How Young Is Too Young?

I just took my 4 month old for his first flight last weekend. He behaved very well. I have heard that the younger they are, the easier it is to fly with them and I can see why. THe younger they are, the less alert they are and the more they sleep. I would wait until she's at least 2 months, but I don't think there's any health reason why you'd have to wait that long.

Personally, I had to fly when my little one was 4 weeks old and she did great. It's actually easier when they are younger simply because they sleep most of the time. The older they get, the more you need to bring. If the baby is healthy, I would take normal precautions with germs, but than that, I say go before 4 months.

Hi
I personally think that 3 months is a good age. There are a lot of germs and people that may or may not be sick and a plane is an inclosed area so just be aware of all the bugs that she could catch. I would not subject her to that any sooner than you have to. Also the passifire or breatsfeeding/bottle when you take off is a very good idea.

My daughter was 11 days old when we first flew home to see family. It was so easy! We just gave her a bottle or a pacifier during take off and landing. She slept the whole time. When she was 6 months old, she had already flew four times from Canada to Colorado.

You can get that sling thing in the One Step Ahead catalog. I just held my little one and had a lightweight blanket over her most of the time.

Ask the people at the check in counter if there are people sitting next to you - if there is an empty seat, you can take your bucket car seat on the plane and leave baby in it during the flight. And you don't have to pay for the seat. You may have to hold her during take off and landing (I believe that's a rule). Babies would probably rather be held, but if it's a long flight, that may give you a break.

Driving I don't think there is an age that is too young, but flying I prefer to wait until they are 3mo.

My sisters and I have always lived all over the country and have had to fly with our babies--my sister in England even brought her new baby from there. We've generally started about six weeks old and that has been fine. Just give yourself plenty of time and patience. But most young infants are lulled right to sleep by the vibrations. They are easier than older babies. Be prepared either to nurse at your seat or give a bottle, though. Enjoy your trips!

As long as you have a healthy child and your doctor is not opposed, you should be fine. My biggest concern would be the baby catching a travelers bug or cold, but I think we are starting to move out of the worst of that season. Babies that young are so easy on a plane as they mostly sleep and eat. Just make sure to bring along enough stuff in your carry on in case you have delays. If you baby spits up or tends to make really messy diapers, you might make sure to bring a change of clothes for her as well as an extra shirt for you.

I have 3 kids and have flown with all of them before they turned a month old and haven't noticed any bad side effects. I just make sure they are eating as we ascend and descend so there ears are ok. In my experience, the younger they are, the better they fly since they mostly sleep.

Flying with a young one is easy if you keep them fed and clean. I took my child flying for the first time when she was 4 months old, and she's been flying about 4 times a year ever since on mostly 4 and 7 hour flights. The challenge is to have them hungry enough to want to eat on take off and landing (to reduce ear pressure), but not let them get so hungry before and during the flight that they cry. I only have one child, so I might still be a bit stressed about doing some things, but I would be hesitant to fly with a child under 2 months. I took my 2 week old to the store, etc, but there are so many germs on an airplane, and if a newborn gets something and ends up with too high a fever, the doctor will want to do all kinds of testing in the unlikely event that the child has a serious illness. I think it's better to hang out at home, recover and bond with your child, and be sure she stays healthy those first few months. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time to visit family. I don't know about exposure to radiation on a plane. At first I was concerned about that, but the more info I saw, the less concerned I became. I hope and pray that it doesn't effect her when she's older.

If you travel alone and use your stroller in the airport, you'll have to fold it and put it through the xray machine. It can be hard to handle everything you have to. I suggest a body carrier for the baby and check the stroller. When the baby gets a bit older and is playing with toys, have them in bags that you can tuck aside your seat so they don't end up on the floor where you'll have a hard time reaching them with a baby in your lap (I always filled up the seat pocket with books). This is esp. important as the child ages and starts playing with smaller toys.

