Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Tips for traveling with a baby?

Lanie

Lanie

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 20, 2008
Messages
1,793
I'm sure there's a thread on here already from long ago, but I couldn't find it...

We are traveling early August on a loooong, flight with one stop. Our baby will be almost 8 months old. My main question is how do you check your car seat and base? Do you just attach them and check them as is? Do you put them in plastic bags? Also, I have an Ergo, and do I have to unhook the baby when I'm going through the security line? One of my friends told me you can't walk through while holding the baby...you have to pass them through to your DH?

Also, any other tips? All I know so far is to feed them or give them a pacifier on takeoff/landings.
 
I have no advice as i have no kids, but wanted to wish you good luck and safe travels! It's tough travelling w/ a baby and i hope your baby has a comfortable flight!!
 
Forte -- you are so sweet! Thanks!
 
Do you have to have the base to use your carseat? We had the Graco and had the bases in our cars for easy installation, but you can use it with just a seatbelt too. That might save you some $$ in checking fees. My BIL just puts the carseats in trash bags (doubled, I think, because they can rip) to check them, or you can buy bags made to check carseats on Amazon.

I don't know about security as we didn't fly until our DD could walk through security on her own.

Good luck!
 
You don't HAVE to have the base for the chicco (as least the one I had didn't). The seat belt will secure it. I would gate check the carseat (in a bag b/c it might get trashed. I bought a special bag for it b/c I flew a lot but you can use a thick garbage bag. Bring duct tape to close it) and my snap 'n go. They do not charge you for this. Fold the stroller at the plane and pick the stroller/car seat up there after you land.

You cannot wear the baby through security or on take-off or landing. Security can be a pain. I often travel alone and NO ONE helps. I have it down to a science now. If it is a larger stroller they will search it manually. You don't need to fold it. If it is small (umbrella) you have to fold it and send it through x-ray. The carseat goes through x-ray. You will have to take the baby's shoes off. You can bring formula (if your baby needs it). They will test the liquid.

Let me know if you have any other questions. My 3.5 year old has probably been on 50 flights. Guess that's what happens when you don't live in the same state as your family! Good luck and safe travels.

ETA: the bag I bought was bright red and said "gate check" on it. It was cheap which is good b/c after using it a dozen or so times I ended up throwing it away.
 
Are you getting your child his/her own seat? If not, you could consider not bringing the car seat. Depending on your destination, if you are renting a car, you can also rent a car seat. Lugging the car seat thru the airport, plus luggage and kid, can be a pain.

We did a few flights with our son on our lap and it wasn't bad at all. They actually did let me wear him on take-off (which is a big no no, apparently). To go through security you have to put the carrier thru the machine, but you can walk through holding your child.

We just did a flight where we bought a seat for our son for the first time (he's almost 2) and took the car seat. We borrowed one of those Go Go Kidz contraptions where we just kept him in his car seat and wheeled him through the airport. On the way there, he fell asleep literally after we landed (but still on runway) and he just stayed in his seat and asleep through the airport.

What else? Bring lots of zip lock bags with stuff segregated. Much easier to just pull the ziploc for diapers out to go to bathroom, etc., rather than lugging the whole diaper bag into the small space. Lots of wipes of course. Something for kid to suck on during take-off and landing for ears.

Don't stress, it was actually pretty easy to manage at 8 months. Have fun!
 
Thanks China and Tacori!

Tacori -- Wow. That's a lot of flying time! Thanks for the tips!

China -- I haven't seen you on here in forever! Hope little O is doing great! Unfortunately, we won't be renting a car, but the grandparents don't have a car seat for us, so we have to take it. Maybe I'll see if I can just rent a car seat at the rental place? Hmmm...never thought of that one. They probably won't do it, but it's worth a shot I guess?
 
I actually liked bringing the carseat since I used the snap 'n go. Also, *most* airplane bathrooms do not have a changing table so beware you will have to change your baby on the seat.
 
Last month I traveled with my then 10-month old son. He's in a convertible car seat, so we checked the car seat (Cosco Scenera) using the curbside check-in. I was worried and originally planned to gate check the seat, but we had *so much* stuff that I decided to risk it as lugging everything through the airport was not a prospect I was looking forward to. (We were going on a trip where we wanted our Bob stroller, so that was a huge item in itself. The Bob got gate checked.) We flew Southwest, and they had bags to put the car seat in (though they did get torn during transit, but there was no damage to my seat at all). I might recommend bringing your own bag, though, that would be a bit more rugged.

