flying with a 5 month old any tips?

My kid is 2 now and I have another on the way. The 2 yr old is a pro travel and has had a passpost since he was 6 months. Flying can be relatively easy.

First of all we were all babies at some point and we all threw screaming fits. Crying babies on an airplane bother the mom more than the other passengers so if your angel cries don't worry about the other people. They sell noise reducing head phones all over the place and if they were worried about they would have bought some.

Very Important: Check in as early as possible, most airlines will let you check in 24 hours in advance via internet or phone. Do it. If it is an airline that doesn't assign seats (southwest) you'll be moved up to the earlier boarding group based on how soon you check in. Families do NOT board before business class anymore on SW. Other airlines have options where you can pick your seat. Get to the airport early. This way you aren't rushed or stressed and you can ask for an AISLE seat. You can stand up and rock the baby on the plane. You can also walk up and down the aisle with the baby too.

If you have a baby carrier, wear it! you can't wear it on the plane during takeoff or landing, but it will make walking through the airport and getting on the plane with your carry ons MUCH easier. You can bring your stroller up to the gate and they will give it to you at the gate. Do it and use the stroller to push your carry-ons around while in the airport. Change your daughter's diaper right before boarding.

Security: Check tsa.gov for all the fun security tips. Anything you need for baby including meds, rash cream, milk (even though you are nursing) you CAN bring. That site is very helpful. If you need to have a cold bag for anything I freeze a few bottles of breast milk and put a ziplock with ice in my diaper bag. You have to dump out the ice before going through security, but just refill it at some place on the other side of security.

Diaper Bag- Pack an extra set of clothes for her and an extra shirt for you if she spits up. Make sure you have a few plastic bags in case she makes a stinky and something to lay her on in case ou have to change her on the bathroom floor. Bring toys and whatever she likes.

Some people give their young ones a little baby tylenol right before take off to help with their ears. I don't suggest this as usually until the child is 12 months their eardrums aren't developed enough for it to bother them too much. However, to improve your baby's comfort level nurse her or give her a paci during take off and landing. Also, sugar is a natural anethsetic so if you want dip the paci in something sweet NOT HONEY (this is very dangerous for infants) to help her.

Be sweet to the flight attendants and they are usually angels to you on th plane when you have a little baby. Also, while waiting for the plane if you're getting some attention from some nice grandma type lady tell her your nervous about the baby bothering other people. She'll probably try to sit next to you.

If you are shy about nursing on the plane try to get a seat in the back so you have less people constantly by you. 2 hours isn't that long and you'll be good.

My son had one flight where he cried a bit and most people laughed. When deboarding they were all like, oh what a sweet baby and you poor thing. You can always say stuff outloud like, oh we'll be there soon sweetie or I wish they had better food too. Nobody was mad. I've been on a plane when other kids were crying and it doens't even phase me. Trust me it sounds WAY worse to you.

2 hours isn't long and some kids get put to sleep by the sound of the engine and constant vibration. When in doubt just pop your boob in her mouth. ;-)

Enjoy the trip.

Frankly, a breastfed baby is the easiest baby to keep quiet. Practice draping a baby blanket over your shoulder and breast so you can nurse her discreetly. If you have an assigned seat, hope you get one next to another woman. If you use a pacifier, this is the time for it.

Ask your pediatrician about giving her some Tylenol prior to the flight. Take-off and landing can be especially hard for little ones because their ears hurt. A breast or pacifier can ease that pain.

The noise of the engines and motion of the plane are usually soothing to an infant. Don't worry about it. If she feels your stress, she's more likely to get fussy. She won't scream the whole time. Hum to her, pat her on the back and get up and walk with her if the flight is smooth enough.

You should ask your pediatrician about her fussiness. It's not possible to spoil a 4-month-old infant and you're going to get fed up with having to walk with her. There's usually a reason why she's unhappy and it's not temper. She may be hyper kinetic, or she may just have gas. Be sure you burp her after every feeding and keep some mylecon drops on hand.

