flying with five week old

[alake]

We got her passport two days ago. I wasn't planning on going home until Halloween. My friend was killed this morning, and I would like to fly home with her for the funeral. It is just going to be the two of us. I haven't flown with a baby ever. Leah was three when we started flying. I have purchased her a seat. Any tips and ideas would be greatly appreciated. I will be taking her chaperone and probably the Baby Jogger mini.

 

[T4K]

So sorry about your loss. :-(

I flew with N at 5 weeks. It was easy. I nursed/snuggled when needed and she slept in her seat at other times.

I didn't take a stroller and I wore her instead. I used a Combi Shuttle which slid right onto the telescoping handle of my rolling suitcase. N was worn in front and a backpack in back held diaper bag type stuff.

 

[cupcakepirate11]

I'm sorry for your loss

Little babies are rather easy travelers. Nursing or bottle on take off and landing help. When I traveled with my son at that age he slept the whole flight on me. So much easier than traveling with him now!

Definitely have a changing mat, a change of clothes for you and baby, a book for you, some kind of baby wearing device without metal to go through security. A lot easier to be wearing the baby than having the baby in their seat only to take them out, put everything through and back together

 

[crlbrns1]

So sorry for your loss.
I agree with the others about wearing your baby through security. I'm not sure about international flights but I do know that on US flights if you are wearing your baby in a carrier you don't have to take them out when you go through security. (At least every airport I've been in recently.) Makes going through security way easy!!!! So much easier than having to wake baby up and haul them out of their car seat and hold baby as you try to get everything through security! If you need the stroller on your trip you can still push the stroller and car seat through the airport while wearing your baby. You will need the car seat on the plane and the stroller may be the easiest way to transport the car seat and your carry-on stuff through the airport if you are bringing the stroller anyway.

 

[T4K]

I actually had to take N out MOST the time going through security. Even when she was tiny at 5 weeks. They made me undo my Moby, too. I had a show on the other side wondering how I got the contraption back on. HA!

 

[Ninetales]

I'll leave the tips to those with more experience but I wanted to say sorry about your friend and give you a big thumbs up for getting your little one a seat.

 

[alake]

We are going through 3 large airports, one lay over. Flying out of Miami, Landing in Pearson airport in Toronto (biggest airport in Canada) and then continuing on to Edmonton. I couldn't get direct flights so this is the best option. The other one had two layovers.
It is going to be a really long day of traveling. I haven't booked our return, in hopes that I can get direct flight back. I am planning on bringing my carrier for her, and wearing her as much as possible, but it is going to be nice to bring the stroller, for while we are at the airport.

 

[Pixelated]

You are going to have to repeat, many times, that your baby is ticketed and you're bringing the car seat on board. That will be strange to them and they will likely try to get you to check it.

I've had to take the babe out of the carrier most times to go through security, but it seems to vary by airport and staff that day.

I used to live in south Florida - there is no direct way to get from there to Western Canada, that I'm aware of, and you're very likely to have to route through Toronto or some other large centre in the US -- like Edmonton-Denver or Edmonton-Dallas or something like that.

Technically if you have a car seat on board you are supposed to have the baby in the seat and buckled for take off and landing. That makes nursing during those times difficult.

A change of clothes for YOU, or at least a fresh shirt, will be handy.

Dress strategically if you're nursing - layers so you can be comfortable with a sleeping baby on you for a long time.

There will be a fold down tiny change table in the bathrooms on the planes as they're large enough (at least on the Toronto-Edmonton part).

Sorry for your loss...I hope your trip goes smoothly.

 

[LISmama810]

If you're flying a US-based airline, a copy of the FAA Advisory is good to have: http://carseatblog.com/8037/guest-blog-flying-with-a-car-seat-know-your-rights/

 

[cupcakepirate11]

There will be a fold down tiny change table in the bathrooms on the planes as they're large enough (at least on the Toronto-Edmonton part.)

I would not count on there being a changing table unless its something like Jet Blue. I've been on other airlines where they don't have one

 

[unityco]

I imagine you'll have to collect your bags in Toronto and pass customs there. A real pain when you've got a little one in tow. :thumbsdown: Sorry you're traveling under these circumstances.

 

[ketchupqueen]

I'd just bring a waterproof changing pad and change baby on my lap, them go to the lav to toss the (tied in a sealed baggy please) diaper and wash hands. Or even just double or triple bag it and stow in your diaper bag and use a wipe and hand sanitizer to clean your hands.

 

[alake]

I used to live in south Florida - there is no direct way to get from there to Western Canada, that I'm aware of, and you're very likely to have to route through Toronto or some other large centre in the US -- like Edmonton-Denver or Edmonton-Dallas or something like that.

We are going to fly home from Saskatoon not from Edmonton. My hometown is Lloydminster and we are between the two. It turns out my Great Aunt is flying home the same day as I plan to return, so we will make the return trip from Saskatoon which is where she will be flying out of. My parents are going to give the three of us a ride to the airport. We arrived in Edmonton at 9 PM. The baby was as good as I expected her to be. I explained several times that she had a ticket, but we had no issues with her seat. I on the other hand broke a tooth during the flight. I know that we are going to have to connect. Toronto really was bad since we had to collect our luggage and haul it from one terminal to another so we could clear customs. But it wasn't all that bad just tiring.

 

[ketchupqueen]

You broke a tooth??? Ikes! Glad it otherwise went well though.