I flew with my son when he was 4 months old and he has prob flown 15 times since then, he is 19 months. I wore him in a sling until he was one and then I just held him, now we just hope for an empty seat and let him sit during the flight. I think whenever you feel comfortable flying is a good age for you

I asked this before too. Ask your doctor first. Usually they say three months. But it depends on you and your baby...and how much help you'll have. One thing to consider is calling the airline ahead of time, esp. if you are by yourself, to have aeet and assist. They will help you through security and with luggage etc. no extra charge. Also you can hold her on your lap or get her a seat and use your car seat. A child's fare is about half of an adult ticket.

I am currently planning a trip with my baby. If you have more question about trip planning maybe I can help. ____@____.com

Congrats on your baby. She'll have a hell of a birthday when she gets older.

In my experience I have seen infants fly really young and be just fine. My sister flew from overseas with her three week old (8+ hours), along with her 18 month old. The baby did great and everyone was just fine. I flew with my daughter at a young age as well. Now looking back it was so much easier traveling with an infant that you don't have to entertain. I hope this helps.

There is no age that is too young as long as your daughter is healthy and you nurse or bottle feed her on take off and landing to pressurize her little ears.
My twins were 6 weeks early and were able to fly as soon as they were out of the hospital. So go have fun with the family!!

I had to fly with my 1 month old daughter, all you do is get her to suck on something, whether it is a pacifier or his/her bottle when you are going up in the air and the pressure will not harm build up. They will be fine K

M.,
The first time I flew with my son who will be 1 on May 26th he was 2 1/2 months old. He did just great. The only problem he has is the landing. I just give him his bottle sucking on it helps with the pressure build up in his ears. He has flown 4 times since then and we have another trip coming up next week to go house hunting in Nebraska. He has done great every time. I do suggest to keep her in her carseat. If there is an extra seat next to you the baby can sit in the seat but they have to be in a carseat. Also keep your stroller they will put it under the plane when you get to the door and they will have it unfolded and ready for you when you leave the plane. It ligtens the load a ton. Also the premixed formula makes the trip a lot easier. Be prepared the flight restrooms don't have a changing table. You will have to change her at your seat because there is NO ROOM!!!! at all to change them in the bathroom.

Enjoy this time. Start flying soon! Newborn babies are so easy to travel with. I was a flight attendant for 16 years and saw plenty of babies on planes. It is when they start to be mobile that things get tough (and even that is short lived). Our friends took their 3 month old baby to Croatia this past fall for a month...couldn't have been easier. They sleep so much and sleep anywhere, so you are free to go. My daughter's first flight was at 2.5 months (just because we didn't have anywhere to go earlier) and she fell asleep from the engine noise before we took off and didn't awake until we were at our destination in our rental car hours later! Make sure to nurse or feed on the way down...start when the pilot says they are beginning descent (but don't wake a sleeping baby to do so). The way down is much harder on their ears than taking off. I recognize air travel is expensive, but I have always purchased a seat for my daughter...they sleep well in the carseat and then when the flight is over, if they are still sleeping, you don't have to wake them to deplane. If you don't purchase a seat for your baby and choose to use a sling or baby bjorn, please know they are not allowed to be used during take-off and landing, but can be used during the rest of the flight. And, if you do bring an infant carseat, they must always be at a window seat, so as not to block access to the aisle. That is probably more info than you requested....sorry. Now, get out there and have fun with your new baby!
N.

Hi M.,

I have an 11 month old son who has flown on an aiprlane 14 times and done wonderful. The first time he flew was when he was 2 weeks old. His grandmother had cancer and held on until he was born to see him so we ended up flying with him 3 times before he was 3 months old because she passed away. I always feed him on take off and before landing to help with ear pressure but it has never been an issue. In December we took him to the Cayman islands which is a 6 hour flight total and he did great. We just bring toys to entertain him and of course walk the isles a few times so he can check out the other people. I know every child is different, but I think just keeping them entertained and make sure they are sucking on something when the pressure changes in the cabin helps.

We are off to Florida next month so I hope our luck stays the same.

Good luck,

A.

