?s for moms who have flown with their infants

ok, so i'll be taking jonah (5 weeks old) on a one hour plane ride. i am NERVOUS... some questions:

-where would i change him if he peed/pooped on the plane?

BF moms:
-have you breastfed on the plane, and if so did you use a cover or just whip it out or what?

-have you brought breastmilk onto a flight, and did they give you any problems?

TIA!!!!

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

I never had to change my DD on the plane. I changed her right before boarding and she was fine.

I BF and I just brought a light receiving blanket and used that to cover up a little. I wasn't crazy over it but I tried to be discrete.

I also brought two 4 oz. bottles of BM on the plane. No one ever gave me a hard time.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

I only went on a short flight (NY to NC) and I changed her just before we left and once we got there if she needed it. I didn't have any trouble with the formula. You're allowed to bring enough to get you through the duration of your flight. Most people bring extra in case of a delay or something, and don't usually have a problem. Depending on how long your flight will be, it should be pretty easy for you. As far as the changing, if your flight is short, I wouldn't worry about it -- if he wet/soiled his diaper while he were sleeping, would you wake him to change it? I wouldn't. If you do end up needing to change him on the plane, maybe you can do it in the infant seat? I'm not sure if they have a "table" in the bathrooms there for you to use. Maybe call the airline to ask how that is handled.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

1 hour is not that long at all. I would change him when before you get on board. For the take-off & landing the best thing for a baby is to be su<king. So, breastfeeding, BF in a bottle or even a dodie work best. If by chance your baby is sleeping. Let him sleep. My kids have slept threw the ear popping stage. If he does poop & there isn't a bathroom that is equipped for changing. I would change them on either my lap or I laid them down on the seat.

It will be easier then you think. Believe me!

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

We flew to Arizona with a stop-over. We changed DD in her seat.

I wasn't BFing anymore. But we bought a seat for her and this way we had the whole row.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

I flew with a 7 week old. For changing, I changed before we boarded the plane. But I was lucky, and had 3 seats to myself. I ended up having to change him in the seat when we were up in the air. Some planes have changing tables that pull down in the bathrooms - but I'm not sure if your plane will have it or not. It is usually in just one bathroom. I've used it in a bind. For nursing, again, thankfully, I did not have anyone next to me, but I still tried to be discreet. I used a receiving blanket to cover him up.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

I was yelled at by the flight attendent and learned my lesson.

I had no idea that you could change a baby in the restroom on the plane. He was really wet(CA to NC flight) so I laid down changing pad and blanket and had leo stand up while I did a quick change. WELL...I had no idea that I contaminated the entire flight. As I was putting the wet diaper, wrapped in the sick bag, into the trash bag that was being passed around, the attendent flipped. I was suppose to change him in restroom and throw diaper out in there.

On the return flight, I used bathroom, the changing table is over the toliet.

I breastfed and have a baby that won't allow me to cover his head. We had not even taken off yet and Leo says...okay stranger number 5 just saw your nipple. He says he is waiting for me to show up on youtube as the topless lady on the plane.

I was trying to get him to go to sleep, but he was so excited, he would nurse for a minute then look around and go back on. Exhasting.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

I am curious to hear how it went. We are flying to Chicago in January and DD will be around 9 weeks old.

I was also reading something yesterday on babycenter that said to feed them on take off and landing if possible bc the sucking helps with the pressure in their ears.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

We just flew to Ft. Lauderdale with DD and she was just shy of 3 months old. I was so nervous but let me tell you it went so great -I'd do it again in a second. This is the time to fly with them. We flew Southwest and unfortunately both airplanes we were on did not have a changing table in the bathrooms-the flight attendant told me that they are working on outfitting all their planes with them now though. We did not have to change DD on the flight there. I changed her diaper right before we were about to board in the airport. She slept for almost all of the flight both ways-when she did wake up she was so content looking around at her new surroundings. The plane has great "white noise" On the way home we needed to change her diaper (we would've been OK but our flight was delayed 3 hrs) The flight attendant told me to just take her in the back of the plane and change her on a row of empty seats (the flight wasn't completely booked) I gave her a bottle on the way there and breastfed her on the flight home (again due to the delay I didn't have another bottle) Nobody even noticed what I was doing. I brought breastmilk on the plane with me (as well as a breast pump as part of my carryon) You just have to tell them as you go through security that you are carrying breastmilk (and a breastpump) and tell them what bag it is in. No big deal.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

On a one hour plane trip, you may not need to change him on the plane, I usually do the diaper change right before we board and it works out ok....honestly with a flight that short there isn't even that much time when the seatbelt light is off and you can get up and go to the restroom to do it anyway.....

also you can take your breast milk with you through security but make sure its easily accessible for you to take out and show to TSA...sometimes they make you take it out of your bag and sometimes they don't....and when you take it out they may make you put it directly in the bin so it doesn't hurt to have some sort of clear plastic bag to keep it in b/c those bins have people's shoes in them all day long everyday.

Happy travels!!!

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

I breastfed my son on the plane when we traveled. I was next to strangers (always men) the whole time -- it was no big deal. I think they were happy it was keeping happy and quiet. I think it's much easier to just breastfeed than to deal with bottles.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

My sister took her DD on a long flight. She changed her in the bathroom, and was advised to BF during takeoff and landing to keep baby comfortable during the pressure changes.

Re: ?s for moms who have flown with their infants

My daughter wasn't as young, he first flight was at 4mths. But, yes. I would change her on the seat, BF her with a blanket over us and have take EBM on a plane and had no issues.