I think you know that I’m not a huge fan of flying. I don’t like sitting in those cramped airplane seats and I don’t like being at the mercy of an airline and all of its procedures. And with all of the changes to airport security in recent years not to mention the full flights because of the airlines’ financial woes, flying has become even more of a challenge. And that’s before you add a three month old to the mix.
Which is exactly what we’re going to be doing in just a few weeks as we travel west to see the in laws. I’m excited to see them and to have them meet Henry I just wish we didn’t have to get on a plane to do it. But since I don’t have an extra week of travel time and since I really don’t want to be driving on the road for 36 hours, flying is the only way to go.
So we have our tickets and we’re planning our trip but there’s a big dilemma – I’ll be sitting by myself with Henry. Well, mostly by myself. Given my husband’s height and his lovely long legs, he has to sit in an exit row just so he can fly with some degree of comfort. The problem is, you can’t have a child in the exit row (something about safety issues and needing both hands to open the exit door should the need arise). This means that the baby and I will be sitting in a seat on the row behind him.
We didn’t buy Henry his own seat because first of all, it’s expensive. And second, well… it’s just plain expensive. I plan on carrying him or hopefully “wearing” him in a baby sling. But what do I do with him in my lap for five hours? And what do I do with all of his stuff? The way I figure it, we’ll need not only his car seat but also the car seat’s base. We’ll need a stroller for the times that we go anywhere where we don’t want to have to carry him. And we’ll want a place for him to sleep which is why we plan to bring the pack n’play. It is portable, which is good, but it’s also big. What do I do with all of these things? Can I check them in with our luggage or do I have to somehow get them on the plane with us? Is there a limit to the number of these items that we can bring?
These questions have been stressing me out even more so than usual. And not only do I need to take care of the big items that the baby will need to use once we land, but I also have to pack the small things that will keep him happy while we’re on the plane. I’m terrified that I’m going to forget something important like a change of diapers or the all-important binky and end up with a crying baby for the entire flight.
All of this to say that I need your help, my fearless readers and friends. I need to know - How do you fly with an infant? What are your tricks and what have you found to work? Please tell me it’s possible so that I can stop worrying about the flight and start worrying about more important things – like what I’m going to wear. (Some day soon I really am going to have to give up maternity clothes since I am no longer pregnant.)
But that’s a topic for another day…
Related Posts:
) It sounds the loudest to you, and to the CPA. Also, chances are that at least half of the people on the plane are going to be silently sending sympathy thoughts to you, because they remember what that stage was like and how hard it was when you feel like you’re disturbing everyone else. And anyone who actually has the gall to ask you to quiet your crying 3 m/o is just a jerk, so don’t bother with them.
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