Tell me about flying with an infant...

[Mom2Joce]

I just did this ALONE with my 6 month old and 6 year old. It was my first time flying with my 6 month old and it was pretty short (Sacramento to Orange County) but I'll share my experience.

He (baby) did NOT have his own seat.
You will need either the birth certificate OR immunization record (I used immunization record and that worked JUST FINE both ways).
You HAVE to check in at the counter (not on the street) to show the documents.
I brought a TON of stuff with me on the plane itself:
Stroller, infant seat, sling and diaper bag.
HOWEVER, when you go through security EVERYTHING has to go through the conveyor belt thing and you have to carry the baby as you walk through the metal detector. But before that and after that you can carry them any way you like. I used the stoller/infant seat...but you just have to be prepared to collapse all that and put it on the conveyor belt during security.

On the plane you just leave the stroller/carseat on the ramp right before you board and then they store them down below and when the plane lands they bring it back up for you so it's ready when you leave the plane. It's VERY simple and I prefer to do it this way. HOWEVER, and they will warn you as well, they will pay/reimburse you for lost but not damaged belongings.

Our plane ride THERE was packed full and my little one was NOT used to this travel. I gave him benedryl prior but that didn't knock him out. He fussed and cried especially on the way down. I had a bottle, pacifier, toys, etc. but nothing soothed him I felt bad for the passengers but the attendants told me NOT to worry about it and even offered me a glass of ice water for ME just before we landed.

The ride home was SOOOO much better. The flight was NOT full and the 3 of us had the use of all 3 seats (well my daughter and I had more room) and the baby was PERFECT and never fussed once. This time I ordered him an ice water and let him sip on it (which keeps him busy) and that really helped!

Decending seems to be the most difficult on their ears. My doctor recommended (after the fact) to warm some vegetable oil and put a few drops in their ears before and after flying. I did NOT do this and I'm not a doctor so before doing so ask your own pediatrician

I did bring teething toys for him but 10 months is different than 6 months so maybe some of those chew biscuts for your little one.

If you have any more questions or I wasn't clear PLEASE feel free to message me

 

[ElizabethB]

Best advice -- as other have indicated, get a separate seat for the baby, put the carseat in it and buckle up the baby when other passengers are told to buckle up. Most airlines will sell you one 1/2 price. It's terribly unsafe to fly with a baby on your lap. One emergency stop or turbulent air pocket and the baby will fly out of your arms and land who knows where. There is a reason passengers are told to buckle up. Babies are no different!

 

[limace]

I haven't heard this 1/2 price thing for an infant seat-is that currently the case? I've never seen it when I've priced fares.

Re the sling-how odd that it's not safe to have your baby in a sling during takeoff and landing but it IS considered OK to hold your baby? Can't quite figure that one out.

I think a MeiTai might be too complicated to do and undo at security if you had to, but I'm not sure if they'd make you take it off or not. A great place to ask questions like that is over on thebabywearer.com-also a great site for info re EC.

We mainly cloth diapered but I have to say I wouldn't like to have to deal w/them at DL. I agree it's an ethical issue if you have strong feelings about it (like I do) but it might be something you can give yourself a pass on for a few days and go w/some nice 7th Gen disposables or something.

I flew to Hawaii w/my eldest daughter when she was 11 months old-6 hours, no other adults, and it wasn't awful. We had a bulkhead seat and I think we had a free seat to put her carseat in each way, but she was mainly in my lap (or the lap of the grandma woman next to me who was eager to hold her). And if your kid is a good sleeper, the redeye might be a great choice. We cosleep, and although my daughter is great in her carseat, I'm guessing she'll end up sleeping much of this trip with/on us, due to the whole sleep disruption caused by travel thing.

Re the Benadryl-I think everyone has a different experience with it. I'd go with what my pediatrician said, and, if I decided to use it, I'd do a test run before hand.

