First Plane Ride!!!!!

If you can have your son chew or suck something as the plane is taking off it will help with the ears. as for toys I would, if possible, try and schedule his nap time with some of the plane ride. Take a few of his favorite toys that will fit on the plane and everything should be fine.

Hey V.!!
As crazy as it sounds, my son is going on his 1st plane ride in June from Raleigh to California. We stop in Utah, so it'll be 2 small flights with a layover. My son is 18 months, and I'm terrified as to how I'm going to keep him still. He hates sitting still for more than 5 minutes. He does well in the carseat though. I will be watching this post also to get as much information as possible. Luckily my fiance is accompanying me (we're going to Cali to get married! YAY!) Any info I can get about how many things we can bring on the plane (ie: stoller, carseat, luggage, carry on, oh and also a wedding dress) would be greatly appreciated. I'm afraid of bringing something I'll be unable to get on the plane. Good luck with your trip.... Hope you have fun :)

Hi V.!
my son took his first plane right at 2 months old fortunately he slept most all of the time! At take off and landing I fed him to relieve any of the ear popping so he wasn't crying or in pain. If your son takes a passi I'd definately make sure you have it available. Be prepared with plenty of neat snacks for him since you'll be in a confined space for so long and plenty of the board books.
Good Luck and have fun!
Jen

We flew with my daughter from California to Virginia when she was 2 months old. Its tough, but not as bad as you might think. Definitely take several pacifiers -- keep him sucking on them constantly during take-off and landing. That will keep his ears from popping (drinking a bottle will do the same thing). It also helps to give him tylenol or motrin about 20 before take-off to relieve any pain he may have from his ears. You'll do just fine! Good luck and have a great trip!

I have 2 children who have ridden on planes consistantly since they were both 5 weeks old. You really do not need to take too many items on the plane...it will only cause you more stress. Maybe one or two of his favorite books and one or two toys. Plus all the diapers,wipies extra set of clothes and food. Snacks were always good (Gerber fruit stars) and of course formula or if your nursing...

If you are nursing try to hold of until the plane takes off and lands...this will help with the ears (as will the bottle). It he will not drink during these times, a pacifier is also good.

I was also told be several different peds. that it is fine to give infants a small amount of Benydril if they need it. You should to your doctor and get the correct dosage from her/him. I never needed to use it for plane rides with my babies but...all are different.

Good luck and have fun. Don't forget to take you camera...airport pics and plane pics are fun to have (for scrapbooking or whatever!)

Hi V.,
I had to fly for funerals when my daughter was 4 months then 8 months. My daughter had fluid in her ears both times and was given something to keep her sinus clear for the flight so her ears did not hurt. Nothing worse than screaming baby cause their ears hurt. I would DEFINATELY bring him to dr to have ears checked before putting him on plane. We brought books, and toys and all sorts of stuff, but when she was 8 months, the best thing we did was let her crawl around and ware herself out BEFORE we got on the plane,,,then she slept almost the whole way.

Best of luck

Have a bottle or pacifier for him to suck on during takeoff & landing. My older daughter flew cross country (at the time we lived in CA & my family was in NC) 8 times between the age of 3 months old & 2 years old.

Hi V.

This last past Christmas I took my 12 month old twin boys on their first plane ride..it was only from Ny to Nc but it was still their first so i too was concerned..give him a bottle or binky when the planes taking off or something to put in his mouth..my boys had a cookie and they were fine the whole time..

P.S. Going through Security is going to be a nightmare though...make sure you call ahead to see if you need any sort of I.D for little Jaxon..a neighbor of mine didnt have any and they wouldnt allow them to fly without the babies birth certificate or S.S card.

