We have probably flown about twelve times with her in the past year!
The younger she was, the easier it actually was! She was more or less predictable. She breastfed every three hours. I would expect her to wake up for her feed and nappy change. Flying with her was relatively easy. I fed on take off and landing to allieviate the pressure in her tiny ears, made sure she was not too hot nor too cold, fed her every three hours and changed her when needed.
She loved the white noise that the plane produced. She slept really well inbetween feeds.
The travelling started getting more difficult probably from around 8 months. She was no longer predictable. She was in a routine but change unsettled her. This meant that any cot other than her bed would not do. She woke up constantly crying even though I surrounded her with familiar bed time props.
From around 8 months she also started getting bored. I packed many toys, my hubbie's iPad which featured baby apps as well as a copy of her favourite nursery rhyme DVD. I packed snacks and food. This only held her attention for say 5 minutes per item. It was a long flight.
I have flown on my own with her twice. Once on a short flight from Zurich. We were on the 7am flight back to London. Bad idea! I was the only mother on the plane! The plane was full of businessmen , a breastfeeding, frazzled mother and a tired, cranky baby. I had to escape to the tiny bathroom for some sanity. Baby was thrilled to see herself in the mirror. Another tip- if your baby is irritable walk around the plane pointing out the exit lights, loo lights, mirrors etc. Lol!
I braved a longer flight to South Africa earlier this year. My daughter was 10 months and she managed to contract a cold the day before we left. Poor baba and mama! She coughed and sputtered and cried her way through the airport. I gave her some cough medicine which apparantly has glycerol sugar in it to ease her cough. Bad idea! The child went hyper and decided not to sleep until two hours before we landed. I experienced a zombie like 9 hours walking up and down the plane. I was finished. Baby was wide awake. Another tip- don't give cough mixture before the flight.
I know some people drug their babys and kids before they fly. I am not for or against this. I have given calpol before a flight before. I met a mother who had given some codine to her kids. She bragged that it knocked them out. Unfortunately on this particular occassion, her kids refused to sleep and were so groggy from the medication that her one child kept biting her! I kid you not. Beware fellow parents out there- make sure that the medication you give your kids on the plane has been tried and tested way before take off!
Another motherly pearl of wisdom that my darling hubbie and I discovered at the airport was that my little baba is actually allergic to strawberries. We gave her a well known brand of fruit puree and my little one broke out in a scary rash around her eyes and lips and then stopped breathing which was horrificly heart stopping. We called the medics but thank G-d she came round herself. She also has a dairy allergy and experiences the same reaction. No chocolate and strawberries on Valentine's Day for her unfortunately.
So another note to self readers is do not try new food at the airport. Read the ingredients and if any seem brand new to you- it's not worth the fright!
C x
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