Advice for Air Travel with Infant

I have taken both of my children on planes. My oldest rode several home from Russia. Every take off and landing we gave him a cup (they didn't have sippy cups or bottles in the orphanage) to drink from and I sang the same lullaby to him to keep him calm. My youngest, when we took him, I nursed him during take off and landings. My oldest was content to look out the window (he's 4 now). I did not take a carseat on either plane. We bought a seat for the 4 year old and we held the baby (me nursing mostly). He just fell asleep while nursing and I didn't stop him. He stayed asleep until we landed. Since your time zone is behind ours, you may want to just keep our time schedule if you can - it'll be easier when you return. Otherwise, just go through your normal bedtime routines, take some familiar items such as blankie, lovey, pillow case that you've used, etc. I would take the pack n play if you use one, or get a crib from the hotel; otherwise he should be fine sleeping with you then back to normal when you return home. My son sleeps with us and stays in a crib when we travel and he doesn't have an issue when we come home. Of course every baby is different. I do pack the carseats as luggage (just wrap them in garbage bags so they don't get dirty and gross). Good luck and have fun on your trip!

I have a 10 year old daughter and when she has been traveling since she was 8months old. I wouldnt bring the car seat on the plane, an extra ticket and its a hassle. Put the baby on your lap. You can bring the stroller up to the gate and once you get on the plane the airlines will stow for you. I gave my daughter benadryl, that helped the baby sleep or relax on the plane and while take off or landing, bottle feed or breast feed the baby.

I always had a baby Bjorn carrier to carry the baby in to have my hands free. Good luck, you will be fine, its a wonderful experience to travel with your child. and it makes it much easier when your partner is there to help you.

I took my son on a couple of trips across country. I bought a seat for him each time and I'm very glad I did. He is a very active boy and I would not have been able to have him in my lap the entire 8 hour flight. I gave him tylenol each take off that was separated by about 6 hours, so that he wouldn't have his ears hurt so much. As well, I gave him either a bottle or a sippy cup as well as his pacifier to suck on. I put all of his diaper bag stuff into a back pack so that I could have it on my shoulders and more hands free. As well, when he was younger I carried him in a baby sling/carrier so that I didn't have to have the stroller. Remember to watch what liquids you take, however a thing of baby tylenol is ok. Also take things that are comforting to him, like a blankie or stuffed animal. Take any special toys on the plane with you. Other than that enjoy.

I took my 8 mo. to IL last summer, I was pleasantly surprised on how it all went. If you are traveling by yourself, I recommend a carseat. If you will have someone to pass the baby to when you need to, then you can get away with him being a lap baby. It really all depends on how much you value your comfort / convenience. We actually took a red eye east and he was awake the entire time in the airport, but once we took off, he had an extra bottle and slept the whole way, even when being passed back and forth. On the way back, our flight was at his dinner time, so we fed him, entertained him, another bottle and he slept the last two hours. I have to admit, I was nervous because my son is not a pacifier baby, so there was no FOR SURE quiet if he started to cry, fortunately, we didn't have to deal with it. Also, you can take the stroller all the way to the gate, so take advantage of that. As for sleeping, bring something that he has in his crib at home and have that in the portable crib in the hotel....and cross your fingers.

One thing I wish I had known the first time I travelled to France with my son (then 4 mos. old) was that many airlines have bassinets that you can request. If you ask, they will ofen put you in front of the bulkhead. I don't know if your son is too big for the bassinet by now. If so, for the long flight to Hawaii, I recommend brining the car seat. It's not for safety, but he will probably be more likely to sleep in it because he's used to it. It's a giant pain in the neck, but is a life-saver for me. The first trip, I held my son the whole time and my arms and legs were cramped and asleep half the time. I got no sleep and was barely able to eat. It was the longest flight of my life. My son hardly slept at all and was miserable.