My daughter just visited me in February with my grandson who was 13 months old at the time. To help keep the ears from popping, my daughter had her son suck on his pacifier (she had many avalable in the diaper bag) and also suck on his sippy cup which has an almost bottle like top to it. she took board books and his favorite stuffed animal on the plane with them. Also, she visited the airport to get information on regulations and advice for traveling with infants/toddlers. I would reccommend you have someone go with you to help you carry everything. You will need to get to the airport even earlier to acquire a special pass for that person to accompany you to the gate. If you have no one to go with you, you can request special assistance. You should call ahead to get info on how your airport handles that. you may want to call the airport to see how they handle the special passes also. Each airport has different security measures. You'll want to consider boarding before other passengers also. Also, Tylenol or Motrin is good to give about 30 minutes before boarding as well. Good luck and have fun in CA!!

I have been traveling with my children since they were just a few weeks old. They are now almost-4 and almost-2. When it comes to plane rides, the best thing to do for ear pressure is to nurse or give a bottle during take off and landing. Otherwise, give him a little snack so he's working his jaw. To entertain, think about the things he likes to do when he's sitting now. Small board books like My First ABCs are great- full of color and different pictures you can point out to him. Activity books or stuffed animals that have things like zippers and buttons and shoe strings are good. He likely won't be able to actually do the things, but he'd love to play with the buttons, zippers, etc. and try. Take some things he already has, but maybe get a couple of things new so it's a big treat for him. Hand puppets are always fun, easy to pack and you can make up a lot of games with them- hide and seek, peek-a-boo, tickle him, sing songs, pat-a-cake. The best thing is if you can get him to sleep.

You should also take plenty of food and snacks. Snacks always keep my kids entertained- cheerios, cut-up fruit, whatever he likes. For meals, if you can, try to feed him before you get on the plane because it's pretty cramped on the plane. If you get a plane that has a changing table in the bathroom, it will be very small. If your plane doesn't have a changing table, you will probably have to put him on the floor in the kitchen area to change him. Definitely take something to lay him on for diaper changes. I also take a few plastic bags- 1/2 or 1 gallon size- they hold dirty diapers (you have to put them in something on a plane or the whole plane smells), or dirty bibs or clothes, and one for garbage. The attendants never come around enough to collect all the garbage you may have with a little one- napkins, wipes, snack bits, etc. Hand sanitizer for the both of you is a must. And so is at least one extra outfit for him and you. I also always take a lightweight blanket- it can be a pillow for him, a cushion for your arm if he falls asleep or cover him if he's cold.

Definitely take a stroller for the airports. They are a pain to go through security with, but make getting through the airports so much easier.

If he cries or fusses a lot, you will get dirty looks from those around you. Ignore them- you'll never have to see them again. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

I've heard that a good way to avoid the pain of pressure in their ears is to nurse/feed your child during takeoff and landing, and the constant swallowing will help prevent pressure from building up.

lollipops for the ears and benadryl if he gets cranky.of course books and toys if he wants to play.

V.,
i took my baby on a 12 hours international flight when he was 6 months old. it was not a big deal at all, all you have to do is asking the airline to provide you with a bassinet and to seat you in a bulkhead seat (the bassinet attaches to that wall). If he takes formula, buy the ready-to-feed cans (so convenient!) you can take up to 5 in your bag. You will ask the stewardess to heat it up for you. Same thing with food, just take the jars (better plastic jars - gerber) and a gummy/plastic spoon, so it won't be a big deal thru security.
Also bring plastic bags where you can put dirty diapers if they stinks. As far as esntertainment goes, my baby did not need much, most of the time you find people sitting close to you who are eager to sing songs to him or teach him little games. they will hold your baby when you to the restroom!!! I walked around, also. if he fusses, just take him for a walk around. I expect for him to be relaxed by the humming of the plane, so don't worry.Make sure he is suckling his pacifier when taking off and landing and if he cries take it off and put it on again. Good luck and have fun.

well when i took my son on his first airplane to arkansa he was two and it was hard to entertain him all though he was good on the plane becuase i let him sit by the window and he could look out at where we were flying the hard part was in the airplane. i have heard to let him suck on a bottle or pacy or let them chew gum if they are old enough good luck

