BabyBites

We first traveled with our son when he was 4 mos old. Some great advise I got at the time (from a baby bites luncheon) includes the following:
-put the baby in an overnight diaper so you don’t have to change them (unless it’s poop)
-bring your stroller all the way to the gate and then “gate check” it as you board the plane. You get it right back once you arrive and get off the plane.
-get a gate check bag for your stroller to protect it–I got one from Planet Kids
-feed the baby on take off and landing..unless they are sleeping then DON’T wake them up
-Bring enough clothes, diapers, food etc in your diaper bag for 24 hrs…in case of flight delays etc
-keep a diaper and some wipes in a big zip lock bag in case you have to change the baby on the plane–then you can just put the soiled diaper back in the ziplock

Happy Travels!

Snacks, fave books and an etch-a-sketch. Also, a sense of humor! When traveling on a plane, I always have a bunch of snacks that she likes (and don’t worry about enforcing a proper meal that day) as it’s a good distraction if she’s getting cabin fever. Also, letting her walk up and down in the aisle holding your hand and saying hi once in a while helps to give the sense that she is not just cooped up in her seat. Remembering earphones that fit over her head as the plane ones are either too big or ear buds is also key if you plan to distract with a movie.

Definitely a SONY portable DVD Player and kids’ earphones (available on Amazon). Also the Smart-e Bear educational toy that you can download with songs and games online!

A cute nursing cover like the MoBoleez breastfeeding hat! http://www.MoBoleez.com is great for nursing on the plane.

DVD player works for us any where- car, plane, etc. Also a car seat on the plane saved us ,many times. Our son knows he can never come out of his car seat so he sat for the duration of our trips.

Our lifesaver has been our iPhones. We download (FREE) Sesame Street podcasts and that buys us time on the plane, in the car, at dinner, at doctor’s offices, everywhere! Our son doesn’t quite get the earphone concept yet, but we turn the volume way down on it and he doesn’t mind if he can barely hear it. We’ve also downloaded a couple of toddler games onto the iPhone. He loves the flashcard application and knows how to use an iPhone better than my parents!

Make sure to bring a lot of snacks in case you are delayed on the plane or hit traffic. The kids can play with alphabet snacks as well. Lollipops are great for sucking (good for ears) and it also occupies time. You can also give to other kids on the plane! New toys that are small are always great to bring as well. Bring a portable ipod speaker and/or kids headphones so you can listen to kids music. Bring their favorite CDs! Other passengers won’t mind hearing music instead of a screaming baby! And don’t forget an empty sippy cup/bottle so you can get a fun drink on the plane! (The plane has cran, apple, seltzer etc which I rarely give to my child so its a treat!)

Have readily available (in the carry on) plastic bags and 2 changes of clothes for everyone! Also some kind of blanket or towel. Our daughter is fine on the plane but is prone to throwing up in a car, taxi, and even the in security line (very bizarre I know), so we end up changing in the airport bathroom. I used to just pack spare clothes for her only, but I learned my lesson.

Don’t get a seat on the plane for your child. The first time we did – he was 7 months old – and he never sat in it. The next plane ride – 13 months – we didn’t get a seat and I strapped him into the Ergo for take-off and landing. It was perfect. Kept him in one spot and he fell asleep because he was cuddled up on me for so long. I will never travel without that Ergo (oh, yeah, and a portable DVD player)! Another great tool that I use in the car a lot is my iPhone. He loves the app called “Peek-a-Boo Barn” where he can tap the screen and animals appear and make sounds. It’s fab for any time I need to distract him for a little bit — cabs, shopping, etc.

Bring your stroller right up to the gate and they’ll put it under right before you board. This way you’ll have it ready for you when you get off the plane. Also, use a carrier so the baby can sit on you for a bit and sleep. Bring lots of snacks, milk and books/toys.

Lastly, if you can reserve the bulk head seats. There won’t be anyone in front of you so you don’t need to worry about bothering anyone and there is plenty of leg room and space for your little one to crawl or walk around.

We have traveled extensively with our son since he was 11 wks old (he’s now 18 months old) from long car rides to trips to Europe and the west coast. Our portable DVD player has been a lifesaver. We also try and coordinate travel times with naps etc which has saved us a bundle of stress. If you have an active toddler I definitely recommend getting their own seat. And the Ergo has always been helpful for boarding and deplaning.

