Taking the plane with baby

[Sylvie]

We've just booked a flight for next month to go and visit my family in the south of France 8)
Louis will be more than 5 months old by then but I'm a bit more concerned than usual (I hate flying anyways)... Birmingham-Biarritz is only a 2-hour journey but what if he cries all the way?
I've heard about giving him a bottle when the plane takes off but would you have any other practical advice? or just any experience of a successful flight with your LO?

 

[Foxxi]

Ive been abroad 4 times with LO .. all journeys being 4 and a half hours each way, the first time he was 9 weeks old.. and havent had any probs at all.

I do suggest you give a bottle on takeoff and landing .. so their little ears dont pop..Also, take a little cardi and a thin blanket, it gets cold up there (theres always blankets available on the plane, but they're minging )

Other than that.. no other advice.. your LO will prob sleep the whole way!


Enjoy your holiday!

 

[SarahH]

as Foxxi said. Bottle for take off and landing.

The other thing, depending on the plane size, try to get a seat at the bulkhead as they can give you fold out cots if your LO needs to sleep and free's up your hands.

 

[fothers]

I have flown a lot with Maisie back to Scotland and she has been an angel every time. I boobie feed her as we start to taxi down the runway and she generally falls asleep til we start to land and then feeds again.

I think it is the heat and the white noise they like

 

[Princess_Puddles]

We took Harrison to Spain last month and he was fine on the plane, I know he's alot older than your Son but even he slept most of the way there and back, I think it is as someone else said the noise and also the movement.

Have a lovely holiday!

 

[badgergirl]

I've just done this with Sprog - alone, as I went on hols without OH.

I fed at take off - he still cried a bit, but once we were in the air properly he calmed down again, and he slept for a couple of hours - which he doesn't normally in the day, so I think there's something in the comments about the noise and motion.

Take lots of spare nappies. The take offs did something weird to Sprog (unless it was coincidence!), and he filled his nappy MAJORLY both times.

Our flight back was really, really hot. I'd taken a vest and some other spare clothes in my handluggage, and the vest was definitely an essential.

I found the changing tables on the plane (above the toilets, you sort of pull down a shelf) really difficult to change a wiggly Sprog on. If I had to change a nappy full of wee again, I'd probably do it on my knee if possible - Sprog hated the change tables and screamed each time. Obviously I couldn't do it with the major poo assplosion - I think people might have kicked up a fuss!

I tried to feed Sprog upon landing, too - particularly since that's the time my ears really hurt. He refused to feed, but seemed quite happy - no crying at all.

Try not to focus on the flight bit (I know it's hard). At the end of the day, it's a means to an end, and even if it doesn't go to plan you'll have a fantastic time afterwards!

 

[pilkers]

we've just been on our first holiday and I was worried about Evie on the plane but she was a little trooper!

She slept during the first take off...she woke up half way through the journey...ate her dinner and drank her bottle as we landed...when the plane bounced on the tarmac she thought it was hilarious! 8)

for the return journey she was awake for take off, the flight itself and the landing. She just drank her water during take off and landing and was fine even though our landing was a bit hairy

I was so proud of her because she didn't make a muffle both journeys! In fact she enjoyed it!

 

[Sylvie]

Thank you for your answers
Your experiences sound quite reassuring... apart from the nappy filling bit
I'm just thinking: are you allowed to take a flask of hot water to warm the bottle up? I guess not

 

[mamichuli]

No probs at all with babies and planes, hun. I have travelled many times with the two eldest when they were very young and no probs, and once to the UK with Ani - they all seemed to sleep most of the time. Absolute bliss really. It gets more difficult when they are older...I remember a little girl of four (my eldest daughter) who discovered the button for the flight attendant and kept pressing it if I looked away for a minute. It wouldnt have been so bad...but it was a SEVEN HOUR TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT and she was doing this as often as she could get away with it. I kept telling her off and apologising profusely to the various attendants They actually confessed to be enjoying coming to see her. She ended up with a HOOOGE bag of sweeties and was taken to meet the captain!



Dont worry about the flight and enjoy yrselves!



Lisa

 

[Leese]

Totally agree about the taking lots of nappies. James had two massive poos on a two hour flight on the way to spain, and on the way back made such a mess that I had to bin his vest and walk down the aisle with him just in his nappy. Also, bulkhead seats if you can get them - had them on the way out but not back and he girned for the whole flight.

 

[mayday]

All the advice is good. Cabin crew mostly love babies and will be happy to get you whatever you need. Feed them on take off and babies will usually sleep throughout a flight. On a short flight it is unlikely you will get a travel bassinet, even with a bulkhead seat. They are usually only found on longhaul flights. You are flying to Biarritz - is this with Ryanair? If so, they give out seats on a first come first served basis but make an exception for those with small children. Make sure you are allowed to board before other passengers.

I fly for a living and my baby is well travelled. She takes it in her stride now. Here she is on her first ever flight at 3 and a half months, sampling Club Europe;

 

[daftscotslass]

No problems with taking a flask of hot water to heat up the bottles with at all. They might ask you to taste it, though, I burnt my tongue doing this . We had lunch for her, a bottle made up (seconds before we went through security) and a small flask of boiled hot water for her and had no problems. Was only leaving the UK I was made to taste the stuff - NL and Croatia they weren't bothered. Becky's been on 3 return flights in total now and has been fine in them all. She slept the entire flight home from Holland today which is amazing considering she never sleeps for more than about half an hour!

I agree about the planes often being very hot - it was far from warm in Holland today, same in Scotland but the plane was roasting. Layer him up! When she needed changed I just did it on my lap, the plane today was an ancient Fokker 100 so didn't have changing in the toilets.

 

[Sylvie]

You are flying to Biarritz - is this with Ryanair? If so, they give out seats on a first come first served basis but make an exception for those with small children. Make sure you are allowed to board before other passengers.

Yes, we're flying with Ryanair. I didn't book the priority boarding option so I hope we can get a good seat
Lovely picture

No problems with taking a flask of hot water to heat up the bottles with at all. They might ask you to taste it, though, I burnt my tongue doing this

I didn't have a clue that they might ask to taste stuff! Well, at least he should be able to have a warm bottle then, even if I have to burn my tongue for the sake of it