually sucked on her binkie and fell asleep during all 4 takeoffs that trip!! Helped that she was still on the three nap a day program at that point.

If you are doing formula I suggest you just bring powder and mix it with either bottled water you buy once past security (we did pre-mixed on the outbound and it was a pain with security!) or the flight attendants were more than happy to give us bottled water on the plane.

I do suggest if possible to get a window seat. That's what DH does, then he and our daughter just cuddle up and take a nap while I get to read!! LOVE IT!! (Just noticed you're first class tho )

I've also done diaper changes on the fold down tables in the lav, wasn't that big of a pain. But we also do a change before getting on the plane.

Good luck!! Our daughter is 16 months old and Christmas will be her third time to take an airplane trip. - I didn't have my FIRST until I was 18!! LOL

 

[tloveswdw]

If you nurse, nurse! It has made many take offs easier/quieter, and comforted many of our children to a nice deep sleep.

Bring a change of clothes for her, and a top for you, just in case...

 

[malibuconlee]

BTW - on our daughter's last flight she was between 13 and 14 months old. Her favorite thing to play with was the Southwest Airlines drink card!!! I brought toys, but she played with that more LOl!!

Also we always have to change planes so a stroller is a must!! We check it at the gate.

 

[candielips]

If you nurse, nurse! It has made many take offs easier/quieter, and comforted many of our children to a nice deep sleep.

Bring a change of clothes for her, and a top for you, just in case...

This worked w/ our DD when she was 11 months.

 

[KingdomHearts]

I took my baby down when she was 11 months and then just now when she is 15 months. This past time we flew first class and what a difference it makes. She was able to stand and walk around in our "leg room" that is how much we had! I bought a new toy the first time as a surprise to help take her mind off of flying and it worked. We boarded she ate her breakfast then slept on my for over an hour. Same thing this trip. We left at 720 am, so she was tired enough to sleep then left around 530, but all the excitment she slept for a hour and a half on the way home. Just be sure to pack enough diapers and wipes, disposible changing pads and bibs, toys, tynelol or benedryl in case her ears hurt! And have fun!

 

[mom2meiko]

we flew with our dd at 6 months (2 years ago). we bought her a seat and used her carseat. it was an easy trip actually. we gave her infant tylenol just before takeoff (for ear pain) and then fed her a bottle on both take off and landing.. as long as they have the sucking motion going on, they should be in good shape.

this time we will be flying with dd (now 2.5 yrs) and ds (will be 6 months). ds will be a lapbaby but we are buying a harness (faa approved for in flight use - not for takeoff/landing) to help with turbulence. (before anyone starts yelling at us - he has a medical condition that makes being in his carseat painful/difficult for him and we have been advised not to use it whenever possible.) we plan to give him tylenol (for ear pain) and a bottle at take off and landing as well. the peds also said a pacifier can help if he won't take a bottle - it's all about the swallowing/sucking motion to clear the ears.

at 6 months, the need for entertainment is pretty minimal - we'll bring a couple of quiet rattle type toys but not much else. it should be a pretty easy flight - we hope!

definitely bring a change of clothes for you (at least a shirt) and the baby - you never know when trouble may occur. (our dd had a diaper "incident" before boarding the plane so we were glad we had a change on hand for her.) a blanket is also a good idea - you never really know how hot/cold the plane may be.

good luck and have a great time!

 

[roobug]

Our first cross country trip was when our boys where 6 months. It was a really easy flight. They were both lap babies. We brought a boppy which was a life saver for us - the boys slept the whole flight, with the boppy we were able to eat and read and do things because we didn't have to hold them - we just had an arm over them. Also they make nice pillows when you are waiting for the plane or if you get delayed We didn't use any tylenol or anything - I did nurse them during take off and landings for their ears - that helped. One of them actually only had the pacifier because I couldn't get him to wake-up to nurse.

The flight attendants where so helpful in first class - at one point one of them took one of the boys for a walk to meet the other flight attendants. I have found that is a huge plus of being in first class the flight attendants have more time to assist you.

