Flying with BABY - Stress Free Air Travel Tips. Part-1.

 I have been meaning to write this post since last summer. I have traveled a lot pre-baby, and even after my son was born we traveled by airplanes when he was only 3 months old, then again at 8 months. Then it was time to travel yet again, this time it was an international flight, over the atlantic, me and baby alone. Doing it all alone, going through security check points, changing airplanes, taking care of baby.. etc seemed overwhelming, i wanted to be as prepared as can be - so i won't be THAT mom with squalling, squirmy child onboard. We traveled from Oklahoma City, OK to Chicago, then to Munich, Germany, then to Tashkent, Uzbekistan and one last flight to hometown Nukus. All together, flights, layovers it was well over 36 hours of traveling. It wasn't as bad as i thought it might be.  Pretty much in every plane ride - i had some of passengers tell me how well my child behaved. Yes, we did.  Don't get me wrong - i WAS exhausted by the end of our trip. 


  Traveling with little children can be challenging however it doesn't need to be stressful. The key is preparation and planning. I feel like i earned the right to share a few tips that helped me. So, my tips are aimed for international travelers with small children.  

Airplane Flight!: A Lift-the-Flap Adventure

Booking. 

     - Do your research. Try to book with a kid-friendly airline. We flew with Lufthansa. The airplane had a galley downstairs that led to bathrooms. It was a safe play area for us. When you are in a 10 hour flight - you will be thankful for this area. Especially of your baby starts to cry, you can come downstairs and won't bother anyone. They also offer baby bassinets - big plus! Special baby meals!

     - Book evening flight: everyone goes to sleep, lights dimmed, your child will sleep most of the flight relatively undisturbed. 

     - When getting your tickets, reserve bulkhead seats and a bassinet for your child. Bassinet will hook to bulkhead wall, your child can sleep in or play with toys. If your child is traveling on your lap, then you sure will appreciate being able to let him sit a few minutes in a bassinet. 

     - Ask for special privileges airline offers. Lufthansa let us gate check my stroller, early board, gave bassinet, baby food, baby bottles, even warmed up milk. 

 - Once on plane and everyone is seated, ask if passenger next to you could be willing to seat elsewhere. A young man next to me sure was grateful to sit somewhere else (than next to a baby) - and i was grateful to have an empty seat next to me. 

Planning. 

- Make an appointment with your pediatrician a week or two before the trip. We had my son's ears checked for ear infection, if there is an infection, you don't want to find out the day before flight. Also, avoid exposing your child to other kids the week before trip - to reduce risks of getting sick before trip. 

Dress into comfy shoes and layered clothes. You can take off if it is too warm and vice-versa. Don't wear tight clothes. Do make sure to have comfy, flat shoes. Your feat will swell up from being in the air and sitting for a long time. Also, you can get compression socks - for extra comfort. Dress you child into two piece pajamas. 

Carry on bag. Choose a right bag, this is essential. Pack:

-lots of diapers and wipes. It is better to have a few extras in case of delays. 

- lots of snacks for baby. Food has a great entertainment value - so pack on. Ideas: baby food, cheerios, crackers, dried fruit, etc. Don't rely on airplane snacks - they are not kid-friendly: peanuts-chocking hazard. Pick up any fruits at the airport: apples, bananas, chips. Something for yourself too - i got myself chocolates. 

- disposables: it was helpful for me to use disposable bibs, diapers, diaper changing pads. Use and toss. Don't carry around extra dirty things. 

- a baby blanket. Could be used as a nursing cover, light dimmer over carseat, extra layer... 

- Drinks: pack a sippy cup, bottle. Once you go through check points, purchase drinks. I bought a bottle of water to mix infant formula. 

- Medications. Infant pain reliever. And some for yourself too. Saline drops - it gets very dry in airplanes. 

- Toys. Please, don't take any noisy toys, even if your child loves them. Nothing is more annoying than a loud toy when you are trying to get some rest, respect your fellow passengers. What i found entertaining, yet quiet:

              - sticky notes - peel and stick to wall and let your child to collect them. 

             - stickers  - you can stick them on your child's hands, clothes , let him peel them off - this kept my son occupied for quite a while. 

             - books. 

             - favorite lovey toy. 

            - portable dvd player with favorite cartoons.  I had my son's 'veggie tales' on my iphone and we watched them together. Or get them on IPAD, there are some baby entertainment apps available, like flash cards. 

 - Extra pacifiers - they tend to get lost. Sucking on a pacifier also helps to take pressure off ears when taking off and landing. 

- Extra clothes for baby and a shirt for yourself. In case of spit ups or nausea accidents, you might want to change. 

- Check in as many bags as possible - so you travel light through airports. 

- Bring both stroller and baby carrier. Gate check the stroller. I put my son into carrier so i can fold the stroller and check in, take care of my diaper bag and tickets when boarding the airplane. 

- Find your gate first. Sometime it takes much longer to get to your next gate. Then go do other business : get snacks, change baby diaper, etc. 

- Let your child burn as much energy as possible before boarding the plane. Let him/her play, run, chase after a ball. So once on plane, he/she most likely to fall asleep. 

- Once you board. Make sure to keep yourself and your baby hydrated. Get rest when baby sleeps. 

- Expect to entertain your child for the entirety of your trip. If baby begins to cry or unhappy, just do your best to tend, no matter how tired you might be, remember the trip will come to end soon. 

  My flight one direction went as smooth as could be, but return was very tiring. On our return trip - because of time difference, it was a looooooong bright and shiny day, we arrived at airport at 4 am, left at 7am, flew 7 hours to Germany, then had 8 hour layover and finally got to our 10 hour trans-atlantic flight and my son had hard time sleeping - it was still bright and bushy and noisy day - even when we landed in the US. So, it is more frustrating if you expect to have free time. And, yes, there will be 'those people whose kids sleep through whole airplane flight and wake up at landing'. It is all about expectations.

Going on a Plane (First Experiences)

This is turning into a long post, so i will write another one with product recommendations. What baby travel tips do you have? Please, feel free to share from your experience.