Need Advice for Flying with a 8 Month Old

Enjoy your trip! I would take her favorite toys(small ones of course) and a small blanket for a nap if needed. If she is nursing then be prepared to allow her to do so both on takeoff and landing! If she is taking a bottle then take one with you but also a pacifier if she uses one. These will help her equalize her ears during takeoffs and landings. I hope you enjoy flying because if you are nervous she will pick up on your discomfort and will not be a happy camper. So again...enjoy your trip and showing your beautiful little girl!

hi M..
you probably already have your tickets, but we always fly during nap or feeding time. our flights are about the same time frame as the one you're taking. it's been awhile since mine were that age, but take something for her to suck on - bottle or paci- for taking off and landing. then i'd usually pack a few new things of interest along with an old favorite (though not essential item because of dirt on the plane and the threat of it being lost). one of my boys' favorite games -even at that age- was the hand game. i'd take a small wooden bead and hide it in one hand and let them guess. . . it's amazing how long this game can last. lots of books and snacks! we never used a car seat, so it's good face and cuddle time. a small magna doodle is good too. if she talks, you can draw simple things for her to guess and let her try it, too.
i have found that people are usually generous and forgiving. don't stress to much - it's only two hours. have fun!
K.

Make sure you have LOTS of snacks and interesting toys to entertain your baby. Plus don't forget to pack everything else you need on a daily basis in small quantities in an easy-to-get-to bag. I also highly recommend a light blanket since the airplanes can be cold. Two hours is a long time to entertain a baby in one small space, so cram as much entertainment in as you can carry on and stuff under the seat in front of you! Good luck!

Good morning M.!

I recently flew for the first time with my 17MO daughter, and it went fairly well. Some things that I didn't expect were that the "liquids" prohibition is a PITA!! :( Whatever your daughter drinks, you'll HAVE to buy it IN the airport. I bought two 8- or 12-oz bottles of whole milk for $4. I wasn't too happy, but that's the way it is. (Unless you nurse, and then rock on! since at least they can't take THAT away! lol)

Also, I have flown a lot in my life, and something I've come to realize about my own ears: if I'm going up in elevation (say a coastal state to a mountain state), then my ears will be fine, they clear as soon as I'm off the plane, very little pain is associated. However, when I go from higher elevations back down to coastal ones, back to sea level, my ears don't clear for DAYS. It's VERY painful for me on the plane's descent into a sea level (ish) airport, and then the pain subsides by the time we land, but I have foggy hearing in at least one ear for 2-4 days afterward. Babies have sensitive ears, be aware this could happen to her too. :)

Spend lots of time in the aisle letting her stand and bounce, and if you're comfortable letting strangers hold her, pass her around if they want to hold her - it'll distract her, five minutes at a time, and the flight will fly by! :) Best of luck!!

Hi M.,

My 10 year old daughter is a frequent flyer...her first flight was at 2 months old. I would recommend having a bottle ready for her to eat right after take-off and when you start descending. It helps with keeping the pressure in her ears from building. Keep some books handy to read to her and small toys that keep her attention. Changing a diaper in the airplane is not easy so make sure you change her before getting on the plane.

Other passengers and flight attendents are normally very helpful so let someone know if you need help. Good luck and have a great trip.
L.

No time this morning to read the other responses, so I'm just throwing this out there quickly to you. I traveled a lot with my kids when they were little. Be sure to take a pacifier if she uses one, and/or a bottle of juice or water, whatever she usually likes to drink, even if she is off the bottle, as long as the airline will allow the bottle on the plane. Check that out first. Give her the pacy or the bottle as you ascend and as you descend. This will help her with the ear pressure which will be your main concern, believe me. Other than that, take a toy she enjoys playing with, a stuffed animal or such, and two hours of flight will pass very quickly with about 30 minutes of it spent going up and coming down, so you will do fine. Have a great trip!

I'll second Marisa's response! Bringing her seat willl not only be the safest thing to do but it will help you keep your sanity too:) At 8 months they want to move around. Can you really imagine holding her still for 2 hours? It is NOT easy and they get very upset with it. I made this mistake at 6 months and would never do it again. After that, everytime we flew, we bought her a seat and she sat in it with her carseat. It was awesome. She didnt think of it any different than a car ride. Other than that, an absolute lifesaver was an attachment that went on our Britax Boulavard to make it wheel like a stroller. It was amazing! Make sure you take an extra outfit for her and at least another shirt for you! You just never know. Snacks and a small doll are good too.
Check out this website for some more helpful hints. www.cpsafety.com then look under air travel. Best of luck to you guys and safe travels;)

Nurse her or feed her at take-off and at landing- the sucking helps w/ear pressure. Also, a flight attendant told me to rub a little bit vicks right behind my daughter's ears- it opens the eustacian tubes and keeps the pressure from building up. I even do this to myself every time I fly now. The most important thing is not to worry about the other passengers- you'll get some looks when you get on the plane- everybody thinksflying w/a baby is horrible, but we've never had any problems. good luck and safe travels!

