flying with infant

[MeMeMouse]

I am flying wiht my 6mo for the first time. I heard that babies should suck on a paci or a bottle to help their ears. Problem is that my baby will not take a bottle OR a paci! She will only nurse. Any suggestions?

 

[Tink]

Our DD flew to CA for a Disneyland trip at 7 months. She was on the bottle, but never took a pacifier. She was asleep for landing and takeoff going there and I think just for take off coming home. She seemed fine. When she was awake, I tried to give her a bottle, but she wouldn't take it.

My doctor did recommend trying to get her to suck on something, but it just didn't work for us and she was fine.

Honestly, the hardest part was landing, because who wants to start feeding a baby and then have to stop when you have to get off the plane?

Good luck, I hope your little one does well.

 

[Kermit]

How modest are you? It's possible to nurse a baby in a rear-facing infant seat, especially since you won't have a shoulder harness. You may want to try it out in your car before you go, and dress appropriately. Some people may look at you funny, but those same people are probably the ones who would say mean things if the baby cried.

 

[Jacksmom99]

If you're holding her go ahead and nurse. In the books I've read on traveling with an infant, nursing is listed right along with the bottle and pacifier.

On a different note, anyone have suggestions for getting a baby to take a bottle? My DD is 10 weeks old and I am returning to work in September. DH and I are trying one bottle a day right now, but she hates it and screams bloody murder. She doesn't like the pacifier either. We're at the point now where we're buying different bottles and nipples and trying them all out. I know I have a little over a month to go, but I'm really worried that it's not going to work and she'll be at daycare screming her head off. DS was soooo easy he didn't care what form his food was in as long as it kept coming!

Thanks,

 

[trayletha]

Jacksmom99 -

this isn't really along the line of a suggestion but support - she'll be ok .

My DD refused a bottle the first two days at daycare (home style) when I went back to work when she was 12 weeks old. We had tried to get her to take it before I went back but she'd just refuse it. I even left the house for several hours a couple of times (right before feeding time) and she screamed and push the bottle away til I came back and nursed her. Anyway she was OK and on the third day took the expressed milk like she'd never had a problem with bottle.

By the way are you expressing for the bottles or using formula? If your going to switch her to formula and that's what's in the bottles you've tried it might be the formula and not the bottle. You could try expressing some and giving that to her in the bottle, if she takes that start mixing in a little more formula every couple of days until she's on whole formula. Good Luck.

 

[soluc]

Easy solution, nurse her at take-off and landing. I did this on numerous flights with my two children. After landing, it usually takes a while before you can actually get off the plane anyway, so that would give baby enough time to finish nursing. If not she/he would have to cry it out until we got into the airport where I could find a seat and continue feeding.

 

[jldriscoll]

Here's a twist..... Neither of my girls would take a bottle. I can't remember why but I need not to nurse at one point when #1 was about 4months. Doctor said give up trying to get her to take a bottle (theory was, even if she took it now, I'd just have to wean her off it in a few months). She suggested trying a sippy cup, and you know it worked! We used the ones with a "spring" they didn't spill so the baby had to suck out the drink, thus it wouldn't choke her by coming out to fast. We started without the "spring" putting little drip in her mouth so she would get the idea. I remember we did this at the same time she started eating rice cereal.

When DD #2 resisted the bottle we went straight for the cup and it worked again.

Just to get back the the original question. Neither of my girls were affected by take off or landings on planes. Even if your baby does cry or scream, that should help her swallow and releive the pressure .

It always seems like and eternity when our kids are upset, but it really will be short lived!!!

Have a magical trip!!!!

 

[nelle]

I second the suggestion on using a sippie cup. All three of my children never took a bottle or pacifier so when ever we had to fly I took along a sippie cup and it worked great. I started my youngest off on a sippie cup at about 5 mo with just water and he was fine with it. I still nursed until they were a little over a year so the sippie cup was almost like a treat for them.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

If you are comfortable holding her during take off and landing, then nurse her. I am freakish about the baby needing to be in
the car seat, especially for take off and landing, so that was tough for me. Two of my babies took a pacifier, so no problem, but the other one wouldn't. Here's one more option, will she suck on your finger? All of my babies would. I know it might not be the most sanitary thing, but I would wash my hands, and just use it in a jam. If you haven't tried it, use your pinky finger, turned bottom side up (nail on the tongue, not on the roof of the mouth). Maybe that will help! (Maybe sippy cup, too....my kids all started a sippy cup around 6 months).

Good luck!

 

[hygienejean]

A number of my friends recommended Benadryl for baby to help him become sleepy for the flight. It just makes them drowsy. I was a little nervous to do this at first but my fear of a screamming baby changed my mind! We had no problems at all. (Just check with your doctor about the dosage) Once we got on board the loud humming from the plane put him right to sleep. I had a bottle/paci ready for just in case but we never had to use it. I would do this again next time I fly in a heartbeat. Have a nice trip!!!
Jean

 

[Princess_Aurora]

We're going when my son is 4 months and I already talked to my dr. about it. She said a droper full of infant's tylenol and either nurse or give paci. Since the paci doesn't work for you, just go ahead and nurse her. There's no rule saying it's illegal to nurse on a plane

 

[stacy6552]

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT hold your baby for take off and landing!

put breast milk in a bottle and give it to her. Start giving them to her now so she will use it if you need it.