I breastfed my daughter during the flight and she was fine, although I was extremely anxious about taking her on a plane to annoy everyone else ;) I didn't want her to get fussy. She was better than expected! Breastfeeding her helped keep her ears from popping. I would be concerned about taking the child on a plane with a recent ear infx, definately f/up with your ped. and GOOD LUCK! ;)

I just took my twin boys 1 years old a couple of weeks ago. What I did was packed a couple of toys they have never seen (got them those chunky cars) I brought books and plenty of snacks. It worked, One slept the whole time, the other was so facinated at looking out the window he didn't notice. Unfortunately during take off and landing I could't schedule their bottles, they decided they wanted them before so I gave them their pacifiers and you wouldn't even of guessed they noticed....
I did take advantage of boarding first to get settled with my stuff under the seats and readily available and I got the pacifier holders to clip on their shirts so they couldn't dissappear at the wrong time. I hope this helps, if you have any specific questions please let me know....

V., I'm sure you will be fine! Be sure to nurse him or give him a bottle on the way down especially as this is when the ear hurting most occurs. Of course, do this on the way up, too, but you must try to do it on the way down as most pressure then according to friend who is a pilot. I took my 6 month old to England for a month last year and to CA last fall at 13 months and to Ohio to see family. The younger the better because they sleep- take favorite toys- some new ones never seen, his favorite foods if eating more solids now and keep a positive attitude and he will be fine! He will feed off of you so if you get nervous then give yourself extra time. I'm sure it will be fine. Allie (my baby girl) did fine on all the flights and was a great travel companion. Good luck! B. D.

I took my son on his first plane ride when he was about 4 months. I was so scared, but he did really good!! My doctor recommended that I give him tylenol about 1/2 hr before takeoff to help with the ears. He didn't have any problems with them. He actually ended up sleeping almost the whole time (We went from VA to Montana). I just brought lots of snacks and little toys, and he pretty much flirted with the flight attendants and the people around us. Everyone was really helpful. I would recommend gate checking your stroller so you can get it during layovers. Make sure they put it on the plane, though, because mine got left in the tunnel thing one time!

Bring a portable DVD player with the backup battery (you'll need it) finger snacks ( my son snacked on apple slices and bananas, crackers, you name it, I brought it) If he takes a pacifier, that will help with the popping of the ears, or a bottle for him to suck on. Other than that, I don't know, it worked for me. Good luck with the plane ride, may you travel safe and sound! ;-)

If I could give you a few pieces of advice...Either give your son a bottle at take off and landing or a pacifier if he is a wake, the sucking will help his ears, Also, give him Tylenol it will help him sleep and calm him down. If he likes any baby videos, I know he is young, but bring a porable DVD player and some of his favorite videos, and snacks....you will be fine...remember he is a baby and if he cries he cries, people for the most part will understand

Hello V.,
My daughter has taken many airplane rides starting at the age of 2 months from Va to Ca. I would bring a few toys to play with and also if he sucks a pacifier bring many with you. I made sure my daughter sucked the Paci for the complete take off, if he does not suck one try his bottle full of juice!! That'll help alleviate any popping of his ears. He'll be fine don't worry!!!!! I hope you have a fun and safe trip :-)

I did a little bit of plane travel with my babies. Sounds to me like your son is the type that will take to it easily. Mine were still nursing at 8 months so that is what I did to relieve the ear popping. Maybe someone else will have a suggestion for weaned babies. Anything that he likes to do in a stroller or carseat should work well for the airplane. Most of all, if you can stay relaxed, he won't think it is so unusual and will likely be interested in the different sights and sounds around him. i would call the airline to find out exactly how to pack his snacks since the newer restrictions on liquids may affect that.

Hi,

I am a 3O something year old mother of a 9 month old boy and have taken several plane rides alone with him..two them to England at three months and four months.
It's really not that bad. The hardest part is what you can and can not take on board the plane as far as food and formula. You should check with security ahead of time. I made sure my son had a few of his favorite toys and kept him active before we got on the plane so he was ready for a nap by the time we were flying.

