Travel on Air with a 3Month Old Infant.

Re: Q1 and 2: along with what some others have said, bring more diapers, wipes, and formula (if you're formula feeding) than you think you'll need - keep in mind that flight delays and other issues can make a 24 hour flight even longer. Bring changes of clothes for you and the baby - you want to have a clean shirt and pants that you can change into if the baby spits up or has a diaper blow out on you.

I first traveled with my son when he was four months old, and I remember reading an article on babycenter.com with good travel tips. You might want to look there for some additional advice. Good luck!

My daughter at 3 months slept through most flights I took, none as long as 24 hours. At 3 months there is not much you can do to entertain, so make sure you have lots of bottles if baby is bottle-fed. Also, if baby is formula fed, bring more formula than baby usually drinks in a 24 hour period. Babies tend to cluster feed on a plane and my pediatrician said there is nothing wrong with it. Make sure you feed on take off and landing to help with ear pressure. Pacifiers are also helpful if baby takes one.
Some will say to get a seat and keep baby in car seat as much as possible. I never bought an extra seat and kept my daughter in my lap, even on a 12 hour flight at 15 months old. If you are worried about turbulance see if there is a belt you can hook onto your seatbelt and onto your baby. I know Lufthansa and Austrian air provided it for me.
As for documents, you need a passport for your baby and yourself. As for the baby, you need a notorized document, which you can print from the passport website, to be signed by the babies father saying it is okay to take the baby out of the country. The website for a passport will provide you with an itemized list of what you need to leave the country.

I'm sorry I don't know anything about any documents, but someone else may be able to help you.

What I wanted to say is that be sure you are feeding your baby (bottle, or nursing) on take-off and landing. This will make your baby swallow, thus equalizing the pressure behind the ear drums. If you don't, you may have a VERY miserable baby, and have to deal with a lot of crying and screaming. We can be reminded to swallow, or know how to "pop" our eardrums to equalize the pressure, but your baby can't.

And... good luck!

This might be tough. You HAVE to have a passport. If the baby was born in the US, you have to apply for a social security number (they'll do it for you in the hospital) and after getting THAT, you apply for the passport.

We were going to a family wedding when my son was 4 months old. It took all 4 months to get the SS# and the passport, and we paid for expedited delivery for that passport. As it was, it came less than a week before we were to fly out. If it had NOT come in time, I would not have been able to take him.

You will not be able to take your baby with you either.

Do you have a friend who works for a congressman or congresswoman? Truthfully, that may be the only way you get this worked out. If you live in a city where a congress person works, go to that office and ask for help. You have to be one of his or her constituents to get them to help you. (You have to live in their district.)

I hope you don't have your flight booked yet...

Good luck,
Dawn

I may be going against the stream, but I would advise against buying a seat for baby. I went on a 12 hr flight alone with DD at that age and the extra seat was a waste. Call the airline instead and request a bassinet seat. They will hang a bassinet on the wall in front of you so your baby can sleep laying down (and you get more legroom).
If you are nursing and feel shy about doing it in public get a comfortable nursing cover and practice before you leave.
Otherwise bring plenty of formula and pacifiers, diapers and extra outfits.
A carrier or wrap will give you freedom of hands, again practice beforehand!
You will both need a passport, apply for a passport for your DD well in advance! We submitted our application as soon as her birth certificate was available when she was only three weeks old!
My DD cried inconsolably for hours on our first flight. It happens, and when it does, there is not much you can do! You just sit it out and eventually they fall asleep or you land.
Make sure you tale care of your own needs during the flight (eat and drink) and don't feel shy about asking for help from the flight attendants.
Good luck

I would advise you to buy a seat for the baby (if not already done so) and use the carseat on the plane. Your baby will probably sleep a lot, all cozy!

While airlines don't require a seat for baby, turbulence can result in tragedy. I just remember reading the article about the plane crash where everyone died except a small child, found dangling upside down in her carseat.

Stay safe, and enjoy your destination! Here is a link that says everything about traveling safely with babies/kids on planes.

http://www.thecarseatlady.com/airplanes/airplanes.html

Q1, 2- If you are breatfeeding, make sure you drink a LOT the day before the flight and during the flight to keep up your milk volume. As mentioned below, you will want to feed during take off, landing, and for comfort so maybe more than usual. Bring anything that you would normally use to soothe your baby, like a blanket, swaddler, pacifier, iPod or other music player with large headphones that you can place next to baby's head at low volume, pillows to put under your arm to make feeding more comfortable. If you are comfortable with it, some infant Tylenol to help with sore ears if needed. My super duper secret tricks that totally make me a bad mommy- 1- a mini bottle of maple syrup, put a little drop on your finger and put that in baby's mouth if there is a complete meltdown and 2- If you have 1 drink, like a glass of wine, and nurse the baby, that might help you both relax! LLL says it's OK :)
On a lot of international flights they have airplane "cribs," kind of like little pack n plays that hang on the wall between sections. They only have a couple, so ask the flight attendant before you even get on the plane and they may be able to hook you up. In general, the flight attendants are your allies- they want your baby happy as much as you do! Do not be afraid to ask for anything that they can help you with. I have heard that a hot, damp paper towel placed at the bottom of a cup, cup placed over baby's ear can help equalize the pressure. A flight attendant could help you with that, and may know other tricks.
Q3- If you and baby are both US citizens, you should bring passports for both of you and a certified copy of baby's birth certificate and immunization records, plus any medical records for you or baby that you might need in an emergency for either of you. You should also bring something that has emergency contact information for someone on both ends of the trip.