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Tips for Flying with a Crawling/Walking Baby

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Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2009
Messages
754
We're considering taking a couple long flights to visit family for the holidays/vacation. Does anyone have any tips for how to keep a baby who is crawling/walking entertained? Our daughter will be too large for the bassinet that airlines provide. How long is it ok to let your baby sleep in a car seat? I'm wondering if we should take the nonstop overnight flight or have a layover for the really long flight. Thanks!
 

Rose21

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Messages
4
Hi there, Good luck for the trip. I have done two major overseas trips with my DD at age 8months - actually an easy age to travel with them because they cannot crawl yet! I took hot water in a thermos on the plane - otherwise it takes too long to heat it up. They allow you to take larger volumes of water on a plane if its as part of infant feeding. Also take food that dont need reheating - I found the Heinz fruit jars or jelly/fruit thingies worked really well. You are allowed to take a pram [and some airlines a carseat instead of a pram] onboard - its not part of your 20kg weight allowance. You take it right up to the plane and they then take it and store it with baggage - you collect again on disembarking at your destination. Give him a bottle when you take-off and land, the sucking makes it easier on their ears - my daughter suffered a bit with earache when she refused her bottle on one trip during landing. We found our bubs to be much happier if we got a window seat and she could look out the windonw. Hope this helps and enjoy your trip [I have to do this again to the UK with 2 kiddies this time!!!]
 

NewEnglandLady

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
6,299
We traveled with both of our kids during the crawling walking stage (in both cases, they were 10-ish months). For us:

1. We have never had luck with the car seat on the plane. When my kids were 10 months, they were out of the infant seat and in a convertible car seat, which are more cumbersome. We ended up checking the car seat so they could lie on us/move around a little more.

2. New toys/books were key or us. My husband is very anti-electronics, so we didn't have the option of a tablet. We brought a few new books, some sticker books, coloring books, etc., which worked for us because our flights were only a couple of hours each way. If I had a 4+ hour flight, I may have had to do more brainstorming.

3. We scheduled flights during naptime. The one time we didn't check the car seat, my daughter did not nap (and the "stuff" came in handy). The times we checked the car seat, they were fine lying on us and napping. I think this can be risky--if your child naps, then it's great. If your child doesn't, then you have a cranky child.

ETA: Depending on where you're going, you may not need a stroller. Going through security/airports with a stroller can be a pain. I used my Ergo in the airport and ended up regretting having the stroller.
 

mom2dolls

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
394
We just flew to Iowa for Thanksgiving. Going through security a family in front of us had to stop and prepare the babies bottles because the security people would not let them take the heated water through without mixing the bottles in front of them. So, I would double check with the airline you are flying regarding bringing water through security. Even then it probably depends on the people working that day.
 
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