Congratulation on your little one. We also have a boy who is a ST Patrick day baby. We have taken our little one on airplanes when they were less than a year old and also older. I have found that it is almost eaiser when they are young as they have a tendency to sleep better on the flights and don't feel the need to get up and walk around. Toddlers have been our most difficult, but if you can find ways to keep them occupied you can even travel with a toddler. I would talk to your pediatrician to see if she has any suggestions for flying with an infant. You know your child. Just work with there schedule. If she is fussy at a particular time try to avoid that time for your flight. Otherwise travelling with a baby can be quite easy except for all of the extra luggage you have to bring along. Good luck!

I would seek advice from from your pediatrition since he/she knows the history of your newborn. I personally would wait til after cold and flu season due to all the germs from personal experience. My second child was born 7 weeks early, after 1 month in the NICU he came home for 3 weeks. He caught parainfluenza and stopped breathing and his lips turned blue on Palm Sunday 3 years ago. He stayed a week in the NICU at Childrens Hospital and came home on Easter. With that in mind I would really be careful who you expose your child to. We weren't traveling or even going places at that time. He must have caught a germ from a visitor.

I flew with my 2 weeks old baby. It was super easy. The baby is just happy to be in your arms all the way. And we got lots of attention from the crew. Everybody wanted to see the tiny baby :-) Just make sure you keep him / her hungry enough to drink at take off and landing. That helps a lot for the ears.

Good luck!

Here isw young, 3 days old.
I took my son home to see my parents.
The problem with flying with a young infant is the altitude, their ears won't pop.
So if you want to fly with you very young child, make sure you are prepared for the baby to scream with the air pressure.
But here is a solution, hold their nose and blow real hard into their mouth, that should make their ears pop and relieve the pressure.
That is what a Senior Stewardess did with my son when he started to scream.
Scared me to death. But she was wonderful and that was on United Air Lines 38 years ago.
But I imagine it still works.
So good luck M.. Hope this helps;

My husband deployed 3 weeks after our daughter was born. We were living overseas at the time. She had her passport by the time she was as week old and was on the plane a week after that - two weeks old. We booked the tickets before she was born. We flew from Italy to Massachussetts. After visiting there we flew to Texas, a couple weeks later we flew to Washington then back to Italy. If neither one of you have any health concerns, you'll be fine. Take advantage of any help or early boarding or what ever that you are offered. If you are breastfeeding make sure you are drinking enough, flying will dehydrate you.

FAA says that a baby cannot be less than 14 days old without a letter from your doctor.
I read through a lot of the responses and it seems like some are very worried about germs. Now, I know you would be exposed to LOTS of germs when flying, but if you were to drive, you would be out much longer than you would if you flew and the exposure would probably be the same, if not more.
I have flown with my children more times than I can count. By the time my daughter was four, she had been on 38 different airplanes. The first time my son flew, I flew by myself with him at six weeks and my daughter was two. We probably would have gone sooner, but I wasn't up to it.
Children are very resiliant and it is an experience they need.

I've flown with babies as young as 6 weeks (4 kids, and we always fly "home" after the baby comes to meet the family). Nursing during takeoff and landing helps relieve ear pressure, and nursing in general tends to keep babies quiet and happy on the flight. The only thing you might practice is changing a diaper on your lap, since that's the only space available on a flight. Happy traveling!

Hello! My Mom had a heart attack the week before my second son was born, so I flew with him at 4 wks. It was super easy true, but it hindsight I dont' think I'd do it again. The air on a plane is recirculated, and I've read a lot about how it can be hard on the elderly and young with so many germs being passed around. Before I would have said, bah! there's germs everywhere. But right now my son is 9 months and has been so sick. The most potential explanation is the Zoo or church. He has three major things wrong, two are airborne and one is kindof unexplainable in our case. Anyway, after all the fears and tears over the last week and a half I'm putting a lot more thought these days into germs.

Our local health dept. called to follow up on one of his probs tho. and we ended up on the travel subject, being we can't explain one of his probs. She just recommended staying within the US until they are several years old and had more time to develope their immune system.

I know I'm just in overprotective mode right now! I wish you the best on your travels!

