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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Feeding and Flying

11 replies

Scout19075 · 03/01/2010 13:00

I'm due to fly to the States next week (only booked the tickets this weekend) to introduce my new DS to the family and was wondering f anyone has any advice on feeding when flying? DS will be 11 weeks on the day we go and as been EBF. I wasn't sure if I should give him a bottle of expressed milk on take off and landing or would it be easier/better to give him breast?

Thanks!!
Scout

OP posts:

Jolibee · 03/01/2010 13:32

Depends if you are adverse to tasting your own breast milk at the X-ray machine ;-)

Make sure you don't give it to him too early. We got caught out thinking a moving plane was one about to take off; it taxied then stopped. Wait until you are hurtling down the run way before starting feeding to ensure he doesn't peak too soon!

If you are travelling with another adult we've found ordering a 'special' meal helps. As they come at different times allowing you to eat and hand over the baby

CrosswordGeek · 03/01/2010 13:36

Go for breast to give that extra bit of comfort when he's getting his feed. At least then he'll be getting a proper proper cuddle to ease the pain if he has any.

HerMomminess · 03/01/2010 13:38

We went to South Africa when DD1 was 3.5mo. Excl bf and made sure she was latched on at take off and landing. Defo made a difference. Bit of a twist with the seatbelt on but worth the effort.

Ditto re long taxi- ing tho! got the timing wrong once and meant a looong feed.

Have you asked for a basinet?

Also: a friend noticed a drop in supply with the change in time zones. Doesn' t happen to everyone but maybe worth remembering.

Oh and on our marathon feed there&back I got SOO dehydrated so make sure you drink lots of water.

babybessa · 03/01/2010 13:38

I flew with my son when he was a bit older than that but he was EBF too - honestly its as if someone 'up there' invented the breast for this very reason! Dont start faffing with bottles if you havent so far, would leave it til you're there or back before introducing something new personally. If anything like Thomas, your DS will sleep most of the flight, everyone will googoo gaagaa and it will be fine... its when they get past 6 months that flying becomes, well, more 'fun'

FaintlyMacabre · 03/01/2010 13:48

I only have experience of feeding a much older child (12 months) on a plane, but I would definitely go for breast. There's often a lot of sitting around and false starts before the plane takes off, so you could find that your DS has drunk the EBM before the crucial take off point! Also, I think the restrictions on travelling with liquids will make it a bit of a hassle to travel with EBM.
I found on each occasion of flying with DS that the hum of the engines plus a breastfeed would send him straight to sleep on take-off - often for several hours. I hope yours is as obliging!

cupcake75 · 03/01/2010 13:52

It is so much easier to breastfeed. I flew to Canada with DD when she was 10 weeks old and kept her latched on when taking off and landing. She didn't have any ear pain that way. She was very easy going on the flight, although she didn't sleep very much.

BTW she didn't really get jet-lag on the way over either. Just put her to bed at the 'normal time' and she got up pretty much as usual the next day. It was only 5 hours difference so may not work if you're going to the West Coast. She did get jet lag for about a week coming back though.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 03/01/2010 14:01

We flew with sd1 when he was 12 weeks old and I bf on take off and landing and whenever inbetween. It worked great - no problems at all.

Original poster

Scout19075 · 03/01/2010 16:38

We're going to the East Coast, so only five hour difference. Unfortunately, DS doesn't seem to have a normal "bed time" as he's been doing a lot of cluster feeding lately (several weeks, really) - some nights are definitely better than others! Every time I think he's getting into a routine/pattern, he throws in a night or two that makes me question my sanity. LOL I will definitely try between now and then to get him to be a bit more consistant with his sleeping, but always thought that he was still a bit too new to try to get him to conform to adult timings that and everyone keeps telling me around 12 weeks he'll "sort himself out". Fortunately I have both a HV and GP appointment this week (my/our 8-week appointments got postponed to this week because of Christmas) so will see what else I can do to get him to sleep more consistantly. Does anyone have any advice on that?

OP posts:

cleanandclothed · 03/01/2010 16:49

Buy a blow up breastfeeding cushion (so it doesn't take up too much room when you are not using it) and then wedge it round you and he can feed/snooze the whole time. Worked perfectly for us with a 5 month old and a 12 hour flight. Also means that if you get the right position you can have both of your arms free.

Original poster

Scout19075 · 03/01/2010 16:53

Great advice cleanandclothed, I hadn't thought about a cushion/pillow -- he's getting so big/heavy now that I've started to have to use pillows when I'm on the sofa....

OP posts:

sonnysmum · 03/01/2010 18:59

Jolibee - you are SO right. Wait till plane is about to actually take off before you start. Have been caught out a couple of times by peaking too soon (as it were!) Breastfeeding is the absolute best thing on a plane journey - sorts them out completely.

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