Coming and going
Last weekend we went to St. Louis for my cousin Laura’s wedding; it was very nice to witness the event (her new husband Joe is just a swell guy) and spend time with the family. Tomorrow we’re off to Portland.
It’s my first time flying with a baby since my brother was three months old, and I wasn’t in charge then. My only stand-out memory from that flight (it was to California) is that my mom thought she’d lost his baby booties, and she thought my dad had sabotaged them because he didn’t like them, but it turned out they were in some weird pocket of the baby bag.
I don’t think that will be an issue this time around. It does serve as a good reminder to bring some booties and/or socks, though, because planes can be chilly. My plan is to nurse him frequently in as upright a position as possible, and to request an aisle seat so we can walk him fairly easily. We have our seat assignments, and for one leg we don’t have an aisle seat, but I’m going to ask if they can switch that.
Any other advice? He’s flying as a “lap dog child.” I know it’s not as safe as buying a seat, but we’re just taking our chances this time around.
Yah- I have some advice….
1. STAY SUPER HYDRATED and rest alot on your trip (take vitamins). That trip inflicts serious damage on anyone (mommy or not). You will be out of your routine and it can affect your milk. If you get really sick (like I did) it is a nightmare.
2. He will sleep alot during flight. I found my sling VERY helpful for lucia to feel safe and secure enough to sleep. The noise of the plane helps with that too. They say the worst part is when you are “coming down” but I didn’t experience much of a differance.
3. Call ahead so they know baby’s birthdate, his name and that he’s coming.
4. Relax. It’s not so bad. The worst times are when you are waiting for connections and running around not the time actually spent in the plane.
I assume the flight to portland is similar to the one I did to Seattle. Even though I made that trip in late March I can’t imagine our experiences being very diffrent (babywise). Miles will love the adventure.
HAVE FUN!
Sometimes the airline will rearrange people so that you can have 3 seats (if there is a spare). That way you have a little more room for messing in the diaper bag, etc. Ask when you check in. Some people often move voluntarily just so they don’t have to sit by a baby.
You’re fine without a seat. In a car, no, but in a plane, yes, because statistically, the chances of you being involved in *anything* that will even remotely hurt you or your child is next to nil. The worst will be a bit of turbulence and since you’re probably not going to sleep on the flight, you don’t have to worry about dropping him or something.
From all that I understand (not having done it myself, yet), flying with a baby is 95% worrying about 5% hassle. You’ll do fine, I suspect.
Thanks, commenters. I appreciate the tips. We’ll see how it goes…
“flying with a baby is 95% worrying about 5% hassle.”
This has been my impression, too. Still, always check for Amy Winehouse in case of emergency.
i just ordered some stuff from olympia.com. e.g. check out this onesie…
http://www.buyolympia.com/q/Item=raisedbywolvesonesie
I didn’t worry that much, so the hassle was more like 60%. My take is to not buy a seat until the airlines require you to do so. Any instance in which you really need a seatbelt is one that a seatbelt won’t do you much good anyway.
Thankyou very much, I’ve found this article extremely nice!