The more exposed she is to travelling the more versatile she will become. I think after the third month it is great as she has some immunities built up. I have always heard not to fly with them until after six weeks of age and first round of immunizations.
I would give her a few months to fly around.
My daughter flew at 9 mos and did fantastic. My only concern with flying would be the germ factor on an airplane from other passengers and the air quality isn't great on a airplane. Maybe see if family can come visit you until she is a few months older.
Also if you do fly make sure she nurses/has a bottle during take off and landing as the pressure can really hurt in their ears.

Hi M.,

I had my first son in mid Nov of '05 and I flew with him to meet my family in WA state a few days before Christmas. I gave him some Tylenol before the plane in case his ears hurt and when we took off I had him eat to help with his ears and he did not even notice he was in a plane and never cried. It is so hard to not have family around for special moments. I think you and your baby will be AOK!! Have fun!!

My husband is from England so flying is a must. Our daughter's fist flight was only to California, but it was at 3 months old. She did great. Her first flight to England (9 hours) was when she was 9 months old, that was a little harder with sleep, but still okay. I think the younger they are the easier it is.....and why not take advantage while your child is free! Just try and nurse or bottle feed at take off and landing...it helps with the ears if they are hurting.

We too have family all over the country from where we live (Denver--going to Iowa or Florida-a 3 1/2 hour flight--direct is BEST). and traveled for my husband's job too (conferences). We waited until 2 1/2 months and that seemed fine (my son flew to Mexico at 2 1/2 months, from Denver). I would recommend pumping (if you're solely breastfeeding) and/or having some formula ready, b/c the baby will need to drink, esp on the way up & down (heading down is the worst for their ears). When they're this little, they usually just sleep. My daughter flew about 12 times during her first year of life (going all the way to Korea when she turned 1) and only had one really bad flight, but it was hurting everyone's ears on that flight. Bring a pacifier, even if she doesn't usually take one, just in case she wants to suck more on the flight. It's really not that bad--esp with one--wait until she's older and walking or you're trying to fly alone with 2 little ones, then the real fun begins!

Happy Trails,
A.

My husband is in the military so we too were removed from our family by a 5 hour flight when our son was born. We flew home to see family when he was 3 months old. He did just fine. I would just recommend having a bottle or pacifier available for the take-offs and landings. Happy Travelling!

Hi M.,
For what it's worth, as a mother of 2 girls, 4.5 and 17 months, if I were to travel with them for the purpose of meeting relatives, I'd wait until she's more alert and showing some personality. 6 or 8 months maybe... They interact and are silly and so much more memorable. Not that newborns aren't special, of course they are. But they sleep all the time and really don't leave an impression as much as when they can react and play and smile back at grandma or aunt Lucy. : )
I do have a close friend who is a pilot and she flew with both kids quite early, around 2 months. Use the same precautions as anywhere, keep sneezing folks away and wash your hands!

My daughter was 3 months when we flew for the first time. We went from Alaska to Idaho. It ended up being about 5 hours. The flight attendents were very helpful, and after the first portion of the flight, we got a consierge to escort us because it was just the two of us. You could request one ahead of time, (I wasn't aware of this at the time.) We had a night flight, hoping she would sleep most of the time. She didn't. I would suggest you pick a time when your little one is most content, and feed her durring take-off and landing if you can (so her ears will pop.) I think you'll be fine. My daughter was almost too active at that age, it was like holding a puppy the whole time, but she didn't cry much. It just felt like an hour every time she cried for a minite. Don't worry about other passangers, all good people will understand if she does cry.

Listen to your doctor and your gut feelings. Each baby is different and moms are blessed with inspiration in helping her kids

We flew at 14 weeks and it was fine. I would wait until they are at least 8 weeks old.

My concern would be the germs, especially this time of year. I seem to always get something when I fly in the winter!
They make a vest that goes on the baby and then straps onto your seatbelt, so the baby won't fly off your lap in the event of turbulance. I had one of those for my daughter.
The other thing they suggest is to let the baby nurse or have a bottle / pacifier during take off and landing to help relieve pressure in the ears.
The younger the baby, the easier the travel, because they tend to sleep most of the ride.
Have fun!