Hi M.,
We have flown with our daughter a lot - she is 2 now. We have a portable DVD player that has just been a life saver! We always make sure we have enough snacks (goldfish of course), and buy water on the other side of security so we can mix it with her sports drink powder. I was practically born on an airplane and have flown my whole life. My Mom always either had us sucking on a bottle or a pacifier as we took off and landed (so our ears didn't plug up.) I have done the same thing with my daughter and have had no problems. If we wouldn't suck on anything, she would put her finger over the opening of our ears and kind of "pump" it or rub it to help it from plugging up. Again, I have done this and Sydney has had no problems! Watch, your baby will probably sleep the whole time!

Hope some of this helps! Have a safe and happy trip, oh and if you are worried about bothering people around you, don't stress! Mostly everyone has gone through this at some point and those that haven't don't get it! :)
S. K.

Hi M.,

I traveled with my son for the first time when he was 8 months as well. We went from Philly to Ft. Lauderdale which I think was about 2.5 hours. My advice first and foremost, would be to check the security website because their policies are constantly changing ~

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.sht...

I believe it's still 3 ounces or less for all the liquids and gels. We were able to take baby food (only enough for the duration of the flight). We also brought dry snacks for him to eat and bottles of breastmilk which can be in containers with more than 3 ounces. They gave me a problem with the gel ice packs though. You can get those little Gerber juices (if you give juice), they are 3 ounces I think. Keep in mind that you'll have to have all the liquids and gels in gallon baggies, and you'll send it through the machine seperately. Try to give a snack, bottle or pacifier during take off and landing to help with the ears. My son seemed to have no problem at all. I just nursed him during those times. We brought small toys (that don't make noise that would disturb other passengers)and books. We were fortunate to have an open seat between us so I changed him there because the bathroom changing area is SO small! It can be done though. Check with your airline for the checked baggage policies. Remember a lot of them are charging for each checked item and I'm not sure if that includes carseats and strollers. If you do check them at the ticket counter, make sure you package them well to protect from dirt and damage. You can check your stroller at the gate and receive it at your arriving gate for no fee. You cannot bring your carseat on board unless you purchased a seat for your baby and the carseat must be FAA approved. If you are renting a car, you can rent a carseat too, but in my experience they are usually dirty and sometimes missing parts!

Sorry for rambling! I used to work for an airline had to explain all this stuff quite frequently! Good Luck & safe travels :)

God Bless,
J.

M.,

My advice is to make sure she sucks on a pacifier at take-off to help relieve the pressure in her ears. Have tylenol with you just in case the flight does hurt her ears. Even if you plan to have her sit on your lap, carry her car seat with you anyway. Before boarding, check at the check-in/ticket counter to find out if there is an empty seat beside you or if you can move to a seat that does have an empty one beside it. Then, you can use the car seat if you need it. If the flight is full, you can always gate check the seat. What was also nice while flying with my baby was using the already made 8-oz. bottles of formula. All you have to do is have your own nipple and nipple ring. They are so much easier than trying to make a bottle. They come in six packs. I know Walgreens and CVS usually carry them. Plus, it cuts out any questions at security about what the liquid is that you're carrying on board, because there are restrictions on liquids. As you go through security, let them know that you have unopened, premade bottles of formula in your carryon. Oh! Also wear slip on shoes. It makes going through security much less painful! Dress her in a short sleeve shirt and have a sweater or sweatshirt to put overtop of it. You never know what the temperature will be like on board of a plane. Bring a baby blanket in case it's freezing cold on the plane. My baby flew at 5 months and again at 7 months and did great! You'll hear horror stories from some people, but it's not always all that bad to fly with a baby.

Good luck!
K.:)

When taking off/landing the pressure tends to get to your ears, so it is a good idea to have your daughter either drinking a bottle, sucking a pacifier or eating something to get her ears popped. Bring toys, read books to her, and change her before getting on the plane and pray there is no diaper change b/c changing her in the bathroom is difficult! Good luck!

I did scan through what other wrote, I suggest bring your car seat! It is a safety thing. if the plane hits an air bump, your child may go flying in the air, you may think you can hold on to your child but you cant. After a car accident you need to replace your car seat, I am sure the baggage handlers are tossing your car seat like trash and dont care whats inside. If you check your car seat, it will take a beating which could alter the safety of it. Also bring your car seat manual so you can install it using the seat belt as there is no LATCH on an airplane seat.