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I just got an update from The Parent Review and they advise to put children in car seats on airplanes. I'm very impressed by this advice.


Quote:
The Parent Review's Sponsor Section

Did you know?

Very young babies are often terrific airline and train passengers, inclined to sleep most of the way. Older babies, however, can make even a short ride seem endless for their parents and everyone around them. If you plan to travel with your toddler, a few preparations can make all the difference.

Busy babies in small spaces

The greatest challenge to traveling with a baby may be keeping her amused while in the cramped quarters of an airplane, train, or car. Pack a bag with a varied selection of objects that are certain to keep your baby's attention, at least for a few minutes each: books, markers and paper, rattles, crumply paper, and a few new toys. Bring them out one at a time, at well-spaced intervals. Interest her in a novel item until she's thoroughly explored it, pause, and then introduce another novel item until you reach your destination or your baby falls asleep.

Safety first

Children under the age of 2 are not required by law to have their own seat on airline flights. While saving the cost of another airline ticket makes keeping your baby on your lap appealing, it is much safer to buy your baby his own seat and bring along his car seat to restrain him while he's in it. Turbulence during flights can be quite powerful and sudden; therefore, the FAA strongly recommends the use of child safety seats for all babies and toddlers weighing less than 40 pounds. Book adjacent seats, and tell the airline that you are traveling with an infant so they will not place you in an emergency exit row.

If you choose not to purchase a ticket for your baby, try to travel on a flight unlikely to be full, so that you can hope to find an empty seat next to your own. Often night flights are a wise choice when traveling with a baby, as you both may sleep for much of the way. Nursing or giving your baby a bottle to drink while the plane is taking off or landing will help equalize the pressure in his ears and keep him more comfortable.

jessclear said:

Nursing or giving your baby a bottle to drink while the plane is taking off or landing will help equalize the pressure in his ears and keep him more comfortable.

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But, if your baby is strapped into a car seat, how exactly can you nurse to equalize their pressure? Their advice seems a bit conflicting here.

And if anyone has a solution, I'd love to hear it. We're going to take a flight within the year and I'd love to nurse her on take off/landing for her ears.

You know, I totally skimmed through that part. Didn't even think about that. It is conflicting about nursing on the plane. When DD was newborn, I did nurse her during take off and landing, not knowing what I know now. Once I started keeping her in her seat, I gave her bottles or pacifiers. She does still protest and ask for mamma's milkies, but she is old enough now to understand why I won't nurse her.

I did the same with my first DD. She was 2 months old and everybody told me to put her in a sling and nurse her on take off and landing. Which I did, and she fell asleep in the sling the entire time until we were ready to land, then nursed again. It was such a breeze at that age to take her along! Then again, it was almost 11 years ago, so I'd never even heard of taking a car seat on a plane!

DD will likely be old enough that I could explain she will have to wait, but she's never had a bottle or pacifier (or chewing gum!), so I don't have an alternative to the boob! Kind of makes me sad that you have to make the trade (keep ears safe by nursing but then child isn't physically safe OR keep child physically safe and ears potentitally unsafe and really sore). I remember when I was a kid, I flew and my ears got so plugged from take off and landing that they stayed plugged for days. It was terrible!

I nursed my dd on flights for take-off and landing, but she was not in the carseat that we brought with her. With ds I knew better and I gave him a paci, which he took without a problem. When dd was older and in her carseat, she drank from a sippy cup to help with her ears, so I would try a sippy, bottle or paci if the baby will take it.

And I would guess leaning over the carseat to nurse may be out of the question with a plane full of people...

Mommyto2 said:

I nursed my dd on flights for take-off and landing, but she was not in the carseat that we brought with her. With ds I knew better and I gave him a paci, which he took without a problem. When dd was older and in her carseat, she drank from a sippy cup to help with her ears, so I would try a sippy, bottle or paci if the baby will take it.

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Sippy cup is a good idea, thanks!

Mommyto2 said:

And I would guess leaning over the carseat to nurse may be out of the question with a plane full of people...

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Wouldn't bother me, I just don't feel like being hassled on a plane full of people!

technogranola said:

But, if your baby is strapped into a car seat, how exactly can you nurse to equalize their pressure? Their advice seems a bit conflicting here.

And if anyone has a solution, I'd love to hear it. We're going to take a flight within the year and I'd love to nurse her on take off/landing for her ears.

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I pumped a bottle for dd who was 5 mo @ time of flight. it worked out well for us

veggiegirl228 said:

I pumped a bottle for dd who was 5 mo @ time of flight. it worked out well for us

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She's never had bottle or pacifier, and the only pump I own is my hand (I can hand express a couple ounces sometimes, but that's it). But the sippy or her SIGG bottle should work well for us since she's a toddler now.

Mommyto2 said:

And I would guess leaning over the carseat to nurse may be out of the question with a plane full of people...

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I wasn't able to do the leaning over the seat trick in the plane. The angle just never worked out. Tried it with all three seats.

I leaned. *shrug* It worked. Not idea, but I guess I had stretchy F cups (ahh, the nursing boobs, thank goodness they're gone now!!)

Wendy

we gave Joy juice in a sippy cup. She didn't take a bottle or a paci and I refused to take her out of her seat.