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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be freaking out?!

22 replies

my2centsis · 08/09/2012 22:51

DH, dd(4), ds(9mo) and I are ment to be flying to australia in 8days. (4hour flight)

over the last month we have have had two seperate very bad flu's, 1 in which ds ended up in hospital as his oxygen levels were low.

Ds and i have been batteling ear infections the whole time and ds is on his 3rd lot of antibiotics. (due to finish tomorrow).

My ears are still quite sore, but the doc said only red and not in need of any more antibiotics.

I have been googleing like crazy reading up on babies and flying/ babies flying with ear infections/ drums bursting mid-flight and have worked myself up into a bit of a state to be honest.

This is my first time flying so i am not sure what to expect.

I saw a reliever doctor on wednesday (my doc away) and told him my concerns (when ds got his last setof A.b's) he if anything made me far more worried. He stated i would most likely be in severe pain during landing and take off. I asked about ds drums bursting, he said it may or may not happen and i will have to wait and see.

I am going to take us both back to see a different doctor tomorrow, but still cant help worrying.

does anyone have any advice or experiences that can help me?

our house is due to start earthquake repairs the day we leave so if we cancel our flights we will have no where to stay as nearly all our family have left CHCH due to the earthquakes?

any advice greatly appreciated :) and thank you for listening to my rambel

OP posts:

nancy75 · 08/09/2012 22:55

How old is your baby? If your baby has a bottle take one for take off and one for landing, the sucking relieves pressure in the ear, a dummy could also help. We flew to Australia from uk when dd was about 8 months, the poor thing had a bottle or dummy shoved in her mouth for most of the very long journey!

Original poster

my2centsis · 08/09/2012 22:58

he is 9months, he doesn't have a dummy and is breast fed. i plan to breastfeed on take off and landing but because of his ages he only feeds for about 3-4mins at a time now so am afraid it wouldn't be long enough

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 08/09/2012 22:58

Oh my goodness...of all the times for you all to be ill

I have no advice really other than to say that any time I've flown, I've felt the 'eardrum' thing on take off but only briefly and it's never been painful.

Of course having an ear infection/weakened ear drums might make a difference, but I guess the Doc is right...he can't say one way or another.

But at least he's not saying it's a definite likelihood.

nancy75 · 08/09/2012 23:11

Not ideal I know but could you try giving him a dummy? Even if you could just let him have it for the flight and then never again? When they are a little older it is easier because you can give them a sucky lolly, but at 9 months feeding or dummy is about all you can do.

WelshMaenad · 08/09/2012 23:12

This really is meant helpfully and not Indy pathetically but it will probably come across the wrong way regardless BUT... even in the very unlikely event that their eardrums do burst, it's not super serious. My dd had a very nasty ear infection a few years ago and her eardrum burst. It was a bit gross, lots of hack came out, but it actually relieved the pressure in her war and made her happier! We carried on dosing her with painkillers and it healed on it's own and has been fine since. Her hearing is unaffected, she can still hear me opening a biscuit packet through several closed doors.

If it does happen, that does suck a bit, but you will all cope. Can you take sone Calpol on the flight, I would also pre dose them before takeoff. I suffer badly with my ears on planes and found EarPlanes really helpful, I'm not sure if they do them for kids but you might be able to use them for your older child?

As a bit of an aside, I'm sorry for the devastation you have experienced. I have some friends in NZ (we harbour a desire to emigrate too and have pinpointed Governor's Bay as our dream locale). I'm so upset about all the damage in your beautiful city.

WelshMaenad · 08/09/2012 23:12

Unsympathetically - not sure who Indy is...

NatashaBee · 08/09/2012 23:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Secondsop · 08/09/2012 23:58

Some people also recommend cotton wool / baby ear plugs for take off and landing to help maintain the ear pressure - check with your doctor to see if this is still sound advice.

lurkedtoolong · 09/09/2012 01:29

If you're finding pressure in your ears is a bit off during take-off/landing pinch your nose and blow gently, that should help to relieve the pressure a bit. If you do it early enough it might stop it getting too painful. You could try with DD (4) but kids have a habit of blowing too hard and that makes it worse. Another tip is to hold your breath momentarily and wiggle your chin. Can make a game of funny faces with DD.

No suggestions for baby though - sorry.

Thumbwitch · 09/09/2012 01:38

The first time I visited Australia I had to fly on an internal flight with an ear that still hadn't equalised after a diving day. The pressure on take off was very painful but the airhostess was obviously experienced in this sort of problem and gave me a hot water bottle to put behind my ear (rubber glove filled with hot water and wrapped in a handtowel) - this expanded the air behind the ear drum and stopped the pain. I didn't burst my eardrum either but I was a bit deaf for a day after the flight until it all popped and equalised again.