I flew with my first son when he was 6 weeks to the day. He did just fine slept the whole time. I just made sure to have a binkie and bottle on hand in case he needed them to pop his ears durring take off and landing. I have taken several trips on planes with him since then and he has always done just fine.

I flew on a 2 hr. flight each way when my 1st baby was about 3 weeks old. She did great. I just nursed her on takeoff and landing so that her ears didn't hurt. I did the same with my second at 6 weeks. Especially if they are a calm baby, I think it works fine. I just wish there was a better place to change diapers....
Good luck!

My daughter was 2 1/2 months when she flew for the first time. I was nursing so i Just brought my cover-up and boppy. She slept or nursed the entire time. It was the easiest flight that we have had w her. My only concern was wanting to wait until she had her 2 month shots before we went. I would probably wait until she was a little older.....say 2 months old :)

Hope this helps.

My little girl was born in Korea and we flew her home when she was 6 weeks old. The Dr. ok'd it as long as we had a way for her ears to pop we should be ok. I gave her a bottle and her pacifier and she did just fine. In fact, everyone on the plane couldn't believe how well she did on an 18 hour flight.

I started flying with my daughter at 2 weeks it didn't seem to bother her at all. In fact it's a lot harder to fly with her now that she is wanted to get on the floor all the time.I would say start early if it's something youre family dose a lot.

M.,
I'm not sure how young is actually too young, but I was in a similar position with my son (also, my first child). We flew first at 3 weeks old and then again at 6 weeks old. He did fine both times and there weren't any problems. I am pretty sure most medical providers recommend waiting until at least 2 weeks old to fly though.

My husband is a pilot and there are no regulations for how old a child has to be to fly. Our friends started taking there little girl at 2 weeks old. I'de be more worried about germs in the airport then effects of flying. There are a few tips however. DO NOT let your child sleep when the plane is taking off and landing. If they aren't awake their ears can't adjust to the change in altitude well. Ever hear a child start screaming as soon as the plane takes off, that's why, because their ears hurt. If you can get her to suck on a binkie that will help her ears adjust easier as well. When kids are that young it's also easier to fly with them because they will probablly sleep most of the trip. Good luck!

We took my daughter on her first flights when she was 6 weeks. We also took her camping at 3 weeks. If you start her young it will be much easier than starting her when she is older. On the flights when she was 6 weeks she did just fine. The only time she fussed was when she was hungry or tired. I fed her during take off to help her ears adjust but on the flight back she slept through the whole thing, including take off and landing. One thing I found is bring the carseat with you to the gate as a carryon. Ask the gate agents if there is room for her carseat. If there is and no body else is needing a seat they might let you bring it on the plane so you can strap her in. If not they will gate check the carseat, put it in the cargo hold, and bring it back up to the ramp when you depart the plane. That way you will not lose the carseat or risk it getting damaged. Also, I think airlines only want the baby to be over 4 days old to fly, and while she is under 3 she is free if she sits in your lap. Hope this helps.

I agree with a lot of the others. How much do you worry about germs and is your daughter healthy. We flew with our first one at 8 months and the second at 3 months. The younger one has flown more and is a great flyer. If you're worried about her ears, which can be a problem when they're older, you can get Benzocaine drops that immediately relieves the pain. If you fly a lot, both you and she will get into a routine and it will be a fun time.

ok, here is my 2 cents worth.
I flew first with my daughter at 4 months, alone! It was a challenge.
I say if you are comforatble, go whenever you want. The younger she is the better she will sleep and make the flight easier. (plus, you dont have to pack all the toys and snacks!) I don't worry about germs too much, if she is young, she will be on your lap and in your arms the whole time. Just be polite but firm if people try to get too close!
That is just my opinion.
Also, remember, it is only 3-4 hours out of your life and the other passengers. If she screams and hollers, you will never see them again. I think mom's overstress their child's behavior. She may cry, but it will not be the end of the world. You may get dirty looks, just by having a child, even if she doesn't make a peep, but you and your child have EVERY right to fly as the next person!

