Flying with a One Month Old

I did this a LOT, started at 6 weeks, and here was my routine:

Take baby in sleeper with no metal zipper or snaps,preferably plastic zipper. Put baby in Bjorn or sling with no metal parts. Carry travel system stroller, car seat in travel system stroller and diaper bag. Check one other suitcase.

Pack diaper bag as usual, but add an extra t-shirt for me, and a few baby blankets. Declare all liquids (you and your baby can each have a zip lock 3-1-1 bag regardless of whether you buy baby a ticket on flight) at security, such as Nursery Water, formula, breastmilk, put stroller and car seat through screening device. Wear baby in Bjorn or sling through security. This prevents waking or upseting baby. Never had any trouble doing this and was never picked for extra screening. Change diaper 45 minutes before flight time. Pre-board if given the option to do so.

Gate check stroller, but bring infant car seat on plane. You have it if you get lucky and there is an extra seat (my son always slept in the plane in his) and if not the infant car seats fit in the overhead compartment if you turn them upside down!!! This keeps the car seat from getting damaged or dirty. It also gives you the flexibility of leaving baby in car seat when getting off the plane if baby is sleeping.

Sling or Bjorn can not be worn during take off or landing. You have to just hold baby. Nurse or bottle feed during take off and landing. As long as I did this, my son didn't cry. He'll be 2 next week and has flown 20 times (most recently for Easter).

We really liked bulk head seats and the baby bassinets available on some flights are great for newborns. We used one to go from Miami to London.

Good luck and best wishes with your pregnancy.

Have a bottle or if you are breast feeding when you take off have them feed and when you desend down have them eat as well. They should fall asleep. You shouldn't have a problem the baby is still young and sleeps alot. Good luck.

Hi E.,

I flew with my son when he was 3 weeks old. I don't know how long your flight is, but I nursed most of our 2 hour trip and he slept the rest of the way. It was no problem at all. I believe the nursing helps protect against ear infections from the air pressure. If you are not breastfeeding, try feeding him with a bottle for the trip. Hope this helps.

K.

We flew with our daughter when she was 7 weeks old. I breastfed her on and off during the flight (takeoff and landing seemed to be the key) and it worked really well in clearing her ears.

I was a military wife and found myself often times flying to places with my young children. What I used to do that seemed to help my children with air pressure when the plane is going down or up was to give them a bottle. If they refuse the bottle and start to cry that is still okay because the crying helps to pop the airpocket in their ears.

I agree with everyone else on the sucking while takeoff/landing. Have you looked into baby wearing? I would suggest a Mai Tei baby carrier (but that is because it is my favorite carrier). You can put your baby in a front foggy hold and s/he would sleep most of the flight. You do not have to worry about getting an extra ticket for a car seat.

My son is almost 1 and over 20lbs and I still wear him. But now in a back hold. He loves it and it frees up my hands when we go for walks. Btw I started wearing him since he was 2 days old.

I have pics of my son in the front carry if you would like to see them just let me know.

hi
I have an 11 month old who has been to 9 states, including Hawaii
The trick is to feed them on the way up and the way down. The white noise makes them sleep.
good luck and congratulations.
V.

Flying with a one-month-old is a piece of cake if you are breastfeeding. The most uncomfortable part of the flight for the child is the descent, when the change in air pressure can really hurt their little ears. Breastfeeding at that time gets the jaws moving and opens up the passageways in their ears and helps equalize the pressure. No problem. However, if the infant has a cold or other congestion it could be a more painful landing. I breastfed my two kids (first one born when I was 40 and the second when I was 46) and can't imagine doing it any other way. Of course, check with your pediatrician and follow his or her instructions before mine! Good luck, Kathy

Keep the baby hydrated as flying is very drying. I flew with my baby when he was 2 months old; in order to defer "ear popping" it is important to have the baby suckling especially during take off and landing. If you are breast feeding you can plan to breast feed the baby at this time...you can also give the baby a bottle and/or pacifier. At one month, it will be pretty easy! Just wait until the baby is crawling and then walking, etc., etc. Traveling now with such a young infant will really not be so bad.
FYI you can hold the baby in your lap; buying a ticket for the use of the car seat is useless. We were once able to bring the car seat only b/c the seat next to us was vacant but it was so big that it took up a seat and a half. It would have been much more comfortable to hold him in my lap and then make a little bed for him with blankets in the empty seat.
Hopefully you will have help when you have to go through security. It's not impossible to do it by yourself (I've done it) but it sure helps. Be aware of your liquids...breast milk or formula is allowed but be sure to have your cooler close by to show the security officers.
Have fun and SLEEP NOW b/c despite what people tell you about the three month thing...HA!! May you have a wonderful pregnancy and delivery!!

