So we leave for New Zealand in 28 days. Aah! I'm trying to get all of my ducks in line, so I'm wanting any advice for traveling with a baby. Graydon will be 4.5 months old when we leave...and the flight from L.A. to Auckland is about 13 hours (I know, I know...awful). And we still have to get from Dallas to L.A. (and then to the South Island in New Zealand).
Keep in mind that my child doesn't color in books, or watch DVDs, or play with blocks...he's a baby. So I want advice for the flight, to staying in hotels, to breaking routines...anything that you have would be great and much appreciated!
12 comments:
hmm fun stuff... i will be flying here in about 2 weeks so i will let you know what helped me and what, if anything, i would do different. hopefully i will have some helpful advice by then. i have some friends that have traveled long distances with their newborns so i'll give them a call and see if they have any good thoughts too. i'll keep you posted. i'm so jealous you get to go to new zealand!
Hi Em, I know I don't have any kids, but I've been talking to some girls who were talking recently about flying with their babies and a few of the things they mentioned were - see if you can sit next to an empty seat, sit in the back (white noise can help the baby, plus drown out any crying), wear him in a baby bjorn even on the plane so he can sleep (maybe it keeps your arms from being tired), deboard the plane last so you can take your time, bring duct tape? ( I guess they used this to secure electrical outlets, drawers, etc from baby and to even fix a shady hotel crib), and give him a pacifier or bottle during take off/ landing. That's all I can remember. Good luck! Planning on seeing you in LA! :)
yikes. That's a killer long flight! I don't really have advice, except try nursing, or giving him a bottle on take off and landing. It's supposed to help with the "ear popping". Good luck!
Ditto - make sure he is sucking/swallowing so his ears don't hurt. They will give you a little crib that attaches to the plane, however, the only place they can usually attach it is right under the loudspeaker, which wakes the baby up anytime the captain feels the desire to share something. Don't worry about a crying baby disturbing other passengers...most are pretty understanding and the airplane noise seems to drown out a lot anyway. It also seems to soothe some kids...white noise is a blessing on planes! Hailey was walking so we let her get down and play whenever we could - bring a blanket for your little guy to put on any floor space around you so he can stretch, too.
I was so nervous (remember?) and it actually went well. Even on the flight where she didn't sleep at all.
Good luck!
Hey Emily. I remember traveling with Matthew by myself as a newborn a lot and I learned quickly what I needed. (Matthew was also a spitter as a baby.)
(1) Have Graydon wear layers since temps vary a lot.
(2) Bring extra clothes for you and X.
(3) Bring extra clothes for Graydon. I always put them in gallon ziplocs with a wash cloth, so when Matthew soaked his clothes with spit-up, I could have everything I needed to clean him up and a bag to put the dirty clothes in. (This has been really handy with Joshua's blowout diapers.)
(4) Have your quart size ziploc of fluids, etc that you are carrying on ready and in an easily accessible location to go through security.
(5) Pack dish soap and dish rag if you use bottles or sippy cups so that you can wash them at the hotel or in the airport.
(6) Bring an empty water bottle that you can fill up for yourself after you go through security.
I have also heard of people suggesting that one parent board the plane first with all of the baby gear, carry-ons, etc. while the other parent waits to get on towards the end so that the amount of time the baby spends on the plane is limited.
Good luck! Let us know what helped you.
i dont know if you are planning on nursing him on the plane (i did and it worked sooo well even with my huge husband sitting next to me) but if you are take bottles with you. (when i flew they let me take 2 bottles with milk in them and not in the plastic baggie). since our babies are more attentive remember that most of the time they are going to be interested about what is going on around them. free entertainment. I second everything that Angela said.
Bethann
Ummmm....good luck?! =P
Bring a bunch of random new cheap/dollar toys that are safe. Let him play with one until he gets tired with it, then you have a new one to give him. Just rotate through the bag.
Ditto to everyone else's comments. BIG trip. Exciting though!!!
Angela is seriously, no doubt, a pro at the whole traveling-with-a-baby-by-herself thing. The ziploc bag of clothes is pure genius.
With the hotel ... what works for us is to set Ryan's pack-n-play up in the closet or bathroom. It sounds ridiculous, but it will be really dark and help him with jet lag. There have only been 2 hotels that we've stayed in that could fit his pack-n-play in the closet, but Gray is so little that you could probably get away with building a little bed of blankets in the closet.
At 4.5 months, he can have juice. I'd save his first time for juice for on the plane. Some kids love it, others ... like Ryan ... not so much. You could get lucky and it could save the day. Just buy the Gerber ones ... if they're sealed, they'll allow them on the plane because they are for the baby. I recommend white grape over apple in the beginning.
He'll also be able to have some solids ... and ... believe it or not, those Biter Biscuit things. They can be messy, but they'll keep him quiet. And they don't fall apart easily.
Dittos to everything. I've done a lot of flying with my babies and I pack everything in ziploc bags. Snacks, extra outfits, and toys. That way everything stays together and is easy to grab. Even the outfits that go in the check in suitcase - that way it keeps everything together since they're so small and I don't have to tear through my stuff to find theirs. (i am a little OCD and my family makes fun of me for that) Also I always have a place to store soiled outfits.
Something to suck on for take off and landing is a must. If you're planning on nursing I really loved having a hooter hider. It worked a lot better for me than a blanket because it stays up when your child decides to become interested in something else.
When you get to the gate ask if there's an extra seat. I've always had really helpful flight attendants so don't be afraid to ask for anything.
Make sure to bring a changing pad because if the plane does have a changing station its sure to be really gross. And I always pack double the diapers and food incase of delays.
And you're most likely going to be the person most disturbed by your crying baby so don't stress about it. And if someone is rude to you about it, then just tell them that you hope their grandkids never come and visit them ;)
PATIENCE! it's a long flight, so good luck!
Oh and once you're there, spending as much time out in the sunlight helps with adjusting to the new time zone.
Wow, talk about some moms with lots of great advice. I was just going to tell you to say your prayers (perhaps throw in a dash of benadryl) and plan for a nightmare and then it always ends up being better than expected! But really, have fun and best of luck!
Hey Emily! I agree with everything all the others said. I'm sure it will be a lot better than you expect. The airport security guys are usually pretty accepting when it comes to baby essentials. Pack twice as much as you think you'll need because you're bound to have some sort of a delay.
Erin did well with Benadryl when we flew at 4 months, but 5 months later it didn't phase her. I have also found that although the Benadryl may help her fall asleep, it might cause her to wake earlier than if she hadn't taken it. Ugh!
For sure have something for Gray to suck on during takeoffs and landings. The duct tape for a shady bed sounds like a fabulous idea. Don't worry about him crying on the plane- with all of the other noises, only the handful of people close to you will hear him. And it's not as loud as you would think.
Have an awesome trip! Your little guy is just pinchable cute!!
Em-
I don't recommend Benedryl... Some people swear by it, but it just made Ethan cranky and loopy the one time we tried it. He was even sick with allergies, but would have been better without it. All the other times we've had fairly great flights. The only time it has been awful was when Ethan would get woken up early (screaming like a maniac) by the dang pilot who thinks he has to inform you of everything he's doing, and generally everyone was very nice about it.
Really at the age Graydon is, you should have a great flight. All the other advice is AWESOME! These ladies know what they are talking about.
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