My son is also used to his own room/crib. We usually put him in the guest room alone in a pack-n-play and sleep on the couch/floor of the livingroom where we stay. It's worth it for us because it's so much better when he's well rested and happy!

N.

I traveled alone about 3 different times with my son before he was 3 months. Since you will have help, what I did may not be necessary for you. I didn't take a car seat or a stroller. I carried him in my Bjorn and used a backpack as a carry on so my hands were free. I didn't have to do anything to get him to sleep on the plane actually, I think the loud noise from the engine lulled him to sleep. All the flights he pretty much slept the entire time (though none were more than 2 hours).

If you do take your carseat make sure the airline has approved the kind you have. Wish I could give you more advice. Good luck!

HI there,
My son is now 12 and a healthy, happy kid (for a pre-teen!)and I traveled A lOT with him as an infant, toddler and young child...in the U.S. and abroad. Here's what I learnerd:
1) babies need to be held all of the time so I held him in the sling and in my lap on the plane. the flight attendants are very nice about helping and getting up and walking towards the back of the plane always helped.
2) on lift off and landing NURSING!!! is the ONLY thing that kept him from crying and fussing (the inner ear stuff HURTS and sucking is one the of the few ways to release the pressure). I nursed him as much as he wanted on the plane and basically stopped caring if anyone was looking--they weren't!
3) i made sure he also had things to look at and play with that were easy to carry and i didn't care if they got lost
4) i travel a lot, and often to Mexico and Latin America. I believe people make too much of the time zone thing...make sure you get sunshine in the day time and go to sleep when it is dark...set your watch for the new time zone in the plane and don't talk about it or think about it (unless you have to make a call and want to be nice to who you are calling!).
5) Focus on what your regular rituals around bathing and sleeping are and just do them the best that you can on your trip. In the same room make sure you make a quiet space with your child that he knows is sleep time space (like at home) and don't play there...
6) Relax and have fun and don't stress about funny sleeping habits or bedtimes until you get back. make sure your child gets to sleep when they want to, eats lots of yummy things, nurses a lot...DON'T DRINK the WATER or even brush your teeth with the water, even in the big cities and make sure you peel everything! don't eat lettuce! if you or your child does get sick make sure you get purified and sterilized water and drink it with with a bit of sugar and salt (or get gatorade or pedilite)

I hope this is helpful. Traveling with a young child and infant were some of my best trips! People outside of the US are very baby focused and will make special accomodations for you and the baby. It is a great way to see the world. Have fun!

HI M.!

First off, Have a great trip!! Sounds like you deserve some time off.

I've traveled with both my kids when they were infants, and here's what I did.

1) Take the carseat. Some of them are hard to get buckled in, but your child will feel comfortable in it. Holding a child for that long will drive you both nuts. If you sit right next to her, and she's facing backwards, you'll be able to play with her the whole trip. Of course, you can take her out when she gets fussy.

2) Benedryl! If you give your baby the proper dosage of Bendryl before the trip, you'll all have a happier trip. It is probably the safest drug on the market -- even more so than Tylenol -- and does two things for most kids: one, as an antihistime it helps keep nasal and ear passages open and clear, which helps with equalizing the pressure in her ears for take off and landing. (Also, if she uses a bottle or is still breastfeeding or uses a pacifier, make sure she is sucking during these times which also helps). Benedryl also makes most kids a bit sleepy.

3) Try to keep your baby on her regular schedule. Just keep her up longer or put her down earlier -- the 'regular' times in the new time zone. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, just cuddle her in bed. Don't turn on the lights, don't play with her, don't give her any reason to 'be awake'. Most babies get bored after about 20 minutes and will settle in.

Most importantly -- have a great time, and don't forget the baby sunscreen!