Hey! I flew from Florida to New Mexico when my daughter was 1 month old. It was a piece of cake! She slept the whole way. I recommend taking your infant car seat onto the plane and buckling it to a seat next to you. My daughter stayed in her car seat the whole flight (except for diaper changes and feedings). Obviously you can only do that if you have a seat for him/her. We flew Southwest (I highly recommend them, they are very family friendly) and they do not have assigned seating so we just sat her next to us the whole flight. One more tip is to give him/her a pacifier, bottle, or nurse during the take off and landing to help his/her ears equalize. Best of luck to you and your new baby!

I flew a couple of weeks right after my son was born and again I did with my daughter when she was a baby. Both I did alone! THAT WAS HARD!!!! I will warn you that the problem you may experience is the landing. It sometimes is hard on their ears. With my son he SCREAMED ALL THE WAY THRU THE LANDING! My daughter has problems to this day with her ears when she flies. Oh yea, I believe you have to carry a car seat....I did!

I have 3 grown up kids now, but when I took them on trips by air, this is what worked for me. Always make sure they are drinking from a bottle or nursing if you breast feed when the plane is landing and taking off. The sucking helps to balance the air pressure in their little tiny ear canals and they wont have an ear ache from the pressure changes of landing and taking off. Also let the airline know you are traveling with an infant and if possible get the first row of seats behind first class there is more leg room and room for you to hold them and the tons of baby stuff you will be carrying with you. They do not have seat belts for infants so baby will be in your lap.If you are bottle feeding now with the restrictions on liquids in hand luggage, it is safer and cleaner for you to carry powder formula and buy bottled water inside the terminal after the security check. You dont want to take the chance that the security people will take away cans of liquid formula because you can only carry 2 ounces of liquids. I am not sure if they will make exceptions for baby formula. You can always carry a battery operated bottle warmer to use on the plane, don't count of using the microwave on the plane to warm your bottles because it may not be clean enough to protect baby from germs.Carry lots of baby wipes and hand sanitzers to keep you and baby safe. I am a nurse so am very aware of keeping children safe from germs. Wipe off the arm rests as soon as you sit down, you will be touching it and so will baby. also wipe off the tray tables.Hand sanitzers are great for cleaning all surfaces. But remember only 2 ounce sizes or they will take them away at the security check points.Even gels and pastes like diaper rash ointments they consider as liquids so try to take 2 oz sizes of anything you need for baby which will be in your hand luggage.
Last but not least, keep baby awake as much as possible until you are on the plane and hopefully then baby will sleep for most of the flight.That is great for you and baby. And don't feel embarassed if baby cries. Anyone who gets upset at a crying baby has a personal problem. When I hear babies cry on planes I meditate and send them positive messages to calm down, it usually works.
Good luck. Have a great day, and safe travel.

Hi E.
I run a prenatal program where I teach Childbirth, Baby Basics and Breastfeeding and CPR You can come and ask questions. You can also come visit us at Nurturing Your Newborn where Moms and their newborns get together. I am an RN and Lactation Consultant. For more info you can e-mail me at ____@____.com J.

PS I did fly with my 6 week old.

Congratulations! Bring a bottle (or breast) and feed the baby during takeoff and landing. The changes in pressure cause discomfort in her little ears and she will cry, but swallowing will cause the ears to depressurize. This is a pretty good age for travel...it is much harder once they become mobile! Best wishes for your delivery!

K. G.

E....best of luck first and its not that bad...keep telling yourself that seriously...you stay calm and they will feel the vibe...one trick if you have not been told allready is make sure they are drinking or eating when you take off...not only so they don;t get the pressure in the ears but its a nice distraction...if feeding is not an option when you take off, tap the front of the ear on the face just before the openning of the ear it helps with vibration on the ear drum...if your flight is over 2 hrs and you don't have an isle seat and baby is walking you might want to get one...let them move if possiable...if its under 2 hrs bring things that are small and you can play hide and seek in your shirt in the seet (be crative)...traveling when prego..not easy I traveld with a 2 yre old and I was 6 months from fla. to Hawii we did great (i'm a little older then you)...just take note of how you feel and focus on your one yr old and your body will take care of itself...my 3 yr old has been traveling since he was 3 months and God bless it as always been a pleasure...again best of luck and you have to belive that it will be a good trip for all 3 of you...