Sucking/drinking will work for normal equalisation; some places will give you inhaler tabs (eucalyptus and the like) to help clear your passages, but I didn't find this very effective - might have been more effective if I'd tried it for a while before getting on the plane! I would also dose yourselves up on ibuprofen (including the baby, if you can get the appropriate stuff for babies) because it's an anti-inflammatory as well as a painkiller so should reduce any swelling in your tubes - paracetamol won't do that for you - which might help with the equalising.

I have also flown with a cold and I can't tell you how excruciating it was. :(

However, 8days is quite a while to go - FX for you that it has all cleared up by then.

ZacharyQuack · 09/09/2012 01:43

If a heatpack can help, could you take a couple of heatpacks this kind of thing ? Along with earplugs, painkillers, emergency dummy etc in your hand luggage?

I hope your trip goes really well, and your house is all repaired on your return.

Thumbwitch · 09/09/2012 01:45

Something like that, inside a sock or something, would be perfect Zachary!

mamandeouisti · 09/09/2012 01:51

I have often had severe ear pain on flights (even when not ill) since I was a child. Usually imitating a swallowing action, yawning really widely or sucking a sweet helps but sometimes it just hurts anyway. The last time (earlier this year) was so sore I cried! However, it's just for the time that you're coming into land so doesn't last long.

My DS travelled from the age of about 4 months and I always breastfed him on take-off and landing. Now I take something chewy and we try to see who can pull the most ridiculous yawny faces! He's lucky, his ears have never seemed to bother him.

Taking calpol or something like that seems a good idea.

I hope you all have a great flight. Try not to worry too much. You'll probably be better by then anyway. If not...hopefully it'll be 20mins max of thinking ow, ow, ow. Then you'll be there. Have fun!

CaliforniaLeaving · 09/09/2012 02:07

I flew back to UK with Ds when he was in the middle of a double ear infection, poor baby, he was 15 months and the doctor gave me the dosage instructions for some cold medicine that would help his ears, I gave it right before we got on the plane and then about 30 mins before landing and it seemed to work a treat, I was also still nursing so fed him on take off and landing. I also gave him lots of little bites to eat and chew while flying, but not sure how your 9mth old is with chewing. Ask the doctor if he can suggest a decongestant to help his ears be more comfortable.

Homebird8 · 09/09/2012 03:41

I know it's very young but could you break a million MNers hearts don't read on if you're of a nervous disposition and give DS chocolate buttons during take off. They always bring about loads of saliva and swallowing and demands for more and they can be timed to coincide with actual take off and landing. Pamol an hour before both the up and the down if it's a four hour flight should help too.

Advice for all those travelling anywhere close to you - wear chocolate coloured clothing and carry your own body weight in wipes.

Oh, and I'll send you and him a little e-healing before the flight so it's not an issue too. Hope they make your home wonderful. You lot in CHCH have been through too much.

vvviola · 09/09/2012 04:15

You've had loads of advice about the ears - I just wanted to give you some advice about feeding on take off (learnt the hard way!)

Especially if he only feeds for a few minutes at a time, don't start to feed until the wheels are literally leaving the ground. I have many memories (we flew a lot in DD1's first 4 years) of giving in to whinges for bf or bottle from DD as the plane pushed back from the gate - only for us to sit on the runway for 10 minutes and her to refuse any more at take off!

Original poster

my2centsis · 09/09/2012 10:28

Hi all thank you for your advice so far. I am willing to try anything. The thought of ds being in severe pain and crying the whole flight is makin me cringe.

A friends that we were visiting yesterday has just informed me her and her children are all sick with a cold today do am now paranoid we have caught it off them.

I'm a natural worrier.

How long does (if at all) it hurt/feel uncomfortable for? Is it just a couple of min per take off and land or longer? I wonder if I should try have expressed milk in a bottle as he would be drinking for longer using a bottle then breast

OP posts:

Thumbwitch · 09/09/2012 10:43

In my case, and it won't be the same for everyone, when flying with a cold the pain built up on the take-off, stayed with me the entire 3hr flight back from Kavos and then increased on the landing. It stopped hurting when I was off the plane, but I was deaf for at least a day.

Since then, and for other reasons, I've had troubles equalising my ears on flights anyway - and it can hurt on take off and landing but doesn't in between.

When I used the heat pad, it did stop the pain (this was after the whole Kavos episode) and it was only needed on take off and landing.

Homebird8 · 09/09/2012 11:25

Can you get those wheat bags? I think they've got microwaves on aircraft and could heat them for you.

Homebird8 · 09/09/2012 11:26

Maybe not the short haul aircraft. Bad idea, sorry.

Original poster

my2centsis · 13/09/2012 21:27

3days until our flight and ds now has a runny nose and dd a runny nose and awful cough :(. Anyone had any experience traveling with kids with a cold? Google says it can e quite painful for them

OP posts:

Homebird8 · 15/09/2012 03:30

My2, hoping that the ear infections are now under control and that DCs aren't suffering too much from the colds. I shouldn't think they will be too bad on the plane with runny noses, as at least the mucus is moving. Just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you and hope that your home gets sorted so you can come back soon. Best of luck

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