Advice please for flying with a 7 month old baby

Hi, we're flying to the UK in December with a 7 month old baby, it'll be the first time to fly with her and we're complete novices at this. It's a day flight (10am) so she'll be awake for most of it as she doesn't have her night sleep till 9pm. Any advice on how to amuse/manage her without driving ourselves and other passengers insane, I'd like to introduce her to the family with us looking semi normal. (also what about jet lag in a baby?)

Thanks

7 months isn't that bad. As long as there is plenty of warmth, love and food things should go well.

- Don't expect any sleep. You will probably get some, but it is good to expect non.

- Bring two changes of clothes for baby and one for you.

- Call the airline and try to get a bassinet.

- Nurse or give a dummy during ascent and especially descent in order to mitigate the effect of pressure changes on the ears. Sucking will help baby normalize pressure.

- Bring favorite toys plus one new toy that you hide until half way there.



Most babies handle jet lag far better than their parents. Just try to move to local time with regards to meals and sleep as fast as possible. If needed, add a nap or meal.



"I'd like to introduce her to the family with us looking semi normal."


It's possible, but don't get your hopes up. ;)

Excellent advise from axptguy.


I would also add;

-make sure the bub is warmly clothed, as planes can get very cold particularly when the bub is asleep.

-Take some age appropriate food as airlines often have nothing suitable.

-Use the whole plane. We go and visit all the children on the flight and let them play on any spare seats.

-Take it in turns to look after the bub. Eating the meal uninterupted is a great recharge before taking the 'next shift'.

-If your bub has a favourate toy or comforter, pull it out if the flight experience gets too much or if you need two minutes to yourself.


Have a good flight.

Ask the flight attendants if you can stagger your own meals so that you can each get a chance to eat in peace.


I am going to reiterate that you bring a change of clothes for yourself as well [I once needed one and didn't have one].


Don't worry about if you are going to disturb other passengers. Apologize if you do, but unless you are poking it with hot needles, if your kid screams the entire flight, it isn't your fault, if there were something you could be doing, you would be, and you are not likely to see any of these people again anyway.


My advice is that the best thing you can do is to manage the expectations of the adults on the destination end. To that effect, start now by telling them that long flights are really hard on babies, that jet lag can be worse in babies [many kids adapt more quickly, but some are really thrown by all the changes], and that you are going to plan to have a little time to socialize right away, but then you want to be able to get some rest for yourselves and the baby. I am mentioning this because while there is a good chance that you'll be able to do the introductions looking semi-normal, it will be much easier on you if this is a lucky happenstance not a priority.


As you are trying to adjust to the new time, feed your kid something when they wake up in the night, and see if they won't go right back to sleep. Also, try to recreate the home bed environment with a favorite blanket or grobag or familiar nightlight.

take a couple of books for the baby, a cloth can be used for peekaboo , those stacking cups are quite good at that age and dont take up much room, take a few more diapers than you think you will need, keep your baby wipes handy, my baby slept better sitting with me than in the crib. take a couple of snacks for yourself and a bottle of water purchased after security if you are breastfeeding, Take a couple of ziploc bags so you can throw in any dirty clothes or bibs.

dont worry about other passengers - remember you have had to pay 10% more for your seat as you have to buy an infant ticket too. The plane noise does mask a lot of the sounds a baby makes.

give yourself a few mins extra at the airport so you have time to do a last minute diaper change before getting on the plane - those plane bathrooms do not have a lot of space and the changing tables arent padded.

Yea... there's some pretty useful advice here.. here's another article that you might find it of interest.. it's in Today's Motherhood's latest November issue: Travelling With Your Toddler... www.TodaysMotherhood.com/current

Definately take something warm for the baby, my son ended up with pneumonia after a flight back from UK as the bassinet is under the airvent and baby can get blasted. Wrap them in an all-in-one with hood if possible.


If your baby is big, ask the airline for the 'carseat style' bassinet. The major airlines have them and they are easier to put baby into and out of as square box bassinet is so hard to work with.


7 months is a great time to travel, baby will look around and be amused at everything. Take a bottle of milk etc for take off as this helps with any ear pressure problems, some babies don't even notice. Wait until the plane is about to take off to give it as if the plane is taxi-ing out, the baby can have it drank before 'lift-off'.


I used to take various small toys/teething rings etc and introduce one at a time so something new comes out every few hours. Baby will sleep as the hum of the plane makes them sleepy too.


Agree with above post on staggering meals or if travelling alone, bring some food for yourself so you can eat as and when.


Regarding taking milk and food onboard with you, whilst security tell you you cannot bring this stuff, just take it and when you get to security, be straight with them what you have i.e. milk, liquids and solids for baby and they will be fine. I've done this loads of times, even once they asked us to taste the milk and we just put a drop on back of hand and they were fine.


Do bring your own baby food, airlines will most probalby not have it and if there's one thing you dont want is to run out of food or baby will surely tear the house down.


Keep to your normal feeding and sleeping schedules and when you land, adjust slowly or just let baby eat / sleep whenever bearing in mind the following night is looming and you want to get back on track the next day.


Have a great time, taking a 7 month on board is eezy peezy, wait till you have a 1 yr old who likes to walk around and talk to everyone and you share a seat with him/her........................more fun to look forward to!!!