My husband and I flew to Ottawa, Canada with our son when he was 8 month old. People adviced us to give him children's Benadryl to make him sleep. We thought this was a crazy idea, but we brought it with us. On our flight to Canada, he actually behaved quite nicely (6 am). It was a very early flight, so I guess he was tired. We didn't buy an extra seat for him, so he just sat and slept on our lag. We just tried to entertain him as much as we could. We brought his favorite toys, and the stuffed animal that he usually slept with, and his favorite blanket. However, on our flight home, he was fussy. After a long battle, we decided to give him Benadryl. He felt asleep the minute we gave him the drug. We were not sure whether the drug was working so quickly or he was just so tired at that point.
Regarding time zone changes, initially we tried to keep at the West Coast time and feed him every three hours, but gradually, he adjusted it himself and he was on East Coast time within 3 days.
I was a working mom at that time, so I know how you feel.
Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

Hello,

You may need to take the car seat for car travel when you get to your destination. You can check it with the luggage. You can bring a stroller to the gate and do a "Gate Check" for your convinience. I held mine on my lap. If you are breast feeding it is suggested to feed your baby on the way up and down.(bottle feeding does the same thing) The sucking action helps clear the pressure from their ears.
As far as sleep goes. . . on the plane they may or may not. There is so much new and fun activity going on that often babies get distracted. I always tried to adhear to the majority of my babies scheduals on vacation but not to the point that you suffer and don't have fun. Try to just read your child. You may need to lay with them if they are not used to the environment and won't go to sleep on their own. Your baby will get tired eventually and they will sleep and some point. Think about how our own adult bodies adjust to vacations. In the long run I think it is a good think to get your baby out and about. It makes them more resilient to change and they will go back to their schedual when you get home. Hang in their and have fun with your baby in these fabulous destinations.
K. (mother of twin girls(7)

Hello M.,
We had to fly to Indiana when our daughter was around this age, my best suggestion is to hold your baby on your lap. This will help because your baby will be less tense. The other thing is make sure your baby is sucking on something; breast, bottle or pacifier during take off and landing this will make the change in altitude easier on baby's ears.
Also, don't give baby meds to put them to sleep. Most of the meds people suggest are not really made for infants and any dosage is considered an overdose. If you do want to go this route I suggest talking with your pediatrician about it.
Our daughter managed to sleep on our flight which was lucky.
Good luck, and have a good trip.
Jenn

Sounds like you'll be busy vacationing in February! Good for you!

My son is 5 1/2 years old and has been traveling since he was 13 days old! I wouldn't take a car seat...I would hold him in your lap for a couple of reasons...one is that he will feel loved and safe with you holding him and you will love it when he falls asleep in your arms...AND traveling at this age is really easy...when they start walking, it is a whole other ballgame! Be sure you have a bottle or pacificer in his mouth when you take off and land so that his ears don't get plugged up...bring a well supplied diaper bag - lots of extra diapers in case you are delayed and can't get off the plane (this happened to us!) and a couple of changes of clothes for the baby and one for you....something will spill and you don't want to worry about it...you want to be able to be present with your child and not worried that you will look terrible when you land...Just make sure you are prepared for all situations; a hungry baby, a wet baby, a sweaty baby, a baby who needs a new outfit; a Mom and/or husband who need a new outfit, a cold baby, a warm baby...just be prepared and you will be able to relax. The baby will be great if you are!

I wish you lovely holidays and wonderful vacations.

Hi M.,

I have a 7 month old that I have traveled with twice now. My advice for the plane is this: I have always had her on my lap, she seems better that way so she can snuggle into you. Also, bring toys, but only bring them out one at a time, so it is like a new toy every time. I also bring a blanket that she likes to snuggle with so I can wrap her up in it. Regarding sleep on the play I lay her on my legs (at an angle since the plane doesn't give you much room) almost in the feeding position, but a little lower. I give her her pacifier (make sure you have your son use it especially when taking off and landing for his ears) and I rock my legs back and forth so that my daughter kind of sways and falls asleep and unfortunately for you, you have to hold your son the whole time. If your husband is going with you, you can trade back and forth.