Go for it. When they are that young - it is the best time to travel. Make sure they are drinking during take off and descent, to pop her ears. Be prepared for her to scream - and you just have to deal with it and try to console her. When you get on the majority of the time people will not want to sit next to you- but it is what it is. I have traveled a lot with children and this is the best age. My 3 month daughter flew to London from CO- and hardly made a peep. Don't give her any benadryl or anthing like that- she will be fine.

I flew with both my children at about one month old, and they did just fine. I don't think there is a "too young", just be prepared for the pressure change to bother her. Sucking on a pacifier or bottle or nursing really helped my boys during take off and landing. The longest flight I took with a tiny baby was a combined total of 5 hours. If she sleeps in the car, she is likely to sleep on the plane. If you don't stress out about it and keep calm, she will feed off of that, so don't worry. It will go perfectly!

I was too chicken to fly with my daughter until 6 months, but one of my good friends flew with her daughter at about one month, cross-country. She did fine and honestly its probably a bit easier when they are so young and sleep all the time. It depends on if you have help with you and for me, how comfortable I was breastfeeding in public. As far as the baby goes, a lot of people will give you the evil eye even at the grocery store for taking out such a young baby, but as long as your baby is healthy its fine and those people don't know or remember what it is like to be trapped with a baby inside all day!
Good luck on your upcoming travels!

In my experience the younger the better. I know when their young you have to worry about germs more but they are so much easier to contain. it's best to make the flight during nap time. The first time i flew with my daughter she just nursed and slept. It was really easy.

I will try and keep this short. We are frequent fliers, our son flew for the first time at 6 weeks old and our daughter flew for the first time at exactly 7 days old. My biggest suggestion is to buy a seat for the child. MOST, but not all air lines will deeply discount the seat for as little as 60 or 70 dollars and let me tell you it is worth EVERY penny! We used to car seat carrier for our son and now we take his big car seat onboard. As for the germs, well we flew just this past February with both of them to bring back our daughter and at 7 days old she didn’t pick up even a little bug. I made sure that the air vent above her was turned off so the air was not blowing on her and we sat back and enjoyed the ride! I am going to assume that you do not live in a bubble so a few hours on the plane isn’t any worse then heading out to the mall for a bit. At this young age the ears clear on their own so you do not have the worry like you do with toddlers. We did feed her on the way up but she was sleeping on the way down so I let her sleep. My theory is to start them off early and you will have more success as they get older! There is also a great site called flyer talk…. www.flyertalk.com that has a TON of information on flying with kids that might easy your decision! Most of all enjoy your little one and let your family enjoy her also! Great luck!

I don't know how others feel, but my daughter had her first plane ride at 17 days old, and she did just fine. When I called the airline, they said 14 days was their restriction, and that I had to have something proving she was my child. Since I didn't have a birth certificate that early in her little life, I used her shot records and our hospital discharge papers, and those worked fine. Just make sure you check with the airline you choose on their rules and plan accordingly. My family was SOOO happy to see my little angel when she was my itty-itty-bitty... and it was a LOT cheaper for the 2 of us to fly to them than it ever would have been for the 25-plus of them to come to us- and a lot easier on my sanity, too- I didn't have to put everyone up at My house! LOL I hope this helps!

No such thing as "too young" when flying with children- it is actually much easier the younger they are. Like others have suggested, just give her something to suck on during take off and landing. If you are concerned about germs, what we did was wipe anything within her reach with a baby wipe or alcohol wipe- armrests, tray table, etc. Since she is so little she probably won't be too interested in touching everything in sight yet!

M.-
I flew with my newborn that was 3 weeks old. The flight was only 1 1/2 hours, but on the way home we were stuck in the plane on the runway for 2 hours before even taking off. I was really nervous, but my baby did great! I just made sure that he was drinking or sucking on a binki while taking off and landing to help out with his ears.

When my daughter was 4 months old, we flew to visit family in New Jersey which was almost a four hour flight. We also flew when she was about 11 months old to Pennsylvania, which was also a fairly long flight. In my opinion it was easier flying when she was 4 months, because she slept most of the flight, when she was older we had to try more to keep her entertained.
Before we flew the first time we asked her doctor if it would be okay and he said he had a mother fly with a baby when the baby was only one week old and that it's fine at any age. Just make sure she's either feeding or sucking on a pacifier during take off and landing to help her little ears adjust to the altitude change.

