Many new parents question if they should travel on airplanes with their infant. As long as your pediatrician has examined your child to make sure the ears are OK and the child is not congested, it should be fine. It may be stressful and downright awful, but here are some tips to make it easier to introduce your new baby to out-of-state relatives and friends.
Babies Suck!
Most people have been on an airplane when a baby starts screaming during the plane’s descent. This happens because the baby can not just pop its ears like we can to equalize the pressure. Pressure builds as the plane descends and the baby screams loud enough to wake the dead. This is not the preferred method, but this actually will work eventually to equalize the pressure. But not before every person on board has cussed you out under their breath.
Babies need to suck on a bottle, mother’s nipple or a pacifier to relieve the pressure. But there is more to it than that. One must know the following:
- the length of the flight
- how much the baby drinks in a sitting
- when naptime is
- the length between feedings
One has to keep the baby content during the entire flight. Therefore, one can not starve the baby until the descent. One must determine how many feedings baby will have during the flight and time them accordingly. A napping baby usually sleeps right though it. If you have a baby that will willingly suck on a pacifier no matter how hungry it is, you are lucky!
The Right Age to Travel
Some people think that there is a perfect age to fly with an infant. Many say that age is five months old. A child at this age is supposed to sleep the entire trip and be a dream. This may be true for the majority of children, but this can not be generalized for all. Some babies are more alert and attuned to their surroundings, interested in everything that is going on. At this age feeding may not be easy with all the distractions going on. But it can work.
At nine months old this majority of children are more apt to have an opinion on what they want to do and will be more difficult. The second set are at this point actually easier to handle because they can focus more on a toy or parent who is trying to entertain them. This is a good time for the second type to fly.
Pack your Playthings
The most important things besides food, diapers and wipes at any age are the toys you bring. Even an hour flight is a full 60 minutes, and they can go by slowly when you have an unhappy baby. Bring some favorite toys. Hide a few for a couple of weeks before the flight and reintroduce them now. Buy a new toy before the flight and give it to the baby when these fail. Baby Einstein DVD’s or flash cards work well for some babies for a while.
There are also some not-so-traditional ways to keep baby happy. Empty water bottles provide an unbelievable amount of joy. So do full plastic containers of food – just take the plastic top off. If you are really lucky, the steward/ess will find joy in holding and entertaining your baby. Walking around the plane, if possible, will also be helpful. One finds the imagination grows back at times like this.
