Vacation with the Baby

I took my son to Texas when he was 2 months old, he travelled well. I actually was able to upgrade my seat to first class and just put his carseat on the floor in front of me, plenty of room. The only downside is, as people have mentioned, airplanes are petri dishes for germs, my son got his first cold from being on the plane, too bad there isn't such a thing as 'airborne' for babies. We ended up spending a great deal of time in the hotel room because of that, it wasn't much fun, but oh well, chalk it up to building his immune system. I have travelled alone with my son almost every year (sometimes more than once) since then and others are right babies are much more portable than toddlers, 3's, 4's, etc. I felt like such a pack-mule with all that STUFF you have to bring with but always brought along the big stroller to shlep it all, worked out ok.

I started flying with my daughter when she was 9 weeks old, and it was fine. In fact the younger they are the easier they are.

One other thing to remember about taking kids (especially babies) on vacation is that they are the same amount of work on vacation as at home. They don't magically go into vacation mode where they don't need to eat/sleep just like they do at home. This was a shock to some friends of mine when they had their first child, and they took her to Mexico with them. Vacationing with children can be great-- it just isn't as relaxing as before they were born.

I think a 4 mo would be a lot easier on a plane than a 1,2,3 or 4 yo! As for the vacation--if it's your first with a child...expect a "different" kind of vacation.

I think its a great idea. Babies add to your life, not take away. Include the baby in your plans. It requires accommodations, but totally worth it. Have fun.

I took my 4-month-old on a plane trip from Boston to France. She was a bit fussy here and there, but it was generally fine. At that age, they're not all that loud when they cry -- 2-year-olds are definitely much less pleasant to listen to! We didn't buy an extra seat for her and used the bulkhead baby crib thingy on the plane, but that is a personal decision as to whether you'd rather have her in her carseat. I can definitely see why you might want to do that.

As for germs, she ended up picking up a cold while we were on vacation, but I think it was caught from our relatives in France, not from the plane. I wouldn't worry too much about plane germs.

Hope you have a fantastic trip!

Babies that age are awesome on flights :). They sleep nicely and aren't yet wanting to crawl around. I flew to South Africa with my son when he was 4 months old, and again when he was 12 months old.
Couple tips : to alleviate pressure/pain in the ears, have him suck while ascending and descending. I breastfed my son whenever this happened and he NEVER cried, but I heard babies and children all around the plane crying at this time. If you're not breastfeeding, at least give him a bottle at that time, or a pacifier.
If you can afford it, buy the extra seat and strap him in the infant seat (check your seat is FAA approved). It really is far safer, and more comfortable for you.
Google 'air travel with babies' and there are quite a number of sites that provide lots of helpful tips, from feeding to entertainment, to what to pack, etc.

Have fun!

hi there...i travel ALOT for work, and went back to work (traveling) and took my 6 week old with me. I even pumped while on the road, and brought it home with me. Airlines and Security is a breeze, as long as you know that they will test your stroller if it can't fit through the xray machine,and if you wear your baby (i did, made airports so easy), then they will pat you down. as far as traveling with breastmilk if you breastfeed, just declaire it when you are next inline in security. they will then have you open your containers (i leaft some in bottles, and some in envelopes, they only made me open the bottles :) ) and waived a test strip over it...they didn't even touch the bottles themselves. So easy! And every trip was like this...i feel very lucky, and LOVE to travel with my kids! Good Luck and have fun!

it's easier to fly with a 4mo old than an older baby or toddler. they will just probably sleep most of the time. Take a good stroller with you. You can use the stoller all the way up to the plane and then a person will take it for you and put it in a closet or something on the plane and they will have it ready for you when you get off. If you are renting a car, you can rent a carseat too for around $10 per day. I flew with my babies starting at that age and beyond.......

i would do it as long as it wasnt during flu season but i would definitely buy an extra seat and strap the carrier into the seat. bring a paci for the baby to suck on to help with the pressurizing of the cabin (especially during the descent)

Not sure where you are going, but it's pretty easy to take a baby on vacation. You j ust bundle them up and go. Of course, you will need all your baby gear, but if you can get past that part, the rest is not too hard. They are pretty happy as long as they are with you, wherever that happens to be. Have fun! Hope you are going some place warm!

It's fine, babies are pretty easy on planes, as long as you have bottles, binkies, etc. When you get to where your going, it's a lot like being at home with the baby, just in a different place. I did a vaca at 3 mos and 9 mos with my two and it was fine.

The first time I flew with my daughter she was 5 months. She slept the whole way. The only problem I had was with a flight attendant who wanted to take my car seat away, but she assumed that I would be holding her on my lap, which IMO is dangerous. As soon as I showed her the baby's ticket we were all set. Also my brother just brought his 3 month old home for Christmas and they flew from France to Boston. She also slept the entire way, on both flights. I say go for it, but again, I would spring for the ticket so the baby gets a seat. A baby not strapped in a car seat can become a projectile on a plane.

I think it's much easier than taking a toddler on vacation, 4 months they're still really portable.

I took my 4 month old on a plane and she slept the whole time. Only thing is pain taking all the stuff you need for her and traveling but if you feel up to it have fun and go.

People take even younger babies on planes.
It is a personal decision.
Hopefully, your baby has some kind of vaccinations... already.
Plane air... is icky. Recycled air...

for booking airplane seats, that are family friendly/with kids, go to:
www.seatguru.com
Even Travel Agents use it and we have used this as well.
It is REALLY good.

Also check with www.tsa.gov for 'rules' on packing/flying/baby liquids etc. and what you need to carry the in etc.

all the best,
Susan

Our daughter's first flight was when she was 3 months old. It was totally safe and quite enjoyable. We made sure she had something to suck on as the plane landed & took off (pacifier or bottle). Outside of that we didn't hear a peep out of that baby.

Things you should know: Most airlines do not count your car seat or stroller as extra baggage. The stroller you can take all the way up to the plane. When you check in at the gate with your boarding pass they will take the stroller there & store it under the plane. When you land at your destination they will pull it up first & have it waiting for you as you exit the plane.

If you bottle feed, you can take powdered formula only and it can not be mixed with any water or liquid until you get through security. You can then buy water on the other side & mix the formula.

Kids 2 and under fly free if they sit in your lap.

Have a fantastic trip wherever you're going! From Illinois? Hope you're going somewhere the sun is shinging and is at least 80 degrees!

It is so much easier at this age then when they become toddlers. Go for it. You do not need to buy a seat until they turn 2 but sometimes it is worth it if you have a squirmy child. DS flew a lot when he was little - the first time we bought him a seat was a red eye coast to coast flight when he was 18 months. Turns out he didn't even use the seat. Slept on top of me the whole flight. Most flights DS slept, never had problems with take off or landing. Still a great flyer (age 5).