Flying with baby

[babygirlinOct04]

Hi, Just wanted to get some input & ideas re: when it's safe & smart to fly with an infant, and whether or not to buy a seat or have the baby in a baby bjorn/snugli in your lap.

Thanks!

[froglegs]

I flew with my baby at 2 weeks and again at 6 weeks. The only thing my doctor said I'd need to take care of was ear pressure at takeoff and landing. Have a pacifier or bottle on hand -- the swallowing will help. My daughter was just fine.

As for buying a seat or not, I'd say it depends on how old your baby is and how long the flight is. The first time I flew with my baby, it was a 6-hour cross-country flight. I didn't buy a seat for her, but the flight wasn't full, so at check-in the ticket agent made sure I had an open seat next to me. I probably would have been fine holding her in my lap because she was so little and she slept almost the whole time, but it was nice to give my arms a rest for such a long flight, especially since I was flying alone and didn't have anyone else to hold her. The second time we flew, it was only a 2-hour flight, and I held her in my lap. Wasn't bad because it was a much shorter flight.

I'd skip the extra seat unless your child is older and likes to wiggle around more -- or your flight is long. Most airlines will only knock a few bucks off the price for babies to have their own seats. Not worth the cost for short flights.

[ErinMC]

We flew with our son 5 times between when he was aged 3 months and 6 months, due to planned vacations, family visits, an unexpected funeral, etc. In general, he did great. We never bought him a seat, but about half the time, there was room on the flight and we were able to get an extra seat for him when we checked-in at the gate. We just brought the infant seat with us to the gate, and if there was room, we brought it on. Otherwise, we gate-checked the carseat and just held him on our lap during the flight. It worked fine.

I made sure to nurse him/give a bottle during take-off, and I also gave him Baby Tylenol about a half-hour before we took off, to prevent pain in his ear from pressure. But check with your doctor first to see what they recommend.

Good luck!