We flew with my son for the first time over labor day weekend from Boston to Denver (3.5/4 hours). He was 5 months old too. The airline was very nice and "held" the third seat for us in the off chance the plane was rather empty. It worked and both flights we got the third seat free so we could keep our son in his carseat while he was sleeping. That was very nice! Just ask when you check in how full the flight looks and if they could hold the seat next to you. If the flight looks full, also ask if you can have the bulkhead (row 1) which would give you a little more space to move around. It's probably easiest to get your daughter to sleep during the flight (try nursing as long as she is willing). But if she is awake and antsy, you can definately walk up and down hte isle if it is not during takeoff and landing. Try just swaying with her near the bathroom where there is a little standing room. Also, letting her stand/bounce on your lap may work. You may want to bring along a new toy or some of her favorites. My son (almost 6 months now) is mezmerized by a couple of hand puppets we just got him. She may like that. If you are seated next to a nice person, you could even recruit them to use the puppet.

As for going through security, we found that our front carrier worked best. You have to put strollers and carseats through the baggage scanner and this leaves your hands free to grab everything up after you go through.

Make sure you pee in the airport when you have a stroller or carseat to put your daughter in and can bring it in the stall. Because if you have to go on the plane, you wont have anywhere to put her.

Most airlines will not charge you for a stroller, carseat, or diaper bag. You have to gate check them though (or carry on the diaper bag).

Also, bring an extra blanket/lappad to put on your lap under your daughter incase there is an accident. You don't want to walk through the airport with a wet/dirty lap and this takes up far less room than a change of clothes (which you couldn't change until you got off the plane).

Now sure if this applies to you, but we also didn't realize how easy it was to put our sons carseat in a taxi. Just make sure you review how to strap it in with a seatbelt.

Good luck. And you know, between now and when you fly, your daughters temperment will probably change for the better. My son gets more easy going every day. They get better and better at playing with their toys and not needing you so much. I also used to have to constantly move my son around and kinda dance with him all day. He would only sit still for a minute or two and then need to change positions. He has completely outgrown that now. He's much easier to please and capable fo entertaining himself while sitting and holding a toy.

Depending on how badly she starts to scream they can land at the closes air port. Being that it's only a 2 hour flight they might not but don't cross your fingers. Find a sling that she likes and start getting her use to it now. Also ask for a seat as far from the engines as possible, This may mean you need to show up 2-3 hours before your flight takes off. As soon as the engines started one of my little ones started screaming at the top of her lungs and would not let up until we where away from the noise. Its not fun when your the reason for the delay.

The earleir you show up the more likly you are to get your choice of seat, since you said that you breast feed. I find the best seat is right behind 1st class in a window seat. Good Luck

First of all, wear a shirt that says "I am aware babies cry on planes. Thanks for glaring at me to let me know."

Sit her on your lap and bounce her. The plane will have vibrations and stuff to help her sleep. Try to schedule the flight around nap time. Bring a bottle for take off and landing and try to get her to sleep during the flight.

Don't worry about what others think. Everyone is aware babies cry and everyone is aware at 5 months old babies don't cry for "fun". There is a HUGE difference between a 5 month old crying and a 3 year old crying. Don't worry.

i flew with a baby a bit older but different temper

my suggestion is try to train her slowly to stay in one place - get her attention with stimuli such as coloured picture books,other interesting pic,rattles etc - this is important anyway

unfortunately people in a confined space flying are not often cool about crying kids

be very prepared with a on board bag - milk, food, water do no count on the airline!! if she uses dummy bring three if not bring soft toy squeeky ones etc

perhaps she will like looking out the window or around her

best of luck

If she likes the motion of videos that might give her something to look at. I was sitting next to someone with a 6 month old and she played Little Einstein the whole time. It was nice! When I saw her sit next to me I was nervous but it turned out okay!

1

It is not advisable to fly with a kid who ages less that a year. One of my friend had a very bad flight in which he unfortunately lost his kid due to varying air pressure and oxygen levels in the plane. We adults would be able to take up the change and if at all something goes wrong we would be able to inform the crew members about the irregular condition but the kid normally cannot express any of this other that just crying and screaming.