As far as sleeping on vacation, bring blankets that have his smell on them and that he uses, that way he is used to them and he won't mind too much where he is sleeping. For time changes, I usually get my daughter up at the time she usually gets up but in that time zone. She is usually a little tired, but she adjusts within a day and then I do the same thing when I get home.

My daughter is pretty mellow so I have had it easy and I have traveled with my husband and without my husband and been okay both times. As long as you continue with your sons usually routine you should be fine.

Hi M.,

We've taken our 8month old baby (now 6 yrs) on vacation out of the country before. What worked well is this: 1) call your airline and ask if you need to take carseat on the plane (sometimes they don't want you to do that); 2) Bring with you one of the travel bed / portable play pans that folds into 1/3 of a suitcase size but expand out into a bed in the night - like a little crib, and you can also let him play inside in the hotel, could save you some energy and worries; 3) get one of those hiker's baby carriers that you can carry him on your back so he has a good view of the world; 4) definitely bring stroller so you can go around town at ease. I know, that sounds like a lot of stuff to carry, but in the end, the more comforting you create for him, the better time you will have without having an unhappy baby.

Good luck,

W.

Hi There, here is what has helped us...
1) If you purchased a seat for your baby, I would take a carseat. My kids usually fall asleep on their own in airplanes when in their carseats due to the noise, etc. If your baby is a lap child, give him/her a bottle or nurse, whatever might help him/her relax and fall asleep and with the motion of the plane and jet noise, your baby should nod off easily. Also, be sure to nurse/ give a bottle/ give a sippy cup/ give a snack (cheerios) at descent to keep the babies ears open during the pressure change. I usually have a bag of options ready in case my kids do not want one thing that I try first.
2) I usually try to nap/sleep next to baby, in room with baby, during the first sleeping. I also find it really helps to keep the room as dark as possible during sleeping times so baby is not stimulated looking around the room. If you can arrive in the room a couple hours before it is time to sleep, that works best so baby is somewhat comfortable to the room.
Have a great vacation!!

If you can afford another plane ticket, I would bring the car seat on the plane. Babies are used to their car seats. When I traveled with my daughter on my lap, she wiggled around and climbed all over me. I couldn't eat my dinner, there was nowhere to put the tray table. When we took another plane trip with her in the car seat she napped most of the way.

Hi M.,

I am in the travel business for family yoga retreats and have travelled quite a bit with my two children sine they were babies. If you are not paying for a seat, you will have to hold your baby on your lap. A car seat is safer if there are bumps on the plane or just hold on tight! Nursing is very useful as it helps their ears pop and it also helps them sleep.

As for changing time zones, I have only to say sleep when you can! Their rhythm will eventually adjust, let them know it is night time by keeping the room dark and keep them in the day light during the day. We also used chamomile for the flights and for at least keeping them mellow in the evening hours.

Have a wonderful family vacation!

P. Profant

I traveled with my little one when she was 5 mos old. I concur with all the advice to make sure you give a bottle/pacifier/boob at takeoff and landing. The sound of the plane really does help the baby sleep. And lastly, I had a friend recommend that I take my boppy with me on the plane. It was another thing to carry through the airport, but I thought it was SO worth it. We were both more comfortable in those cramped quarters with the boppy. I also went out and bought 2 bottles of Xlear, a xylitol nasal spray, one for me one for baby. We both had the spray before the flight and after we landed, and I changed baby's clothes and took a shower myself when we arrived at our destination. This prevented us from getting sick.

My daughter was the same age when she first traveled. She did pretty good. We had her sit on our laps. But if you like you can also bring her car seat(that'll be an extra seat on the plane to pay...hehehe). My daughter's pediatrician suggested that we'd give her benadryl(I think, it was) to help her go to sleep. Some mother's don't suggest giving their child any medication to knock them out to sleep on the plane. I understand. But as a first time mother traveling with an infant, I asked my pediatrician for any advice. Also, make sure your daughter is either eating or sucking on her bottle while ascending and descending. This will help her ears not get clogged up. Hope this will help. Have fun!

