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Original poster

babies' ears and flying

8 replies

eidsvold · 11/02/2003 09:20

I am flying with my dd ( 6 mths) to Australia soon. I am intending to give her a bottle on take off and landing. Just wondering when is the best time to give it to her in order to stop her ears causing her trouble??

OP posts:

Meid · 11/02/2003 10:00

Last year when my dd was 5 months old we went on a holiday which included quite a few flights. I intended to do the same as you, i.e. feed on take off or landing. I don't think I managed it once! She either fell asleep or wasn't interested. But I needn't have worried because the pressure changes didn't seem to affect her at all.
My advice is to try to give her bottle but don't get too anxious if she's not interested, she might well be okay.
This year when we flew there were about 6 babies sitting all around us, out of those 6 only one screamed on take off and landing.
So, fingers crossed your dd will be fine.
Hope this helps.

susanmt · 11/02/2003 11:26

You give it to them just as the plane goes fast along the runway as the climbing up is the fastest at the start of the climb and it gets gentler as you get higher. I have always bf my hildren on takeoff and landing - although have never found landing to be as much of a problem. Not dd is 3 she gets a cup of juice on takeoff and a lollipop on landing!!

CP · 11/02/2003 12:36

I took dd to South Africa last year and had intended to give her a bottle on take off and landing but the cabin crew made the milk far too hot and by the time it was at a drinkable temperature we had got over the pressure issue. She seemed to cope well as we had no tears. If your baby takes a dummy perhaps that may help? Have a good holiday and good luck.

Original poster

eidsvold · 11/02/2003 15:14

thanks for your help. It is funny my extremely anti dummy Dh asked if we should maybe consider buying her a dummy just for flying. I figure she chews and sucks her hand there is no need to go and gat a dummy and with a bit of luck she may have no problem.

OP posts:

janh · 12/02/2003 10:08

Why does the title of this thread make me think of Dumbo?

RushingAround · 12/02/2003 11:07

You beat me to it janh!
We're definitely in the Disney phase now at home.

Original poster

eidsvold · 12/02/2003 18:23

oh I wish it was that simple!!

OP posts:

SueW · 12/02/2003 22:29

I took DD to the US when she was 8mo and for some reason decided to strap her into her seat for take-off (don't ask me why!). We flew Virgin and she had one of their seat liners as we'd paid for her seat so maybe I thought she should use it.

She screamed all the way up and refused to suck her thumb, which was one of her main comforts at the time, in spite of my trying to shove it into her mouth.

We'd been there about a week when I realised she'd fallen asleep on me without the use of her thumb and she never sucked it again. Bit of a drastic way to cure thumbsucking, I admit.

On all other flights - we flew 15 times in the first 13 mos of her life IIRC - I just held her close and allowed her access to the breast and she latched on when she wanted to.

Haven't done bottlefeeding so can't compare but I suspect as long as she's ready for the bottle when you take off/land she should be okay. Start it as you taxi along the runway - descent may be more difficult as they announce it so far in advance but if your ears start to pop, I bet she'll be more than ready. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get her used to room temp feeds before you go.

Good luck.

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