6 month old, first flight, nervous mum, 6 hours long...any advice

[missytequila]

any advice for baby on the plane... what about take off and landing? how can you help them adjust/pop ears?? should I give calpol at all? should I breast feed during take off? how do you breast feed without elbowing the person next to you? what clothes to wear?

please tell me your experiences

yyy feed or dummy on take off or landing to make ears pop

get an aisle seat and bf that side to avoid elbowing

no need for calpol

It won't be as bad as you think. Even if it's quite bad, it will end eventually.

That sounds just fatuous and unhelpful, but I was in a terrible panic before our first long haul flight with dd1, and really you just have to do it.

Unless baby is crawling, 6 months is quite a good age; much easier than when they're crawling or toddling but too young to watch the telly and you're up and down the aisles for hours.

If there is any extra space on the flight, they will give you a spare seat next to you. Are you going alone, without partner?

Breastfeeding on takeoff and landing is a good idea. My DS and I first flew at seven months and by that time he was bottle feeding, so I can't really give you bf advice. If your baby takes a dummy, that will do to.

Take a couple of wee toys/books and things to amuse him/her, and your own supply of her food. Just because an airline says they'll provide baby food doesn't mean they will (KLM). Don't assume the staff will love to help you unless you're flying on an airline that employs a lot of Asian staff!

If you think you'll go mad or you're flying on your own with baby, bring Calpol. We've done four 18 hour return flights (DS is now 2). On that first flight I naively and self-righteously declared, "I will not drug my child just for a flight." I changed my mind very quickly. In retrospect though, flying with a 6 month old is easy compared to flying with an active toddler who wants to run around the plane! The Calpol is much appreciated by everyone on the plane at this age!

You might find that it is not as bad as you thought.

I have been very lucky when I have traveled by plane with my babies as neither has ever been troubled by the takeoff or landing.

Also I have found that the ambient motion and noise of the plane seems to make my babies very sleepy and they generally sleep for the majority of the flights.

When awake mine particularly enjoy being able to stand on my lap and be able to look around the plane, otherwise don't be afraid to get up and wander up and down the aisle to jog them along or rock them to sleep.

I have a belief that me remaining very calm helps as I think that babies will feed off your stresses.

I agree that you should take lots of food/milk etc, in fact everything you can think off that might be necessary.

And don't do what I did last time we flew, when DS2 was 5mths (thankfully only a flight to Inverness) and get flustered at security after making the scanner bleep and then having to take off shoes etc and for me, and both DS's get patted down by scary security staff,
so flustered that we managed to leave the silly clear plastic bag containing DS's bottle of formula, and pouches of baby food, which we didn't realise until we were on the aircraft!

So do your best to stay calm and rational even before you get on the flight.

And don't do what I did on a supposedly easy short haul flight with dd1 and pack all nappies in the hold baggage, and then let DH buy replacements in the airport, only to come back with swim nappies which neither of you realise until way way too late that they don't hold wee wee.

Happy times.

I flew with ds few times long haul when he was little and frankly it wasn't bad at all.

I bf on take off and landing and I think whenever he was getting upset- that way he mostly slept and bf, bf and slept iyswim.

If possible, you could try to get a seat with a cot, although I for one believe that everyone should be strapped in for the whole duration of flight (for the baby you loosen the seat belt after take off, so you're both comfortable but still he has the protection of it) in case of sudden turbulence- luggage falling from overhead bins is the main cause of injuries during flight plus being thrown about the aircraft- and babies are much more vulnerable. Obviously very unlikely, but I know all the pilots really recommend you do that.

Other than that, just take a few toys and wipes and diapers plus one or two changes of clothes, if he's prone to vomiting.

But I really recommend keeping him at your breast for as long as possible- he'll be calm and you can read or whatever.

thanks everyone...but if she sleeps the whole way...what about jet lag? i will make another post...

Jet lag also not nearly as bad as you think. My theory is that they sort themselves out in 3 days.

BF on takeoff/landing for sure. Although my DDs first flight at 5m she fell asleep just before takeoff and then again before landing - I was so worried her ears would hurt but she just slept through both. She did BF during the flight but what I mean is her ears won't necessarily hurt.

Don't know about jetlag but would be amazed if she will sleep for the whole time, DD snoozed and loved all the stuff to look at.

Personally I recommend taking a window seat - loads to look at while plane is on the ground and also while flying, this distracted my DD for ages. I also found it easier to BF that way rather than in the aisle seat.

I dressed her in a comfy cotton jersey dress with tights and a cardi in the UK then took off the tights and cardi on the flight as it was warm onboard and at destination. Take a blanket to put over her in case it's chilly with AC on flight (or light is stopping her sleeping) or if you want to use while BF.

I didn't take an actual change of day clothes but took a sleepsuit - so she could change into that if she was sicky and also we would have at night in case the luggage was lost .

I had a couple of small new toys (can't remember what - something fiddly and interesting) and a couple of small new books.

Overall it was absolutely fine - think you hear lots of bad stories about flying with wee ones but we have flown about 6 times with DD now (now 21m) and all OK, even after I stopped BF when I was v worried about sore ears etc.

Have a great time.

Second the suggestion about trying to get a cot if you can as it is somewhere for the baby to sit and play so they are not on you knee all the time. Don't know whether they are available on the less long haul flights though. I had one when I flew to Sydney with DD when she was about 10 months and it was a great boon.

The nappy change is the tricky bit as the tables in the toilets are really small.

IME flying with a baby is not nearly as hard as flying with a toddler.

After the Sydney experience I was qutie blase about flying to Jersey a year later when DD was 2. It was an absolute nightmare as our plane was delayed for an hour after we had got in and she had such a god awful tantrum that the cabin crew ended up getting the steps brought back and asked me to get off with her until nearer take off time

Breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed. It's your secret weapon. Flew with DD at 12 months & she spent most of the time on the boob & the rest of the time was happy to play peekaboo with the people behind, be carried up & down the aisle etc. Flying with her again in a few weeks at 26 months & scared about doing it without the magic power of the boob!

i am watching this post in anticipationj i think i may have fun flying next yr DD will be 18mnts old!!!!!!!!!!!!!! may be fun:) hope you feel better about it now?