New Mom Needs Help Traveling with Infant for the Holiday!!!

He'll need to suck on take off & landing, to help his ears. If you are nursing that is easy, if not maybe a pacifier.

When I traveled with my almost 9 yo when he was 3 months old I put him in a sling (I had a nojo at the time, i've since purchased/used a Maya Wrap for my other children)for the flight. It wasn't so long though, of course if you are traveling with so many others i'm sure someone else will hold him from time to time for you :) I tend to hold my babies a lot so it doesn't seem so bad to me.

You do not need to purchase an addition seat for any child of the age of 2. The airline will allow you to put the baby/child in a carseat if there is an open seat but if not you would need to carry the baby on your lap or purchase an additional seat if there is not an open seat so you can put the baby in the carseat. I know that Is a Very long flight for ya'll to be carrying him the entire time.

good Luck to you on whatever you decide.
M.

OK, so I was pretty prepared after posting a note on this site. and you have received great advice! I have one more piece of advise that I didn't think of when I made our plane reservations. Our son was 3 months old and we flew to Florida...so only 2 hours.

On the way there we flew first thing in the morning. We actually had to wake him up at 5:30am to get to the airport. He was great on that flight!

On the way home we had a later flight in the afternoon...it was 4 or something like that. It was not great. He has a fussy time of day that is around the time you get things ready for dinner/late afternoon. I didn't even think about that when booking the flight.

So, I recommend flying as early in the morning/day as possible.

You will be fine! It is stressful, but he was fine!

Eddie Bauer fold up travel sold at target,my son was the same age when we traveled to Maui in May. Its great you can put it on the tray tables and put toys in it also works great on the beach and at the airport while waiting. Shop there for baby needs diapers etc.

L.,

You have already gotten lots of advice from some of the great mom's on this site so I just want to give you some very simple advice about traveling with your little one. The first time I traveled with my little angel- my husband and I went crazy trying with worry. It's a very nerve wrecking experience and you never know how your little one will do until you are 20, 000 feet in the air :) Just keep this in mind.. if you are nervous and/or tense that is what your son will notice and act on. Kids have a strong sense of those things. So prepare all you can- pack EVERYTHING and then try to RELAX so your son will too. Type "traveling with an infant" into Google and you'll find a million artiles/check lists. This really helped me feel prepared for it all. One last thing... I think it helped that I warned/appologied to the pasenger(s) nearest to us on the plane and told them it was the baby's first flight. This is good for sympathy- it works. I also agree about the front carrier.

Good luck and remember... RELAX!

We went to the UK for a month when my son was 5 months old. We did bring the travel system with us b/c he had his own seat in the plane (11 hours is a LONG time to hold someone on your lap). How long will the flight be? I assume it'd be fine to just take turns holding him on laps. Some planes have little bassinets that they can provide for free (but they often don't make reservations: you have to talk to them as soon as you get there to make arrangements and it's not guaranteed). The type of bassinet or what it attaches to is different with different airlines. I would request bulkhead seating as soon as you get to the airport to check in; the rule with infants in bulkhead is different for different sizes/types of airplanes, but for a long trip I'm presuming it's a bigger airplane and bulkhead is not only allowed but suggested (and would provide room to manuever with a diaperbag and if you're lucky enough to score a bassinet). I not only read EVERYTHING to do with "special needs travel" (baby is included there) on the airline's site, but also actually went to the airport and talked to someone at the desk in person just to make sure I had all my info right before I left. They were pretty understanding/patient. A couple things you need to know though: liquid formula MAY cause problems in security-it's best to just not take it or put it in the suitcase and not have the hassle. Instead, just pack the dry formula (we brought the original container not only because it's easier to explain the powder, but ALSO because sometimes there are crazy delays and you want to know for sure that you have enough food). That's very important. The flight attendants will provide bottled water and will even warm the water for you if you ask. You absolutely want to give the baby a bottle during take off and landing, so the ears won't pop and hurt him/upset him so badly. If you bring your travel system, you can walk it all the way to your gate, then fold it and then the staff will take it and put it in the hold. It will be waiting for you when you land. Bringing a baby sling like a baby bjorn or something comes in handy too though, during the trip. There's a lot of tips that I got when doing preparatory research if you're interested. Message me and I'll look for it. Or, you could just go online and type in something like international travel infant or something and you'll find stuff. Don't want to have this public message too long though.....
Sounds like an awesome Christmas. Have fun!

Hi L. - my little guy (now 7 mos.) has been from Los Angeles to PA to TX and around again since he was 5 months old. We did Southwest a lot, which I recommend when you can because of their "chose your seat" policy. They also offer infant fares (though sometimes the internet specials are actually cheaper).

You might want to call and see if there are any seats available and if the airline has an infant fare. Maybe you can get a seat for him. If not, definitely request a bulkhead, and ask if the airline has a "bulkhead bassinet" - not all airlines do, but obviously, the bulkhead will give you some extra floor space for baby to lie on. Ask for extra blankets though, because the plane floor is cold. Also, I use an ERGO baby carrier and I LOVE it - front carry is very handy - they can hear your heart, and can even nurse in the carrier. Once the baby is old enough to be carried "piggy back", traveling is even easier. Check out ergobabycarrier.com - click support, then instructions and you can see the video on how it works. They've also updated some features, so it's even better now.

Also, bring an EMPTY water bottle with you into the airport, and use the fountains to get more water if you want to save $ and not buy overpriced water in the terminal. If you're breastfeeding, you need all the water you can get, and you can also breastfeed during takeoff/landing since he doesn't have a seat.

Check the weather (weather.com) re. clothes - my little guy was in warm climates and lived in onesies for the first few months of his life. Sunscreen isn't really recommended under 6 monthes, but check w/your pediatrician. If they say no, you'll want lightweight clothes that cover the baby's arms and legs, and also a hat. Have fun!

I traveled to the Dominican Republic with a 3 week old baby, and it went well. You can hold the baby on your lap, but you should call the airline and let them know you have a baby that you'll be carrying. You will be allowed an extra carry on for him, I think, so that would be the diaper bag. Pack like you would for a road trip. If you breastfeed, perfect. Just nurse while landing and taking off, or give pacifier or bottle, if it's feeding time. Pack several changes of clothes and about twice as many diapers as you normally use in a day (just in case). And don't worry, you'll do fine. Have a great trip!!