Fly with a baby: what you need to know

  1. From what age you can fly with a baby in the plane, the pros and cons of the flight
  2. Advantages of the flight with a baby
  3. The benefits of traveling with a baby in an airplane
  4. Difficulties flight with a baby
  5. Takeoff and landing for babies
  6. Low humidity
  7. How to fly with a baby in an airplane
  8. Infant hygiene on the plane
  9. Feeding
  10. How to occupy a child on the plane
  11. To summarize?

For many moms, traveling with a baby seems like an impossible task. Parents do not even think about vacation abroad. However, in practice, everything turns out to be much more pleasant. Traveling with a small child has many more advantages than disadvantages.

First, the baby is always there. No need to worry and many times a day trying to reach relatives who stayed with the child.
Secondly, if a baby is breastfed, the problem of selecting a children's menu is completely excluded, which cannot be said about older age.
And, thirdly, the vast majority of decent hotels offer a full range of conditions for young tourists. This and all sorts of amenities and accessories, and children's pools, and staff services.

This and all sorts of amenities and accessories, and children's pools, and staff services

From what age you can fly with a baby in the plane, the pros and cons of the flight

As for the flight with the baby, there are also a lot of advantages in this matter. The main thing is to take into account the features and try to be fully armed.

First of all, it is worth finding out from what age you can fly. This figure is not the same for all. If the birth was successful, then officially newborns can fly on an airplane within seven days after birth. Of course, in each case, you must obtain permission from the doctor. At the airport, too, will be asked to present a certificate from the pediatrician.

See also: Holidays at sea with a baby

The main question is, how safe is an airplane flight for babies and will there be rest for the rest after the flight? In fact, a flight with a baby has many more advantages than one can imagine.

Advantages of the flight with a baby

In general, most mothers are surprised to note that babies are absolutely comfortable with the flight. Doctors confirm this if the child is healthy and develops according to age. The body of newborns is quite well adapted to the aircraft due to some features:

✔ Newborn babies do not catch strong noises, so the hum of the plane does not bother them as much as adults or older children.
✔ Most babies up to a year, despite the fears of their parents, sleep the whole flight sweetly. This is due to the fact that the pressure in the plane is slightly lower. It does not harm health, and sleep improves.
✔ An important plus flight with a newborn: he, unlike 2-3-year-olds, does not need a lot of space for games and territory research.

And the main thing that parents note: the mistake is to wait for the child to grow up. Older children sleep less, actively and aggressively explore the world around them and are much harder to withstand a long stay in one place.

Older children sleep less, actively and aggressively explore the world around them and are much harder to withstand a long stay in one place

The benefits of traveling with a baby in an airplane

You will be pleasantly surprised when you find out that, along with minor flaws, traveling with a baby also awaits you with a number of advantages:

• For children under 2 years of age special rates apply. If you buy a tour, you only need to pay a symbolic amount (boarding pass on the plane - 50-70 dollars.). If you just make a flight, then for children without a seat, it will be completely free. This is another reason to travel from the first months of life. The older the child, the more expensive the trip with him.

• Somewhere officially, but somewhere behind the scenes, but you will be skipped out of turn. Agree, this is a nice bonus. Use the opportunity and feel free to ask.

• At airports and airplanes there are facilities for mothers with children: children's playrooms, changing tables and even mini-kitchens.

• From the first days of life, each passenger relies on his own baggage. It is better to specify the rates for each airline separately, but usually it is up to 10 kilograms.

• Staff is always at your service. On the plane, flight attendants will help you with any questions, and at some airports you may be assigned an accompanying person who will help you quickly and without a turn go through all the necessary procedures.

Difficulties flight with a baby

The difficulties of traveling on an airplane with a baby can rather be called features that are important to consider in order for the flight to go with pleasure. There are two of them.

Takeoff and landing for babies

The pressure drop during takeoff and landing of the aircraft causes discomfort in the ears: laying, noise, pain. This can be dangerous only if the baby is unhealthy or has developmental abnormalities (here it is imperative to consult a doctor). In all other cases, discomfort is easily avoided.

✔ Pre-rinse the baby’s nose with baby water with sea water, use vasoconstrictor drops.
✔ Attach the baby to the chest when the plane takes off and sits down (sucking and swallowing very well equalizes the pressure in the middle ear). It is better not to give the pacifier and any other objects so that during sudden braking the infant does not choke.
✔ Massage the tragus, the cartilage that covers the entrance to the ear opening.

In most cases, these simple methods completely eliminate the ear congestion during take-off and landing.

In most cases, these simple methods completely eliminate the ear congestion during take-off and landing

Low humidity

Aircraft air humidity is lower than usual. Under these conditions, moisture evaporates from the surface of the skin more intensely. Use three tips to avoid moisture loss in a baby (by the way, they are also relevant for adults):

✔ Choose loose but closed clothes to reduce moisture performance from the skin.
✔ Offer your child to drink as often as possible. Do not forget to think in advance what to take from drinking.
✔ Stock up on baby spray with sea water or saline, which periodically bury in the nose. It will help moisturize the mucous membranes, wash the nose and narrow the vessels.

