Air Travel with Baby

My advice would be Benadryl!! Other than that, I would bring a portable dvd with her favorite movie(s), some playdoh and lots of snacks! I fly across country with my two and there is always a lot of walking up and down the isle! People without kids get annoyed, but you gotta do what you gotta do! ;-) But seriously, I would give her a little Benadryl before you get on the plane just to let her get nice and tired so she will sleep most of the way.

Hi J.,
Just recovering from a flight with my 8 month old! Is your little one walking yet? If not, be sure to bring the sling, ergo, or baby bjorn for cruising the aisle. I also kept mine busy with toys that crackle (rattles, bells, and toys that have music are too noisy for the plane), and she also liked toys that blink or light up. Good luck!

I traveled to Germany with my daughter when she was just over a year. We had an overnight flight as well and she slept the entire time. As soon as we were in the air I did our bedtime routine. My best suggestion is to get to the airport EARLY, and see if you can get the bulk head seat. We put our daughter on the floor to play when she was getting restless on the way home. And the extra leg room just made life a little easier. Bring a bottle or pacifier for take off and landing. Let me know if there are any other questions I might be able to help you with.

lots of different snacks!! she's still nursing, and she nursed a lot on the flight. if not, you should have drinks for thirst and ear popping. she loved looking at her books. that's what she did most of the time. i also bought some cheap cups that she could take things in and out of. i suggest a couple new toys to keep her interest.

good luck!

Look for Measure Up Cups by Discovery Toys www.toysofdiscovery.com
Perfect for a one-year old. Animals, colors, numbers (in 3 languages and with clock faces for age 5+), stacking/nesting, sequencing, size relationships, volume, water play...these 12 cups have it all, and are incredibly compact.

Some cute board books with fold out pages and textures are also fun: Ladybug's Lesson and Baby Bear's Bedtime are 2 you can find at the same website. They are small, too....easily tucked into a diaper bag.

Bon voyage!

Hi J.,

You actually don't need to bring that many toys with you. Your daughter will probably be fascinated by the seatbelt, the window shade, the food tray and the buttons on the armrests. If she finds an interest is something, let her explore it fully and let her take her time. I remember my daughter spending an hour playing with the seat pocket with the magazines. She would hide something and then find it over and over again. Save the toys for when she loses interst in the other things.

lots of snacks and things like mini magnadoodle (pen is attached)and books with flaps. Also read about wrapping the things you bring in tissue paper, that will keep her busy!

I brought lots of books for my daughter and maybe you could try crayons and coloring books since she might not have done that yet?? snacks! I also just looked around for toys that didn't make noise. Good luck!

I recommend a portable DVD player with her favorite movies/shows. Best of luck!

Hi J.,

I have traveled several times to Germany with my children. My son, the oldest, was 5 months old when we went the first time and 18 months old the second time we flew. The key is to bring something new so they stay occupied with it for a while. I also found Color Wonder markers great for long trips. I try to use them just for traveling so they are a treat for the kids. As far as sleeping, your daughter should do just fine. Just remember that it will probably be quite a bit past her bed time before you can really get her to sleep. When the crew is going through the isles with the food carts and duty free it is really noisy and the lights are usually on until they finish with all of that. It might be good to let her have a late nap so she can stay up a little longer than usual. Have a great trip !