I'm going on a long flight with a one year old, Help?

Question

I'm leaving to Korea next month for vacation and I'm taking my one year old with me and my husband. We have never traveled like this with our daughter and would like some advice. We are definetly bringing our portable dvd player to keep her distracted, but we want to know how to soothe a baby on a plane. And some heads up advice, please I'm desperate.

Now I know how the parents of the screaming babies feel like.

Answer 1

She might be screaming because she has sore ears... Babies suffer from that alot due to change in pressure... Bring something for her ears (ask any doctor for something to take along to give her if she dosen't stop crying)... And try to reserve the front seats at the plane and then ask for a baby crib... If you could sit at the front you could ask for a baby bed to be attached to the wall infront of u.... Bring along the dvd player and coloring pages or something but with not too many colors just a few that you can afford to lose because you probably wouldnt find them at landing...

Answer 2

I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my own three children. We usually travel between Europe and California about twice a year and have been doing this since each was 4 months old.  

I actually think she might be too young for a portable DVD player but you know her best. She must be able to either wear the headphones or watch it without sound. I only got one when my youngest was 3 years old. They are kind of heavy to cart around and could easily break. It also isn't worth it if the DVD player has less than 2 hours' playtime on it. How much screen watching does she do? Mine were not very interested, especially with a small screen, at that age.

Bring a few quiet toys but a small selection. Again, short attention spans and he'll be more interested in her new surroundings. Soft toys, chunky books, blocks, etc. worked best at this age.

I really recommend bringing a car seat and using it onboard. This is not only safer for her but much, much more comfortable for you.

Make sure your car seat is approved for use on aircraft. If you're flying on a U.S. company, see the below link for information on if it's approved. Most car seats, including infant buckets, sold in the U.S. are.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...

If you are flying a non-U.S. company, see the information for your airline. If you search with the name of the airline, followed by "children", that will usually give you the right page.

This way, the seat will get to your destination without risking it being damaged or lost in luggage. On one last transatlantic with my kids, three of our four bags didn't make it but since we had the car seat with us, my daughter was safe for the 2 hour drive home (the bags arrived 2 days later). I saw at least two other seats while looking for our luggage. Wonder how they left the airport with their babies?

If you don't have a seat for her, request it at check-in. Ask if the flight is full, and if not, they can "block" the seat next to you, only using it if they really need it. They often do this for families.

Bring the seat to the gate, even if they are unsure that you'll get a seat. This way, if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentlier than checking it in at the desk.

I also recommend trying to sit at the bulkhead. These are the seats with the wall in front, located in different places depending on the aircraft. Bulkheads are easier with children since no one is leaning in front of you and there's probably room to crawl on the floor. Some airlines provide wall-mounted bassinets. At one year of age, she has probably outgrown most companies' but you can ask. Safety-wise, a bassinet is no replacement for a car seat.

If you have a travel system, you can use the stroller until you get to the door of the aircraft and then it'll be "gate checked". If not, use a stroller frame for a infant seat. You'll have it again, by the door of the aircraft when you arrive. If you have a convertible car seat (going to 40lbs), there are a number of contraptions you can use to wheel it around. I simply strap mine to a small metal luggage cart and that works great.

If you do have a stroller, bring a bungee cord and double secure it before leaving it at the door of the plane. They can get damaged if they pop open en route. Make sure the claim ticket can be seen and isn't squished or hidden. Be sure to ask when disembarking where the stroller is.

Bring at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. I saw so many parents run out on flights when I was working! Wrap them in plastic bags and throw a bunch of rubber bands around them to save room in your carry-on.

For a formula fed baby, I really recommend using the bottles with plastic liners. Traditional bottles are too difficult to wash onboard because of the kind of sinks on airplanes. I premeasured the powder and rolled them up, placing the rolls in a ziplock bag. Then you throw the liners away as you use them and only have the ring and nipple to clean.

If you use bottled water, be sure to give yourself enough time to buy some once you're past security. Make sure you have enough! The water on the aircraft is filtered tap so decide if you're comfortable using that for your baby. Bottled water runs out fast on flights and we never had any extra for baby bottles.

Be sure your baby does not need the bottle warmed. Get her used to a room-temperature bottle before leaving. This is unnecessary health-wise and a real pain to do while travelling. I warmed many bottles on my flights but I wasn't there in the check-in line, the security line or the waiting area! Babies do great with room-temperature bottles.

Make sure you have at least one change of clothes. For such a long flight, I would bring two. At that age, I simply dressed mine in sleep suits for flying. No one will care so keep her comfortable. Bring extra socks if she crawls so that she doesn't pick up anything nasty on the floor and to keep her hands clean.

Hopefully you have a good baby carrier. They're so useful for flying, especially at this age. I had a sling, which was pure magic for calming crying babies on board, but other parents swear by their wraps and pouches. The Ergo and Beccos are other popular carriers for travel that go on the back.

I liked the sling because I could slide my babies from into and out of a stroller or car seat without waking them. It also doubled as a blanket, baby changer, breastfeeding cover-up and sunshade! Other parents wanted one when they saw how easy it made my travels. Avoid front packs like the Bjorn since they're so bad for both the parents' and child's back. A good carrier should go to at least age 2.

Many flying tips say to make the child suck on something or drink during take-off and landing. A lot of people think that babies cry because of ear pain on flight. This isn't accurate. ENT specialists say to have the child awake about an hour before landing (top of descent, landing or touch-down is too late).

http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandalt...

I can confirm that is when I saw problems at work. Take your child to the doctor in the last few days before you fly to make sure his ears are clear and infection-free. Heathy ears can handle pressurization changes.

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.

Feel free to visit;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a great time in Korea and get some Yul Mu Cha while there (cannot find it outside of Korea!)

Answer 3

I've flown with my kids as babies a few times, and it's not too bad.  

My biggest concern was pressure in their ears during take-off and landing.  I kept a pacifier or cup/bottle of water handy for that time so that they were sucking and not experiencing any pain. It seemed to work.

For most of a long flight, you can usually get up and walk around the plane if the seatbelt light is off (and it usually is unless the skies are rough).  You can walk your baby around the plane to soothe her, and you can even let her walk around a bit to stretch her legs.  

Bring some new toys and books for the flight, and plenty of snacks to keep her happy and full.  I usually bring some treats that are not commonly offered, and that helps during meltdowns as well.

I think you'll find most passengers to be understanding of an occasionally fussy baby, so don't stress too much!