In the meantime, two of my fabulous girlfriends agreed to guest blog for me on travelling with their little ones. Ironically both were Nannies and have lots of kiddo experience! Super Useful info!
Thanks ladies-
love.you.longtime
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Lacie
My dear friend, L is the blogger behind the wheel at Leather & Lace. She is fabulously hilarious and forever honest. Read it. love it. love her. She was kind enough to share her experiences on flying short trips (Seattle to LA) with her cutie-patootie, Gemma.My little girl Gemma is 9 months old and has been on 8 round trip plane flights. Nearly one plane ride for every month she's been alive. WTF is wrong with us that we would fly so often with a baby? Well, my Husband's family lives in L.A. and we like to go visit. And no, Gemcake isn't the picture of a wonderfully behaved mellow child. She's a very loud, curious and busy baby who refuses naps in the air and always takes a big smelly poo in her diaper as soon as the seatbelt sign comes on. My sanity is retained only by the knowledge that it's only a 2.5 hour flight from Seattle to Los Angeles (with the promise of In-n-out). For these short trips, my husband and I have a few favorite tricks. Maybe some could work for you and your little one!
1. With a little baby do not bother bringing the stroller. We are fortunate enough that Grandma and Grandpa have a carseat for little G so we don't have to haul it with us, but lugging a stroller AND carseat around?! Um no. I wear Gemma in a carrier (first the Baby K'tan and now the Ergobaby) around the airport, allowing me to to hands-free. PLUS you don't have to take the baby out while going through security, so if she falls asleep, she can stay asleep!
2. Put the baby in footed pajamas. Easy, comfortable and ohmygod SO NICE not to have to deal with socks while on the go.
3. Leave all the shit behind. Most likely you'll be out and about while traveling, so there is no need to bring the full set of blocks, all 8 blankets and 40 stuffed animals. Pack only baby's favorites, plus one new toy she hasn't seen before. Bring out said toy at the first sign of irritability.
4. I know babies aren't supposed to watch TV....but on a plane all the rules go out the window.
Sesame Street podcasts. They're free.
Download them on your iPad and shove a gin and tonic and a bag of peanuts down the hatch while she watches.
5. Be nice to the people around you. And take comfort in the knowledge that either they've been in your shoes, or eventually will be.
6. When booking the flight, select seats A and C for you and your partner. Most single riders won't choose a middle seat, so many times the B will stay empty and baby gets a seat all to herself!
7. The barf bag makes a great puppet
8. Put a dab of Vaseline under baby's nostrils to prevent any germs from sneaking their way near her. The gooey texture will quite literally catch the germs before they enter her body.
9. Just....listen to me and pack more diapers in your carry-on than you think you'll need.
10. When all else fails, give the baby a cookie. A cookie always wins.
HAPPY FLYING!
Gem baby :)
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Ashli
My BFF, Ashli flew cross country from Miami to Seattle when I delivered Isla with her 1 year only, Grace. Lots of good info for long flights! (Thanks again for that sis :)
The idea of sitting in a tin box with an 11 month old vocal and mobile baby along with 100+ strangers was a bit intimidating, but making the trip was a no brainer. We were after all going to welcome our sweet "cousin/niece" to the world. With tickets booked, I started gathering tips from friends and recalling some of the tricks I used as a Nanny.
Some of the tips I used:
1. Bring a lot of snacks....like enough to feed you and the baby for 2 days. No one likes to be hungry and a situation seems a lot more stressful when you are.
2. Bring toys, new ones that are interesting and exciting. I put some of Grace's Christmas gifts aside and introduced them to her on the plane. This was genius and worked perfectly. I also got a kid case for our iPad. Grace isn't into watching TV but I thought worse case it could distract her for a bit. We didn't use it but glad to have it for the future.
3. Bring extra clothes for you and baby. You don't want to be stuck in a puke (or worse) covered outfit, smelling wonderful in the before mentioned tin box.
4. Bring only what you need (i.e.: leave the grown up entertainment at home). Those days of flipping the pages to pass the time are gone (I had enough time for 1/4 of People magazine. I was also traveling alone and had to carry everything myself).
Side Note: Most airlines check car seats for free at the check-in counter and most know you can gate check your stroller. That is if you don't leave it sitting in the carport by mistake. Not a good start to our trip but I just laughed it off and figured at least I'd get an upper body workout in that day.
5. If your little one is mobile, let them run/crawl around as much as possible before boarding the plane.
I also put a lot of thought into the flights I booked. I chose a layover instead of a non-stop. Part of that was because I used miles but I also had a feeling that a break to move about freely might be welcomed. This worked perfectly for us. However, if there was a delay it could be disastrous. I also booked red eye trips. This way Grace was tired and ready to sleep. It also worked. She slept 80% of our flying time. I also chose window seats (even though I love the aisle). Grace could look out the window and i could lean against it when she slept.
Part of it comes down to your energy (I know, a bit new agey but true). I was relaxed and calm and luckily for me Grace usually is too. I also brought with me 30 pairs of ear plugs as an insurance policy (props to the hubby on that suggestion). I figured people may not outwardly loathe my daughter and I if I could at least offer them some reprieve. I didn't need to break them out but you better believe I will have them with me every time I fly!
My Sweet Pea Niece, Grace :)
Happy Travels everyone!
xo-S
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