The night before our flight to visit relatives in Michigan, I didn't sleep. Granted, the baby was up like normal, more so because of teething and a growth spurt. But this insomnia was caused by preventative trouble shooting and a mental checklist of what to do if Baby B had a full blown melt down in the middle of our flight. Thankfully, my aunt had had the wherewithal to book us a nonstop which cut down on the amount of time B would have to get overly tired and turn into Oscar the Grouch. And since I would be traveling by myself with him, the shorter flight was MUCH appreciated.
The mental conversation at 3am went a little like this:
"Ok, Benadryll. Let's see, give probably as soon as we get to the airport. Hopefully that will be long enough to let it work, but not so long that he catches a second wind and powers through the effects.
Nursing on takeoff; crap, what if the people I'm next to get offended? What if the flight attendant tells me to cover up because it's making someone else 'uncomfortable'? What do I do? Well, I guess tell them it's either a glimpse of boob or a screaming baby, the choice is theirs. Man, I am NOT confrontational enough to do that. Please God, don't let that happen.
Ok, toys, check. Snacks, check. Extra diapers, check. Toys, check. God, this kid is so energetic, how in the eff am I going to be able to keep him corralled?"
Obviously since I'm writing this, we made it through. My kid is so intrigued by everything that I got lucky and he just wanted to look everywhere, although he also wanted to play with our seat mates and hug them a lot. I'm really thankful people are nice enough to humor babies. I'm going to give the highlights of what worked for me. Remember, every baby is different, and what was fail proof for me might not be the same for someone else. But take heed and adjust as necessary for your little one :)
Big Breakfast. Start them on a full stomach before you leave for the airport. Especially if you have a hike to get there. By the time you get through ticketing and security, your LO is going to be hungry and antsy. Try to mitigate that and get them through until you guys can stop for a snack break or lunch.
Bring Snacks and Sippy Cups/Bottles. Even if you're nursing like I am, bring them. You can even have them full of milk, formula, or juice. Security will just do a quick dip (if at all) to test and make sure you aren't bringing anything dangerous through. I highly considered eating a ton of poppy seeds to see if the drug compound would show up in my milk, just to mess with them. Maybe next time.
Have the Umbrella Stroller and Carrier Handy. I brought both my sling and the folding stroller. Not only did I use the sling at our destination, but it made it much easier to get through ticketing and security so I could have both hands free to maneuver and take things in and out of bags for the screen. That also freed up the stroller to place bags in and give my shoulders a break. Word of advice: Do not take a carrier that has a metal ring on it like I did. You WILL have to take it off, however lame and obvious it is that it's JUST the sling making the detector go off.
Run Around the Waiting Area. Seriously. People are extremely understanding. And if they are on your flight they will be grateful that you are trying to expend any extra energy out of your kid prior to takeoff. Some nice people will even get down and play with your kid! Help your LO crawl, walk, look out the window, bounce, be loud, climb, etc. Get the energy out now before they are cramped in a space for a few hours.
Nurse on Takeoff/Landing. The whole "putting cotton in their ears" thing doesn't work. I checked. With an actual medical professional. However, nursing has the same motion for baby as chewing gum or yawning repeatedly does for us. Baby B, as hyper as he was, hunkered right down for some cuddles and nursing as soon as we gathered speed, and woke up just enough to latch on as we started decent and the pressure was changing rapidly. If you're not nursing, bring a bottle with milk or formula. The dopamine in your milk will help calm them, and formula is known as a comfort item if your baby is on that.
Let Them Down on The Floor. Ok, maybe not if you're on the aisle seat, but having a window seat meant I could let B down off my lap to explore, get a little distance from mom, and pull things out of his diaper bag. Sure I had to stop him from crawling under the seat to the next row a couple times, but all in all it was a great way to keep him entertained, and allow me a few seconds to breathe and shake my arms out before the next round of him spinning in circles on my lap. If you can, try to get in an area where you can let them have a few moments to themselves.
Sit Near The Loo. Each area on the plane has it's advantages and disadvantages, but I made the mistake of sitting over the wing. Great for minimizing noise, but not so great when he had a blow out on our return to Texas, and I had to lug the diaper bag through half the plane. Do yourself a favor and sit either up front or in back.
Benadryl. Yup, I did it. Check with your pediatrician first.
Trust In Your Baby. I had to keep saying I had faith in B to be calm on the plane and not cause a ruckus. If you think they will scream the whole way, they probably will. If you have absolute trust in your LO to keep their cool, they will pick up on those vibes of yours and chances are you will have a much better flight. So snuggle on down with them, share some snacks, let them look out the window, and play some music.
You'll get through it just fine. And so will they. Happy Travels!
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