It’s been interesting reading everyone’s responses on here! My toddler has been very active since birth and hates to sit still so plane rides are always a challenge and we just do everything we can to get through them! the ergo was great when she was a baby but now at 18 mo she hates sitting in the car seat on the plane for more than an hour and she won’t nap on planes. we have lots of snacks to keep her occupied but the best thing so far is a portable DVD player! we turn the sound up and with all the background noise on the plane other passengers can’t hear it. I also bring several new toys. I recommend getting a bulkhead seat as well.

On many international flights you can get a bassinet for a baby up to 9 months old. This was great when we took a 13 hour flight with our 8 1/2 month old daughter since she was able to sleep in it and also sit up and play in it. Also, the Playtex bottles with the cisposable liners are great for travelling long distances since all you do is rinse the nipple and change the liner.

PORTABLE DVD PLAYER!!! It’s the ONLY way!!!!!!

Best Assist: Jetsetbabies.com – We rent equiptment,( strollers, toys) everything you can imagine & and order and mail ahead our diapers , food and everything- swim stuff too! I have used this website multiple times and advised others too- they loved it!

Getting there with a Toddler on a plane – as we begin take off and as we descend, we give our daughter pop chips. she loves the crunch, it keeps her swallowing and drinking water and of course keeps her ears clear

Inflight – we bought a fisherprice dvd player that allows for two sets of headphones ( mine and hers). It is a universal player so I can play my Italian DVDs for her too!

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Reserve the bulkhead and request the bassinet (on international flights). Otherwise, don’t bother because you’ll most likely be separated from your spouse/travelling companion. Make sure you’re sitting together!

Whenever I go anywhere with my 2-month-old son, I take at least 3 extra diapers (for when I think he’s stopped pooping, but he hasn’t really), a change of clothes (for atomic poops), my waterproof puffy blanket for if I have to change him on the floor, a travel pack of baby wipes, his pacifier, and most importantly – PURELL.

I think the ipod touch or the iphone – has saved my life – loaded with Yo Gabba Gabba episodes and little games like wheels on the bus (really saved our life – we have gotten some dirty looks on those flights)

Loliipops and fruit snacks work wonders for take off or landing. The sucking or chewing helps relieve the pressure and makes the kids happy.

As for entertainment TV or a DVD players are great, but I find bringing a ziploc bag filled with foam stickers and popsicle sticks or foam picture frames (especially the fridge magnet kind) are great. We arrive at our location with presents for our friends or family and even my youngest son likes covering himself.

I travel w/ 4 all in car seats, so I highly recommend renting your car seats so you don’t have to dragging them along with your luggage.
small snack bags w/ a large varity of treats
Each kids get a small activity bag w/ crayons/markers, a paper, stickers, books, & for the older ones their Nitendo DS.
The best tip I can give & highly recommend is travel with your parents or in-laws =P Our last trip was a 6 hour flight to HI and I can’t say enough how much relief I got with being able to hand over the kids to them…we sat seperate so the kids weren’t on top each other for 6 hours.

We found the Sit-n-Stroll (a car seat that turns into a stroller) to be a lifesaver! It was so handy getting our 10-month old to the airport in a cab, through the airport, onto the plane and into his seat. Since we don’t own a car, the Sit-n-Stroll is also perfect (and small!) to get in and out of rental cars. Love it!

Yes, definitely the DVD player, definitely lots of snacks, and obviously change of clothes in your carry on, you never know when you will be delayed or worse cancelled and have to stay overnight without your bags. I also bring books, handy wipes, iPhone, an old cell phone that is fully charged so he can play telephone with it, and “Color Wonder” coloring books and markers- the markers only work on their special paper, so no mess! Before we take off, I usually try to apologize to my neighbors ahead of time, just in case my toddler gets rowdy, and I have found that it makes a world of difference in terms of stressing about making a scene. If people know that you are at least trying to keep your little ones from making a ruckus, they really appreciate it and get less frustrated with you. Another thing for keeping the little ones happy, but this takes a bit of prep, I wrap up little toys in white tissue paper, like little presents. My 18-month old son loves to open “presents”, it takes up an absurd amount of time, and then he plays with each little toy for a while (I wrap little matchbox cars, little pieces of snack, stickers, etc) Finally, I bring extra $5. bills as a “just in case” to buy everyone around me a drink in case things get ugly!! Happy travels