HI there and congrats on your baby! I took my 6 m/o to Hawaii and it was a lot wasier than I thought! Here are some tips;

1) if you have not purchased an actual ticket for your baby most likely he will have to lap. Bring your infant seat with you all the way to the airplane and ask if they have any extra seats. If they do they will rearrange with others to give you an extra seat and you can strap in your baby's infant seat. If not, they will check your carseat right there and you will have to lap. On our way to hawaii we had to lap and on the way back he had his own seat.

2)take off & landings are much easier on the babes if you can nurse, give a bottle or paci. The suckling keeps there ears from being pressured. If your baby likes to sleep in the car or stroller, then he'll probably fall asleep on the plan like mine did.

As for sleeping in the same room, I brought all his items from his crib at home and kept to his schedule (you will have to be careful of the time difference though) I would relax and lay down until he fell asleep, then resume as usual watching movies or hanging out in the room. He stayed asleep luckily.

Good luck with both trips. I will prepare you that his entire schedule may change once you reesume home from both trips. To be honest. It isn't long before they change their schedules anyway :)

Happy Holidays

Hello M.,
I would recomend taking a bottle (or if you are nursing that works too) and giving it to the baby as the plane is taking off. The sucking motion will help the ears to pop so that he doesn't get blocked ears.

I have a baby almost the same age and we've taken him on a plane several times now. You'd think we'd have the hang of it, but you just never know what your little one will be like, mood-wise. Definitely take the carseat to the plane, and if there's an extra seat-they'll let you use it. Otherwise they'll just check it for you at the gate, no problem. If you can't bring the carseat on the plane-I'd have a boppy pillow handy if you use one. I still use it for feeding sometimes, but also on the plane it gives him a little extra seating room on my lap and actually gave him a place to fall asleep when we didn't have the extra seat. The vibration of the place itself kinda works like a carseat so hopefully it'll help your little one fall asleep. Otherwise the 'ol standards, rocking-and if the flight allows, I'll walk up and down the aisle 'till he crashes. People won't mind it at all, especially if it keeps them from having to hear a screaming baby! hehe. Good luck, I'm sure it'll go well-enjoy your vacations~

Buy a seat for your child and bring your carseat (make sure it's one that fits in an airline seat!). Most airlines offer a half price ticket for children under 2. Yes, you probably will end up holding your child, cuddling, nursing, etc, but if the plane ends up having turbulence or heaven forbid an emergency landing (I had to do this once with a 15 month old!) you will want your child securely fastened into their own seat. You will NOT be able to hold on to him securely yourself. And you never forgive yourself if anything happened to him. And, when the baby sleeps, you will appreciate having your arms free.

I found it very worthwhile to purchase a seat for my infant. I would take her carseat with me and belt it into the airplane seat just like we would in the car. My infant was used to this type of travel and didn't fuss any more than she would on a car trip. Most of our flights were just over two hours so she stayed strapped in her carseat the entire flight unless it became absolutly necessary to pick her up. If your child tends to fall asleep in the car he will probably go to sleep on the flight. I have travelled with my other children as a lap child, it was more frustrating and tiring, esp. if I had no where to put them down to get a break. Definately worth bringing the carseat.

I have three kids, the youngest being 6 months and they all fly fairly often (although not as far as you are flying). If your son is not stil in an infant carrier, I would not recommend taking the carseat. Odds are, he will want to be on your lap most of the time anyway. Plus, it is just another item to have to worry about.

Make sure you have a bottle or a sippy cup to relieve the pressure from his ears, too. As far as sleeping, I think he will just fall asleep when he gets tired, be it on the plane or in hotels.

Good luck!

Hi M., I've taken my now 3 year old on an airplane before to Oregon which is alot shorter of a trip than Mexico or Hawaii.. But I think what really bothers them is the pressure in the ears---try giving your baby a pacifier or a bottle too---the sucking motion may help with the ears..Also we did take our carseat on, but I think you can hold your baby too..Well have fun. C.