I did use my Ergo in the airport, though I did take him out to go through security (no one asked me to, but I just went ahead and did it to try to ensure an easy time passing through security). I just carried him through with me, after taking off his shoes and mine. On the way there they didn't test the expressed breast milk that I was carrying, but they did test it on our way back.

We also checked our pack and play. We still had the box that it came in, and that made it much easier to deal with and protected it well on the plane.
 
-carseat: If your little one still falls asleep in the carseat and you like being able to transfer, bring the carseat and base. It won't cost you anything to check them on any of the airlines I am aware of. If you haven't purchased a seat for your little one you can see when you get to the airport if there are any empty seats on the plane that would enable you to bring your carseat on to use an extra seat for your baby. Personally I prefer to check it under the plane so I don't have to deal with it in between flights, with a layover then you are waiting for the stroller so you don't have to carry 20 lb baby, carseat, etc. through the airport to change planes.
Another option if your baby is not a car sleeper is to get a seat for traveling that you can use as a spare when you get home. We have a cosco scenera that was recommended to us by some car seat gurus online and it is a fabulous travel seat for around $50. It is a convertible so you can use it until your little one is 3-4 years old, and it rearfaces to 35 lbs. Kind of skimpy for an everyday seat compared to a cushy Britax we use at home but for travel it is soooo much easier because it weighs about 8 lbs. I can hang it off my stroller handles to get through the airport. I wouldn't rent a carseat unless it's an emergency (like, the airline loses your luggage). They aren't generally kept up to date or super clean.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Scenera-5-Point-Convertible-Car-Seat-Black-Santee/13004563?findingMethod=rr
You could even send this right to your parents' local walmart (free shipping to the store for pick up) and have them take it to the police station to have it properly installed rearfacing. That way when you land and they pick you up it's ready to use and then you just take it back with you.

You will have to take off the ergo and send it through security. Then you walk through holding your baby.

Do you nurse? I just flew with my 7 month old 2 weeks ago and it was not bad. She didn't nap as long or as well at home, but I wasn't expecting her to. I just brought my nursing cover and a cushy blanket to put under her head on the armrest and sat in the window seat and offered to nurse her when she was tired to help her fall asleep (she doesn't really nurse to sleep at home but on a plane, whatever works). I also brought some baby mum-mum crackers which are a great not super messy snack and some puffs. And some new toys are always a hit.

I bring a big jansport backpack and have everything seperated in gallon ziplocs- 1 for snacks/food, 1 for toys, 1 for diapers/wipes/blanket I use as a changing pad, 1 for change of clothes. That way I can just pull out the one I need and leave everything else in my backpack shoved under the seat in front of me. Plus it leaves my hands free- backpack in back, baby in front carrier- for walking around the airport.

You will be fine, even if it's horrible, which it won't be!- it will eventually be over and you'll be at your destination.
 
Lanie I have done one return flight with L when she was just under 3mths old and at 3 mths - best advice is to try and take a late flight when bubs is asleep the flight we took was about an hour and a half and on the later flight she slept through it all I did still nurse her on take off and landing for her ears in her sleep - no dramas on the way back the flight was earlier so she was awake the whole time it was harder to get her to nurse (the look on her face when her ears popped was so sad :() but she did and again no dramas except she was awake for 4hrs past her bedtime and a little grizzly

I live in Oz and didn't have to take the ergo off for security however they didn't allow us to wear it with the bubba on the plane as for a car seat I ended up buying a car seat for my sister to keep down there and had her pick it up and I just paid for it - it worked out not much more then renting and will last L for 4 years did not want the hassle of taking my nice chair through the airport

Good luck hope you have an awesome flight :)
 
Hi Lanie! I know, I haven't been around in forever. How's your little one doing? O is doing great, he'll be 2 next month. Can't believe it!!

You might want to just check the car seat then. I think it's like $100 extra to rent the car seat and they are pretty bare bones.

Good luck, keep us posted!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top