As frequent fliers, we have often received wary looks from fellow passengers as we board a plane with a baby and take our seats. We're not sure which is more stressful: being the passenger who first realizes he will be seated next to someone else's crying baby, or being that baby's parent. Fortunately for all involved, however, many young babies actually do travel well in flight; quite often it tends to be the crawlers and toddlers who get antsy and upset when confined, but that's a different thing altogether.

High-Altitude Crying

Babies of all ages do cry for various reasons, so in the space constraints of aircraft, try to be resourceful when trying to calm your crying child. As you do, take comfort in knowing that the drone of the engines usually limits how far a crying baby can be heard. Keeping your own cool can go a long way when you're trying to soothe your baby and have to remain seated. Check the usual suspects and respond accordingly: Is your baby hungry, wet or dirty, cold or warm, bored? If it's bright, try closing the window shade; if your baby wants a view, show her the one outside the window or in the pages of the airline's magazine. Sometimes changing the scenery is all it takes to stop a little crying, so if the seat belt sign is not illuminated, you may want to get up and walk the aisles. If all else fails, try not to let a few dirty looks bother you and be assured that most people sympathize with the parents of a crying infant. After all, everyone was a baby once, many have had to try to quiet one in a public place at some time in their past, you're unlikely to have to face any of these people ever again and, lastly, they'll get over it.

The Ears Have It

Before we discuss ear pain on airplanes, let us first offer you the reassurance that a great many babies never show the slightest signs of discomfort. But until you know that your own child (and you) will be spared, the thought of a baby screaming because of ear pain is easily and understandably one of the most dreaded aspects of air travel. And from firsthand experience, we can tell you it tends to be all the more disconcerting when that baby happens to be your own. Any of you who have flown before know that ears can be quite sensitive to changes in pressure. Switching to pediatrician-mode for a moment, this is because the outer ear is separated from the middle ear by a thin membrane (the tympanic membrane, or ear drum). Experiencing a difference in pressure across this membrane causes a sensation that as many as 1 in 3 passengers (children more so than adults) experience as temporary muffled hearing, discomfort, or even pain. Unfortunately, having a stuffy nose or a head cold can increase a child's chances of ear problems. For an adult, chewing gum or yawning is often all that is needed for the middle-ear pressure to equilibrate with the outer environment and make plugged-up ears pop. Perhaps part of the reason that babies tend to complain more about their ears than adults is because gum is simply not an option and we have yet to meet an infant who can yawn on command. If your baby has a cold or ear infection, discuss with your pediatrician whether you can give him an infant pain reliever, some decongestant (which some pediatricians do recommend and some parents swear by, but which nevertheless has not been clearly proven to help), or whether it's best to postpone flying. In most instances, travel plans are not flexible enough to cancel because of a cold, but be aware of your increased odds of dealing with ear pain when you do hop aboard.

Sucking Away One's Sorrows

Once on board, it's useful to know that there is a practical and realistic alternative to gum chewing (which, for obvious reasons, is absolutely contraindicated at this age regardless of your level of desperation) that works very well for babies when it comes to relieving ear pressure-and that alternative is sucking. Pediatricians, flight attendants, and seasoned parents alike commonly suggest offering a bottle, breast, or pacifier during the times when the pressure changes in the cabin are likely to be greatest-during takeoff and initial descent. You'll notice we said initial descent, not landing. That's because the pressure change is typically most noticeable as much as a half hour or more before landing, depending on a flight's cruising altitude. The higher up you are, the earlier in the flight the descent usually starts. If you generally don't tend to notice your own ears popping and the captain doesn't announce plans for the initial descent, you can always ask a flight attendant to let you know when it would be a good idea to try to get the sucking started. If sucking doesn't cut it and your baby seems to be bothered, stay calm and try rubbing his ears and singing a soothing song. Even if you find that nothing short of reaching solid ground (and normal air pressure) works to calm him down, remind yourself that you've done everything you can, and that most