Hi M.,
Definitely go with the car seat (check your airline's website for how to tell if your seat is air travel compliant). You'll be much more comfortable, and, more importantly, it's much safer. While the chances of hitting major turbulance, wind shear, or any kind of emergency landing are quite slim, a car seat will prevent your baby from flying out of your arms. We often overestimate how strong we are. I only know of one example where a mom had her baby fly out of her arms in turbulence (and he's fine), but that was all I needed to hear. As for sleeping on the plane, the advice our pediatrician gave us probably isn't what you'll want to do given all the news stories about young children and meds, but he said to give our son Benedryl. It worked, but I felt sooooo guilty! Again, I'm guessing docs no longer recommend this. As for a dfferent time zone, we always tried to keep our son on his home time zone, i.e., in NY, we all woke up late (we're from CA), which was just fine with us! We were able to stay up late, too. Our son did drift a bit on to Eastern time, but not much. As for sleeping, we had the hotel put a crib in our room. Many have them, though I'm not sure if that's true in Mexico.

Enjoy your vacation!

Don't worry! It'll be great, and well worth it to have a lovely vacation. Nursing or bottlefeeding always makes my daughter fall asleep on the plane. If your baby uses a binky, bring it along. I've both used a carseat and held her on my lap. Usually, she ends up on my lap the whole time. The pressure changes and sound of the plane make my daughter fall right to sleep. Bring some snacks, books, etc to occupy your little one.

As for when you get there, your babe will probably be pleased as pie to get to sleep near you and your husband! Maybe bring a "pack and play" to use as the crib. Or see if your hotel has crib service. My girl was always a bit off when we traveled-- a bit more clingy and cranky-- for the first day or two. I suggest making your baby feel really safe by holding him a lot, and making times for him to have extra naps.

Hi, M.. When my son was 1 yr. old we traveled to Florida, we brought his car seat with us so we got him a separate seat. When we traveled to Hawaii (he was 2 yrs. old then) we didn't bring his car seat but have him seat on my lap. The only problem with not bringing his car seat, the car seat we got from the rental car was much too big for his size and not comfortable for him and there's no really no other choice, the car rental have only one type of baby car seat. I think we gave him a very little minute dose of Benadryl to make him sleep so doesn't get cranky and also make sure you have your baby suck on a pacificer so she doesn't get ear aches when the plane is taking off and when it's landing. Most hotels can and will provide a crib (and I think it's free). As to time zone, with my experience at that age, they still need a lot of rests or they get cranky. We just stayed close by to our hotel so we can take him to our room for his little naps, unless your baby could sleep through the noise when your sightseeing.

Hope this helps. Have a great vacation!

A couple of years ago we took our son to Texas for vacation when he was 9 mos old and earlier this year we went to Texas again with our 2 sons (2 yrs and 3 mos). I strongly suggest checking in your carseat and having your baby sit on your lap. Not only will it save you money (not having to purchase another ticket for the carseat) but it is so much easier to not have to carry it on the plane. You will probably have enough to carry on (ie diaper bag, purse, and any other carry on you may have).

Be sure to follow airport regulations with everything in your diaper bag. I forgot and had a costly large bottle of my favorite baby lotion taken away, because it was something I normally kept in my diaper bag. I would just make sure to take food, snacks, bottle, favorite toy, and if possible, a portable dvd player to keep your baby entertained and happy (especially on long flights). Also, a pacifier will be handy during take off and landing (when pressure changes) to help baby feel comfortable and relieve ear pressure. If your baby is on your lap, it will probably be easier to put him to sleep in your arms.

Also, you may want to make sure to pack a changing pad in your diaper bag, because some planes do not have a changing table in the restroom (I had to use the floor once).

Sorry for the long answer, but I hope it helps. Good luck and have wonderful vacations.