We brought way more diapers, wipes, and clothes then we thought we'd need and where so glad we did. We had a flight delay of 3 hours - which was spent stitting on the plane on the tarmack. We had enough stuff to make it through thankfully. If you are feeding solids, or forumla make sure you bring more then enough for the flight - things happen and you don't want to be stuck without anything.

We brought a new toy and a few old unwashed toys (so that they had a familiar smell and feel) not that we used them, when we've flown as they are older we have used them - not so much the new toys because really they are more facinated by the magazines and the emergancy cards then any toys - but they always liked having a familiar toy in their hands too.

 

[katied]

DS's first flight was at 5 1/2 months as a lap baby. He was in first class too - only on a flight to Paris.

Actually, I found DS really easy at this age to fly. He was generally a happy baby to start, and the key was nursing at take off and at landing. He got a little crabby because of the delay before take off - he was hungry and I was trying to hold off so he could nurse during take off. I finally gave in and fed him - delay turned out to be about 1 hr in the end. It worked great as he fell asleep and then slept thru take off.

If you're not nursing, have bottles for take-off and landing. Something with a slower flow is good, so they keep sucking and it takes a bit more time to drain the bottle.

 

[lindsmom]

If you're not nursing, have bottles for take-off and landing. Something with a slower flow is good, so they keep sucking and it takes a bit more time to drain the bottle.

This is my advice too - have baby sucking going up and landing - it helps with the pressure change in his /her ears. If not nursing, a bottle or binky. Even now, I make my daughter (8 years old) drink water from a sport bottle on the way up and down to help her ears pop.

When we flew with her @ 6 months, we gave her a bit of benedryl to help her sleep, but I know this is very controversial. Our pediatrician approved it and everyone had a happy flight because she slept.

 

[Astro Orbiter]

Sometimes babies cry. That's just how it is. As long as the parent's doing everything they possibly can, that's all you can do. At that point, I feel worse for the parent than I do for my inconvenience. Personally, I'm much more bothered by my seat back being messed with - kick, hit, tray table abuse, etc.

Just make a plan - are you going to feed her? When? What? Galleys aren't properly equipped for heating up bottles, so if you need help ask when you first get on. Hopefully you've planned for her to be asleep during the flight! Keep a a few things at hand - lovey, new toy, favorite book, a blanket - and stash everything else in the overhead, keeping diapers/clothes accessible.

There are more curmedgeons in first than economy, sorry! They're older, more well-traveled, not used to having families on their side of the curtain. Just ignore them - you and your little one have as much right to be there as them.

Deb

 

[mbarone54]

I'll agree with the nursing during take off and landing....and pretty much any other time they want to nurse! I also remember my daughter LOVING the "Safety Card" in the seat back pocket! (after I wiped it down with Clorox wipes!). I would pack enough diapers for a full day of travel - in case you are delayed or your flight is cancelled and you have to stay overnight in some random city. I packed a complete change of clothes for her in a large Ziploc (that way you have something to put wet/dirty clothes in), an extra shirt for me (another ziploc) and a wet/damp washcloth in yet another (smaller) ziploc. I also found that the narrow bags that newspapers are delivered in make great bags to hold dirty diapers until you can find a garbage...
I would also reccommend getting some new toy - for us it happened to be a plastic doll from a Happy Meal - that kept us quiet for at least 1/2 the flight!
I always end up packing WAY more than I need - and am always relieved that I didn't need to use it!
Good luck! Have fun!

 

[LoveKermit]

Our DD flew twice in two weeks when she was almost 7 mo. They start getting real wiggly then. I decided I wouldn't do lap baby after she was one year.

That said, we did first class for our trip to WDW as well. We thought it would be nice to have the bigger seats (little did we know, we'd have to fly 2 times before this). The hardest parts was juggling DD during the meals. I think both ways, they only served one of us, then the other.

DD did not nap as planned, she was on an eating schedule (formula) that did not coincide with our flight times. At least we were binky people. She cried. It feels awful. But what can you do?

Also, I know with 1st Class you can board early. We did that, because DH gets antsy about overhead space. I would recommend you wait as long as possible. The less time on the plane, the better.

 

[Cinderella37]

Thanks so much for the advice! She's a formula baby and goes about 4-5 hours between feedings so I'm not sure if it'll be time for her to eat. I appreciate the ideas!