How to fly with a baby in an airplane

Convenience of travel with baby

Fly with a baby is associated with a lot of inconvenience for many. What is important to take care of?

Most likely, you will be given a place in the first row, as expected. There will be less people and a convenient space for games. If there are empty seats, do not hesitate to ask your neighbors to transfer. But for the extra space will need to pay.

You should also decide where the child will be placed. You can use a special cradle, car seat or keep the baby in your arms if the flight is not long. It will be convenient if there is a sling or ergo-backpack.

See also: Travel during pregnancy

Take a car seat is not necessary. Firstly, it requires additional space. Secondly, it must be certified for air travel. And thirdly, airlines provide special cradles, the convenience of which is noted by many mothers. The cradles are mounted on the wall and must be ordered in advance.

When the plane takes off and lands, and during the turbulence, the children must take their hands and use a children's seat belt, which they give out on the plane.

Take with you:

✔ Sophisticated clothes for yourself and your baby. Yourself - comfortable clothes for feeding and changing in case you get dirty. A child - a pair of comfortable kits: light and warm.
✔ Pram. It is very useful at the airport, at check-in and during the passage of control. Folding stroller cane can not be checked in, but take with you and pass it to a stewardess.
✔ Sling or ergo-backpack, even if you do not plan to keep the child on the flight. The backpack will be useful if you need to free your hands.
✔ Wide scarf or shawl. It is convenient for them to close a sleeping child and shield them from individual lighting lamps if they tighten a scarf between the seats. To improvised curtain kept better, you can grab the studs.

Of course, the ideal option would be if you would be someone else, for example, a husband. And do not forget to come to the registration early.

Infant hygiene on the plane

In the toilet of the plane there is a folding table where you can change the diaper of a child. But the toilet can be occupied at the right time. Many mothers say that in a closet with a baby in her arms can be very uncomfortable.

Therefore, just in case, prepare that the diapers will have to be changed in the cabin. Take a litter or diaper, wet wipes, garbage bags. Of course, do not forget the extra clothes and more diapers.

Feeding

Breastfeeding baby is the best option. It is only necessary to provide comfortable clothing.

Additional nutrition is usually allowed to take as much as the baby needs. But on international flights there may be other rules. In the plane can not carry the liquid more than 100 ml. In order to avoid surprises, the rate is better to clarify in advance with the airline.

You can get by with dry meals or pre-order a children's menu. If you want to use dry food, take a thermos with boiling water (it can be filled in any restaurant of the airport).

Be prepared for frequent regurgitation, do not overfeed the baby on the plane.

How to occupy a child on the plane

Above, we wrote: most of the babies sleep sweetly during the whole flight. But, of course, not everyone happens. What to do so that the small one does not show the whole flight, an individual question.

Most parents prefer to tire their child as much as possible - for example, in the airport’s game room. In this sense, having a transplant is an advantage. On the other hand, there are children who, from an excess of impressions, become more capricious than usual. Therefore, you decide.

In case the baby does not want to sleep, take more toys. Stock up on bright, new and interesting things according to age. Older children can take “lacing”, designers - any games that absorb attention for a while. For the very young there is another great way to not spend money on new toys. Take a large ring or a strong rope and strung more different items. Let everything that can be used be used: bright big beads, key rings, details of toys and so on.

Take advantage of any opportunity to walk and explore the surrounding space. If newborn babies do not need a change of scenery, then a little older children just need to actively explore the world.

What time for flight is better, there are different opinions. Some parents try to choose night flights, others give preference to morning and afternoon.

Some parents try to choose night flights, others give preference to morning and afternoon

To summarize?

To make the first flight with a baby easy, think over and make a list of what you will take with you. Below is a list of “must-haves” on an airplane with a baby.

Check-list: what to bring
• Diapers (more than usual) and a separate package for them. As an option: travel pot with replaceable packages.
• Wipes and garbage bags.
• Clothes: comfortable and closed, which is easy to take off. Spare kit and clothes warmer.
• Feeding bottle.
• Toys: bright, new, eye-catching.
• First aid kit: thermometer, antipyretic, absorbents, children's drops with sea water, ear painkillers, sedatives, pain medication.
• Pledyk.
• bedding or diaper.
• Stroller, sling, ergo-backpack.

See also: Baby first aid kit: on vacation with a small child

What to do in advance:
• Book a cradle and children's menu.
• Clarify the requirements for the transportation of food and drink for babies.
• Check with the airline which document package is required for travel with a newborn or infant.
• Consult a pediatrician, if necessary, take permission to fly.

Although traveling with a small child at first glance seems too complicated and troublesome, in practice everything turns out to be much easier. Many mothers, once deciding to go on vacation with a baby, continue to actively travel in the future.

What is important to take care of?
To summarize?