We actually drove from CO to MI to see family when our son was 2.5 months (24 hr drive)...it was a long trip but he was still sleeping so much at that point. We stopped each night at a hotel.

We first flew with him at 6 months and he did great! He flew again at 9 months and was wonderful. (I nursed him during take-off.) The last time he flew was around 15 months...that was actually harder than the first two flights because he was so much more mobile! We're trying it again this weekend! Cross your fingers for us...he's almost two now! :o)

I didn't know that an infant could be too young. My oldest was three months when I took him across the country. He only had one bad crying time. That was in atlanta where the weather was really hot. All I did was undress him. I made sure he had a bottle or binky for when we took off and landed. He was fine. Good luck!!!

I am a former flight attendant and traveled a lot with my now 4 year old. I took her on her first trip when she was 1 month old.It was actually easier the younger she was. Just make sure you have lots of diapers and formula and changes of clothes for the both of you.

I know I took my oldest on a plane when he was about 3 months. It worked fine. He is 3 now and has flown probably 8 times, so we haven't had much problem. The first time he flew, we found cheap fares so he had his own seat and we brought his car seat. He slept most of the time and it was really easy. After that he rode as a lap child. I bought a Baby B'air, which is a kind of harness that hooks him to the seat belt. It makes sure he won't fly off your lap if you hit turbulence, and helps if you might fall asleep.

My other advice is to feed him (I breast fed) going up and coming down. The sucking helps equalize the pressure in his ears and prevents a screeming baby. I think a bottle will help too, but I haven't tried it myself. My son was on a pretty tight schedule, but I still fed him on take-off and landing and got back on schedule when we arrived. It didn't cause any problems.

Hi M.,
I started flying with my son when he was 6 weeks old. He did great, I still breastfed on the plane, discretely with a blanket by the window on take off and landing as the swallowing helps their ears adjust to the altitude changes. He did great and flew 3hour flights 6 times his first year. As he got older chewing gum or having a drink while landing and taking off again helps. Have fun!
S. M

Hello M.,

Personally, nursing my little ones on the plane was the best thing for so many reasons. I could easily nurse them to sleep, to satisfy hunger or thirst, to comfort them around new sounds and vibrations, and to help ears adjust to pressure changes. I also loved nursing during travel because my breastmilk was always ready to go (no containers, always sterile and the right temp.) I also loved knowing all of the powerful anti-bodies my babies were getting in my milk.

I would also encourage you to travel with another adult or two, since most of your attention will be on your baby and your hands, literally, may be full.

I also loved wearing my babies in a sling or other carrier when traveling. Then you don't have a stroller to deal with. I would have the baby on my front and a backpack on my back.

Just breathe and ask for more help than you think you need and go for it! Or, if you change your mind, stay home, and tell everyone they need to come visit you when they can, that is fine, too!

~T.

I have seen a device that is made to strap an infant to you during a flight. I don't think it is approved by any gov't agencies or anything, but it sounds like a good idea. I have heard of other ideas about putting your hands over the infants' ears for pressure changes and bringing a bottle for the same reason - of course these days that can get you in trouble. Perhaps ask for some water once on the plane? Hopefully some other moms have flown and have some good ideas for you.

hi there, listen to your gut. if you don't want to fly with her then don't. the folks can get on a plane and fly if they want. I took my kids, at the time 5 months and 2 1/2 years old, on a flight to visit my mom. IT WAS THE WORST THING I COULD HAVE DONE!!! you know how we adults can "pop" our ears to the pressure in the cabin? well kids can't do that and my poor 5 month old cried the whole time because she could not relieve the pressure in her ears. I would at least wait until she is about 6 monthes old. and then have lots and lots of games and toys for them to play with and by the way, you will have to buy a kids price seat for the baby because it needs to be in a car seat as well. good luck. pat