Night Flight with a 4 Month Old

Hello! Don't be hard on yourself, I travelled a lot with my kids when they were babies. You sound like you have a good plan. I would advise you to either breastfeed or give your son something to suck on when the plane is ascending and descending. I was told this would help his ears to adjust. We flew from DC to CA with our 4-month and she was fine. You may want to check with your pediatrician beforehand just to see if he/she has any other tips for you. Also, hopefully you will be next to a nice traveller, but if you run into anyone who has a problem with a crying baby - don't let it affect you. Baby comes first. Good luck!

S.,
We just did the same trip about a week ago but before the 5 hour car portion of our trip spent a day in Boston with family. Our 3 1/2 month old did great, he slept most of the way in my arms. I brought a small blanket to swaddle him in and if the airline didn't have pillows/blankets to use put it under my arm to support myself a little. I made sure to feed him either right before/during take off on the plane while he was awake. The eating helps with pressure in his ears. The attendant can give you a little hot water in a vomit bag (ask for a new one) to heat a bottle before take off if you need to- the bags are pretty water tight. A friend of mine also used a pacifier dipped in a little sugar if all else failed... luckily it's really dark and quite on the red-eye so it's easier to keep them sleeping. The bjorn is good too - I didn't use it just because after my 3 year old I got used to sleeping sitting up with an infant :-) Good luck on your trip.

S.,
We traveled to Florida from Oakland a lot when our son was that little. I used a sling and our son was just fine. I remember that our son would fall asleep on my chest and I would just adjust so we were comfortable. Also, You won't be sitting for the entire time. Get up and walk around with him. Especially if he is fussy. Other people on the plane loved seeing the little baby. The flight attendants held my son for me so I could go to the bathroom. Are you going alone or with someone? Maybe your husband/partner can hold him for a while??
One last thing......nurse or give him a bottle on take off and landing. This will help his ears with the altitude pressure.
Don't worry about the people around you if the baby starts to cry. If this happens, just do the best you can to calm him. Babies cry remember?? People forget that.
Have a great trip. It will go fine!

I would guess he'll sleep most of the time. I don't know for sure what a four-month-old is likely to do on that route (I've been on it with my son at seven months, and last trip saw a ten-week-old quiet as a mouse throughout, lap children every time and daytime flights), but it seems like you'll be fine with the Bjorn. Nursing, if you're doing that, will help especially with take-off and landing. If you're worried about your son's crying (should he cry) bothering the folks around you, one couple I know would offer to buy drinks for the people around them, and the parents of the little guy on the last flight brought bags of candy or other treats. My experience has been that people are generally very kind and sympathetic. It will be a long day for you, but I think your son will do fine. Hopefully at the end of your road there will be someone to watch him so you can take a long nap! Good luck.

Hi S.,

Are you flying Southwest? If so, ask if the plane ride is full. If it isn't they will let you bring your infant carseat onboard (most of them are made for airplanes now, the belt will just fit around the bottom of the carseat)for FREE. Even if you're not flying Southwest, it is worth asking your airline anyway.
Good luck!