I think fun little finger foods are great distracters since most 11 month olds are really into them. We love the Gerber Sweet Potato stars-they are like crack for babies-not super-unhealthy and they dissolve very easily (but they don't get all goopy and messy like teething biscuits do). Trader Joe's Organic Os are also great, as well as little cubes of cheese or defrosted peas-or a taste of whatever you're eating.

We haven't done TV w/my daughter until the last couple weeks when we've let her watch the Signing Times DVDs and man, those things are crazy! She loves them so much, and we are tempted to bring the laptop just so she can watch them on the plane.

Good luck, and have a blast!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i would never use cloth dipers. My son is still in pull ups at night, and may have them on vac just in case. but never cloth..eww
pull ups look alot more like big boy undies then reguler dipers.
Im so glade hes almost out. but today he fell sleep nap time un excpected and had acdent. it sucks he fills so bad about it and i just chock it up to its ok sweaty you were sleeping. he is relly good in day, besieds nap or if hes laughing to much or being tickeled..hay it happines

i would get the baby its own seat. It will be well worth it.

 

[tinkerbelt]

i would never use cloth dipers. My son is still in pull ups at night, and may have them on vac just in case. but never cloth..eww

Cloth is much healthier for kids, and really it's not that different from underwear, I've never understood why people think cloth is so gross. I'd rather have to wash a load of cloth diapers than have to clean that gross gel stuff that they put in disposables off of my DD's skin. Not to mention cloth diapered babies usually have fewer issues with diaper rash. An extra load of laundry is worth it.

Once I had a clean disposable diaper that somehow got into the washing machine when I did laundry. The inside of my washing machine was so gross after that. It took forever to get all of the little gel beads cleaned out of there.

 

[bumbershoot]

Let's face it. Changing diapers, no matter what sort, isn't the best job in the world. But for many of us, cloth is a wonderful, easy, and SIMPLE alternative that is no yuckier than disposables, AND we're not contributing to landfills!

But no type of diapers are truly FUN. (though cloth dipes are incredibly cute and I loved washing and drying and folding them, arranging them, taking pictures of them...it was all very "My Precious" - Lord of the Rings'ish of me )

Hence, EC! Much nicer to get things into the toilet without the pitstop of the dipe. I'm so glad DS figured out the potty so early despite not EC'ing.

 

[ElizabethB]

Delta provides a seat for 1/2 price for any infant under 2. I think Continental, American and United do as well. Jet Blue does not. I don't know about Southwest. We always flew Delta and got a 1/2 price seat for my niece when she was under two. I remain surprised that the FAA lets infants fly loose in someone's arms when everyone else on the plane is buckled up.

 

[lexmas]

Well, I guess I went on vacation for a few days and my little thread continued on without me! Oh well. DS did better than expected in his carseat for the 6 hour drive, so that's something! Guess I started a little "we love cloth" thread as well lol.

Mom2Joce and Limace thanks for all the details about flying...it's nice to hear about how other people's trips went with their little ones, it gives me some perspective on exactly what to expect. Although, with babies, "what to expect" is pretty much anything! As usual, we'll probably prepare for the worst and then be pleasantly surprised if it's anything else!

 

[lexmas]

But no type of diapers are truly FUN. (though cloth dipes are incredibly cute and I loved washing and drying and folding them, arranging them, taking pictures of them...it was all very "My Precious" - Lord of the Rings'ish of me )

Okay, I couldn't read that without because I certainly know how that is. While I was pregnant, I would "practice" diapering anything remotely baby shaped. And don't get me started on the baby clothes...oh how I loved washing and folding and sorting and snapping up all those little snaps...

 

[TheZue]

When we flew with our son at seven months we didn't get him a seat since he was supposed to be staying with our inlaws but a last minute emergency came up. I would definately invest in the seat! The one trick we did that may or may not have helped was give him a bit of tylenol before the flight to help out his ears a bit. He didn't cry that much at all, in fact there was a four year old who screamed the entire time haha.

 

[Mom2Joce]

Not a problem..best of luck to you and you're going into this with an open mind and that's what will help get you through whatever comes your way! Enjoy!!