Breastfeeding and flying

[bankie123]

I've booked a flight in August and my baby will be 6mths old. It is a short flight (1.5hrs) and I plan to feed on take off and landing to help with ears. I'm travelling myself with the baby and was wondering what seat on the plane would be best for feeding? Window or aisle? Aisle as I could get up and walk around or window for discreetness??? Help!

[purplemurple1]

I'd go window you can always ask to get past if you need to stretch your legs and the aisle seat you have the trolley going past andmaybe knocking you.

Fyi though I've travelled with my baby a few times and he had no issue with his ears apparently that doesn't start until around 2 yrs - something to so with being in 'water' in the womb.

[purplemurple1]

Also we had a few babies on the last flight and I got a lot of questions about why I was bottle feeding, the mums breastfeeding were left to it. Hopefully you will be left to get on with it and no one will be peering at you wherever you sit.

[BertieBotts]

I don't think it will matter, if you have something in the baby's mouth, it's not screaming Window might be good if you have a nosy baby as they can look out.

[SizzlesSit]

Interesting about the ears and age. My then 15 month old had no problems but at 25 months it was hideous. Calpol worked for the return journey tho.

Im flying with a 3 month old soon and was planning on feeding during take off and landing but not sure how when they're supposed to be strapped to you...

[beatingwings]

Window. More privacy.

[SavoyCabbage]

Although I always have an aisle seat I think a window will be best for you in these circumstances.

[BertieBotts]

Sizzles I've seen people using the baby belts and they're not very tight, you'd have enough slack to feed.

[Cakeismymaster]

Definetly window, maybe have a nice roomy top or cover/shawl and no one will know. Only problem I found was that person next to me (DH) at times had babies feet on his leg - but I think my ds was older than yours at the time.

[BabyLabyrinth]

I've just come back from a short-haul trip with a 3mo and 2yo, and I tandem-fed without too much difficulty!

A window seat is much more private, but babies (and toddlers, apparently) have an uncanny knack for doing poonanis immediately on take-off. So if not in the aisle seat, it's annoying having to ask someone to move, especially if they're pretending to be asleep ...

Best advice is to ask at check-in if you have the whole row to yourself. If the flight isn't full, they may be able to sort that for you.

BA doesn't let you choose your seat anyway if you're with an infant.

Don't worry about breastfeeding in general though -- everyone would rather have a calm, quiet feeding baby than an unhappy loud one!

My 3mo slept the whole way both legs, and 2yo used to sleep like that as a baby. You'll be fine!

[Scotinoz]

I've travelled long haul with my wee one. Window is probably best simply so you don't have people climbing over you. Mine wasn't that bothered by take off or landing actually.

Like someone else said, the main problem was her legs dangling over the next seat!

[purplemurple1]

Re the belt - at 6 week's (out) 2 months (Home) he was allowed to lay down with belt loosely around him from the time they do the safety talk until the belt sign turnedoff.
At 6 mmonth's he had to be sat up facing forward for the same amount of time.

[purplemurple1]

At 6 month's he did stroke my neighbors hair a few times - he was fine with it. People are fairly nice if you are trying to keep the baby calm and not too smelly.

[soupmaker]

I flew shorthaul with DD2 and fed her no bother in the aisle seat. She was in a baby carrier so kind of sitting up and fed away no bother before sleeping for ages.