Well, I am going to Arizona from October 21st through the 28th. And I am taking Sean. I'm way excited and way nervous at the same time! That's a long time to leave Brian, and I'm not sure how it will be at the airport with a baby. If anybody has any tips for a four-month-old on a plane, they are more than welcome to comment. I'm very nervous. I'm also nervous about the airport in general. Mostly fear that somebody will kidnap my child when I'm filling up my waterbottle or grabbing my luggage or something (most of my fears are brought to life at night, right when I'm trying to fall asleep). So I guess if any of you have a way to attach yourself to a stroller, that would ease my fears as well.
I think that while I am there I will visit my old elementary school teacher Mrs. Woody. If she's still teaching, that is. She will be over-joyed and I think will go crazy over Sean, which is always pleasant. I was just reminiscing about how well we got along, so this makes things very convenient for me to do what i could not fit in during holiday trips.
OK sorry for all the duplicate comments.......
ReplyDeleteDitch the stroller and buy an Ergo. :)
ReplyDeleteOr check the stroller with your luggage and use your Baby Bjorn-like carrier while in the airport. You can be relieved of your paranoia because there is no chance anyone will take Sean off your chest :) and you don't have to deal with the hassle of a stroller in the airport.
Sit on the aisle so it's easy come/go mid-flight. Best option is bulkhead so he can play on the floor. And if you're on SW, keep a free seat next to you as long as you can--hopefully it's not a full flight.
Nurse or give him a bottle (or paci if he will even take one anymore)during take-off and try to arrange his day so that he is otherwise full and sleepy just before take-off. Bring some kind of distraction/toy just in case he doesn't fall asleep, and pray for a week beforehand that he will be a good little boy and that you will have a nice mom/grandma type sit near you. At least it is a fairly short flight, and even if he is awful (not likely), you will never see those people again!
we brought a pillow and Luke laid comfortably on our laps while he slept on the long flights--less arm aches too because your hands are mostly free. He was four weeks...don't really know what to tell you about 4 months... I like the previously said idea of the carrier and no stroller--but I find them to be kind of akward to wear. I didn't mind having the stroller except for the security nightmare--you have to put it through on the belt and everything--you might need an extra pair of hands to help you through security.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck! It'll probably be fine!
I would suggest bringing the stroller and asking when you check in if there are any extra seats on the flight. If there are, they will let you take the carseat on the flight and use an empty seat, and you can gate-check the stroller. Ask for a bag for your stroller when you are checking in and they will give you a big plastic bag so it doesn't get dirty. If there are no empty seats you will have to check both, but you can still gate check them. I think that it is nice to have a stroller so I can still use the bathroom without a baby strapped to my front. I just push the stroller into a huge stall. I have always brought the bjorn, and never used it in the airport. I just throw it in the bag with the stroller when I get on the plane.
ReplyDeleteIf everything is packed right and ready to pull out to show security, it is no problem going through by yourself. I carry a diaper bag (hanging on the stroller) for diapers, snacks, clothes, a cover up and such, and a backpack for toys, books, blankets (one for him to hug and one to cover the carseat if he naps). It is really easy to throw them in bins when you go through security. Make sure all of your liquids (sippies, bottles, baby food, etc, are all in one area of the diaper bag so you can easily pull them out. And remember - gallon size ziploc bags are your friend. I pack everything into them in categories so that it is easy to find things when I have a baby on my lap and can't also have a whole diaper bag on my lap.
Also, as a rule of thumb I always bring at least one new toy on the flight (or at least on he hasn't seen before) so that he is distracted and happy. If he is eating food, you can bring something he hasn't tried that you know he will like. (May I suggest whole wheat pancakes - Tate loves them!)
Getting through security by yourself with a stroller is manageable, but it did go better the third, fourth and so on times that I did it than it did the first because I knew what to expect. It sounds silly, but think through a routine before you get there and things will go much better:
1. Park stoller, get 3+ bins laid out on the table
2. Set carseat on the table with the baby in it, foldup stoller, place it ahead of all the bins.
3. remove shoes, backpack, and diaper bag and place in 2 bins.
4. remove all bottles, baby food jars, sippy cups, empty water bottles, and your quart bag that already has your hand sanitizer and other liquids packed in it, and place in the third bin.
5. push the stroller and bins into the scanner while you unbuckle the baby.
6. remove the baby, flip the carseat over (it has to go through upside down with the handle folded down) and send it through the scanner.
7. Step up to the metal detector with the baby and your boarding pass in your arms.
8. Put everything back together as it comes out.
See - simple. :)
The good news is that SLC to PHX is really short. Good luck!