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So many people ask me about flying with babies. There is a fear factor involved. Having ‘been there’ myself all I can say is flying with babies is not as fraught with terror as one may think.
The Travelling Kid Motto: “Pack Your Patience and Be Prepared!” came to me on my first flight with my son Jacob. He was then 4 months old. Since then I have heard from countless flight attendants SHOCKING things about how unprepared parents are when flying with babies. For example, coming aboard a 12 hour flight with no diapers and in some cases…even food! Add to the mix some inattentive parents (sitting idly by while their kid wails) and you’ve got a recipe for disaster in the air.
But what can you do? (you may ask)
Simple. Babies are pretty simple. They need to eat, poop and sleep. It’s when the kids get older that it gets more complex and you will need to pack electronic devices in defense of boredom.
“But!” you wail, “babies cry!”
Yes, ears get messed up on take-off and landing and a 4 month old can’t chew gum or walk at the same time. But board the plane with just a little prep and a little patience and you will have a much smoother ride.
Here are a few simple tips for making your airplane experience a bit easier. I will keep this article specific to babies + airplane
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1.CRYING:
“Babies crying on a plane” is an iconic situation. Reams of magazine and newspaper articles have been devoted to it. It is an unhappy situation for EVERYONE involved. But babies cry. That’s how they communicate.
Their itsy bitsy Eustachian tubes can’t take the pressure and gum is not the answer. On takeoff and landing get the baby to SUCK, SUCK, SUCK. It makes a big difference in how your baby will tolerate the change in pressure Bottle or breast – makes no difference. Don’t start too early or too late.. So when those flight attendants strap in – stick something in the baby’s mouth…UNLESS the baby is sleeping. DUH.
During the flight be prepared to play and distract and have fun with your baby. Just like home. Also be prepared to tune into and comfort your baby. Just like at home. Take a walk up and down the aisle. Sing a soothing song. Also remember this might be a teething thing so talk to your pediatrician for their recommendations.
Staving off the crying isn’t magic. It’s merely good parenting. As we all know there are times when the baby can’t be soothed but if you truly give it your all you won’t get the stink eye from your seatmate. In fact, a kindly stranger may offer to take the babe for a lap (my husband often does this). Don’t worry – they can’t take off with your baby. Kind of takes you back to the good old days when you could trust people.
2.FOOD & LIBATION:
If your little one is breastfeeding, you’ve just saved yourself a bit of hassle. You won’t have to worry about their ears OR what food to bring. If you baby is older and on some solid food bring their faves. Nutrition be damned. If they love the pudding, bring it on board. The key is to make sure they eat. If they are hungry they will cry. (See above) Flying is also dehydrating so liquids, liquids, liquids.
3.MEDS:
Talk to your pediatrician about meds (natural or no) OF COURSE. I never traveled without homeopathic teething tablets and chamomile. The chamomile seems to work wonders. There may be other things your pediatrician recommends that you travel with depending on your individual baby’s health. For example a baby with asthma will have special needs.
4.ENTERTAINMENT:
“Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and…” you know the song. Anyway…avoid your troubles and pack up your bag with lots of little diversions and then use your imagination to find cool stuff on hand that your baby will love. The good news is that kids this age are easy to entertain. No Nintendo necessary. My son adored the travel brush/mirror thingy that we got in the amenity kit on a Lufthansa flight – he spent endless minutes opening and closing it , flipping the brush thing in and out, looking in the mirror and now that he is older he pretends that it is a cell phone. Flipping the window shade open and shut, turning the light on and off, changing venue (walking down the aisle), drumming on the pillow, etc. also works for baby. Other things on the baby hit parade are spoons, keys, hair scrunchies, stuffed animals, finger puppets, paper scrunching, etc.
5.FACTOR IN THE COZY FACTOR:
For peace of mind, I also suggest bringing a baby carrier, such as a Baby Bjorn. It’s a familiar, cozy place for baby and you will be VERY happy you have it when you reach your destination and are out and about town. Also I suggest you Pashmina yourself and your baby into cozy heaven. The body to body thing is super comforting.
6.POOP HAPPENS:
And at thousands of feet above sea level in a confined space you had BETTER be prepared. Remember I mentioned that there are some people that come on board sans diapers and wipes? Don’t make that mistake. Here’s my spiel on diapers. You can always seem to stuff one more diaper in. Do yourself a favor and do it. Make sure to have MORE than you think you need for the time period you will be parted from your checked luggage. You can experience delays and/or the airline can lose your luggage – and trust me, you don’t want to be in a foreign city on a Sunday when all the shops are closed when your kid suddenly has an excess of poop and you are one diaper short. Take two packs of wipes. There seems to be a wipe gremlin roaming airplanes hiding your pack of wipes from you just at the very moment you need them. Put them in zip locs – the cabin pressure makes the moisture ooze out onto everything you own and if it oozes onto the diapers the moisture renders your precious dipes useless.
Above all…remember: “Pack Your Patience and Be Prepared!”
This is the ‘short’ list in terms of what to pack, expect, etc. and is specific to babies on planes. For more tips on what to take, etc., you may want to read:
What To Take: Carry On Musts and Beyond
The Essential Airport Walk-Thru
The New TSA Regulations: Packing Tips
Babes In Flight: Tips for Flying With Babies