I fed him formula at take off and landing as the constant sucking motion helps prevent the pressure from hurting their ears. I made sure it was warm and ready to eat, and as soon as i felt the first bit of pressure in my ears i started to feed him.

I also carried my carseat in the airport and although i hadn't booked a seat for him if there are spare seats you can usually be assigned two seats together so you can strap in the carseat and let the baby sleep or you can check in very early and request the bulkhead seats where they have a portable crib. I would definitely advise this so you can get some rest yourself.
Also, once people see you traveling with a baby, they usually do whatever they can to help. One more tip is if you have a backpack baby carrier this comes in very useful as you go through the security checkouts as bsolutly everything has to go through screening including the carseat.

Have fun!!

All of my family is in Cali too, so we have done a lot of flying over the years. My kiddos have always done really well. When they were babies I would make sure to have bottles with me, they say if they are drinking from a bottle during take off and landing, that the sucking action helps with their ears. Also, a flight attendant told me one time she had a mother and child on and the child was crying because of their ears. She said if nothing seems to be helping, ask the flight attendant to wet 2 rags with hot water (you may want to bring your own rags) and place them over the ears, the heat & moisture will draw out the ear opening it up. As far as keeping them occupied, I'd bring books, a couple of smaller things he can play with, not too much, you will be carrying him and your carryone items, and some snacks of course. My main advice, is just relax...if you're calm he'll hopefully be calm. Don't worry about other people on the plane. Of course you want to try to keep him as quiet as possible, but most people understand how hard these trips are on kids and are great about it. There may be a small few that are neither understanding nor compassionate, but don't worry about them either, they are few and far between and if they can't be understanding with you, you don't need worry about bothering them. Hope some of this helps.

This is a really minor thing, but we learned the hard way that airports do not sell diaper ointment! I didn't take any on the plane because of all the restrictions with what you can take on now, and wouldn't you know, he got a rash in flight. We had a 2 hour layover between flights and I was sure we could buy some in an airport store. This was a huge airport and we searched all over. They don't sell it. So just be sure you bring it with you on the plane.

I am a 23 year old mother if a 3 month old and I took him on his first pale ride when he was a month and a half old. For my son all I did was have a b to 4 oz. bottle at the ready during takeoff and landing to keep his ears from poping. He slept the entire way to and from FL granted its not as long as a flight to Cali but the vibrations and sounds usually put babies to sleep. Kindof like a giant car ride. Best of luck to you and your little one

The first time I flew with my son, he was 2.5 months. I just nursed him during take off and landing. Helped his ears and kept him feeling secure. Since then I've flown with him 5 or 6 times. Every time I've always done the same thing. Works every single time for the ears.

As he's gotten older, keeping him occupied has become harder. Back around that age I just held him and he was happy to look around.

My son is 3 months old and he 1st flew at 7 weeks. His doctor told me to give him 1/2 tablespoon of Children's Benadrly 30 mins before the plane took off. But check with your doctor it's based on the weight of the child. Well I did and it worked, he slept the whole ride. You just have to make sure that he's sucking on something going up and coming down. Good luck!!!

As a baby, my daughter always flew beautifully, she did even better on a plane then she did for long car rides. And being military, we flew alot lol. Anyways, he will most likely fall asleep as soon as the engines come on, and for the ears popping, nurse him or let suck a bottle or pacifier during takeoff and landing if he is awake. My daughter always slept through takeoff and landing and never had a problem.

not to worry I have had pretty good flights flying with my daughter. The last time I flew with her I was 5 months preg. and she was on the lap the whole way from VA to CA. The flight attendants entertained her by taking her for a walk to go and talk to the other ladies/guys. It wasn't too bad my only problem was that the stupid tray in front of us wouldn't go down all the way because of her on my lap plus my preg belly...overall it should be an ok flight just make sure to take enough toys, snacks, and drinks for the baby.