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Last year, my husband and I started planning a trip to Tokoyo for February, 2011 (our daughter would've been 8 months old). We found out at Christmas, though, that my sister is getting married in August in Spain, so we cancelled our trip. We were lucky enough to be able to switch our airline tickets from Tokoyo to Spain without any additional fees. Our daughter will be about 14 months at the time of the trip.
The closer we get to this trip, the more I'm freaking out. It's really not that bad to travel internationally with a baby, is it? Does anyone have an personal stories to share? I'm kinda rethinking the whole trip at this point, as much as I want to be at my sister's wedding...
My sister took my neice when she was not quite 2 years old. They went to France from JFK. I don't know about her experiences though.
You are a competent woman and mother- why are you letting yourself feel this way?
Many families have travelled with toddlers.
Yes you may have a cranky spell or 2 if her sleep gets off schedule but you and she will survive.
I hope it's not too bad. Lots more planning I guess. In my head I have a trip planned for when she's around a year to visit my husband's side of the family in Europe, no ones called us crazy to think about it. His family did it all the time when they were kids since they were living b/w the US and Europe but no personal experience here yet, just plans.
I don't have kids, but I will say I'd rather be the mom that tries to travel with a toddler than the one who doesn't.
You'll be perfectly fine. It's good for children to be exposed to different enviornments - even Spain and a 14 month old. You can totally do it!
@julies1949: Thanks. :) I needed that.
I guess I'm probably just psyching myself out, and I need a little reassurance. It seems a bit overwhelming when I think about 14+ hour plane rides, a 9 hour time difference in schedules, trying to figure what we need to pack/what we can leave, etc...
While we don't have kids... I've been on several international flights where people had small children with them, and the mamas always looked frazzled by the end of the flight. HOWEVER, they've typically been flights that were 15+ hours long... and well, I look frazzled after a flight that long, even traveling alone. I wouldn't worry about it too much and just make sure you carry on extra everything. Good luck!
I have a business trip to Amsterdam when my baby will be 8 weeks old. I'm expecting it to be fine. The early they fly, the quicker they learn.
@Miss Sapphire: I would actually be more comfortable with an 8 week old. At 8 weeks, Addie slept like 18 hours a day, and she didn't need much in terms of entertainment. I'm worried that at 14 months, she's not going to sleep and she's going to get bored all couped up on the plane. plus, now she has pretty set daily schedule, and the 9 hour difference is really going to screw her up...
I think you'll be totally fine, plenty of people travel with kids, right? They can't just stay at home and never travel for the next five years. With that being said, my cousin and his wife have two kids, one's a baby, one's a toddler. They live in Japan, and will be travelling to the states next month. If they have any really good take-aways I'll let ya know :)
@Mrs. Spring: My husband is almost 30 and still gets bored on planes...me thinks it's not just a kid issue 
That being said, there are lots of things to occupy their time. IFE usually has kid programming. Pack some snacks that she likes. She's still small enough to cuddle up and sleep a lot better than the rest of us do. And it all else fails movies. Lots of movies.
I don't have kids yet but I have travelled internationally A LOT and have seen loads and loads of parents travel with toddlers without much issue. Yes, the babies sometimes get cranky but that's just what happens. I always smile when I see parents taking their toddlers for a stroll up and down the aisles - it's good to get them moving and an airplane is the 'coolest place ever' for a toddler to explore! Other things I've seen is parents bringing several new items and introducing them to the child at various points throughout the flight to keep things interesting. Also, contact the airline and let them know you're travelling with a child so you can hopefully get a bulkhead seat which gives you all the floor space in front of you.
You will be fine. I see people doing it all the time and I will be joining the ranks of travelling mothers before long I'm sure. FI and I live in Australia and have family here, in the US, and in England, so regardless of where we settle down, we will be travelling across the globe quite regularly.
And one last point, if your baby cries, she cries. It's not the end of the world and don't let yourself give a toss what others think. You just do what you know is best for your child and it's fine. If people don't like it, they should invest in earplugs or spend the extra money to travel in first class where they are less likely to encounter crying babies. You'll be fine - now get out there and enjoy! :-)
My Mum travelled to England from Australia, 26 hour flight with a 4 hour stop over in Dubai. Bella was about 6 months old on the way there, and 9 months old on the way back. They said giving her a bottle during take off helped her 'pop' her ears with the changing pressure, so she wasn't in pain. They had the seats at the front so they had some floor space. I know they had a horror time coming back because after boarding there was a blizzard and the plane sat there for 11 hours before taking off for Dubai.
Also don't think people will hate you for bringing a baby that might cry. People are normally very sympathetic, and as long as you are attentive to Addie when she is upset, people will understand.
You should definately go though! Spain! Wedding! Sunshine! If you decide not to go though, I'll gladly go in your place. :)
My husband has a co-worker that took his baby to Thailand when it was only a few months old! I remember being shocked when I first heard about it. I think it was a previously planned trip they decided to not cancel. I saw pictures on FB and the little baby looked as happy as can be! But Sweden to Thailand is a very long way!
There are a ton of blog entries around the internet of suggestions from mothers who have traveled internationally (a few even from flight attendants, even). Everyone survives and while sometimes it's miserable, you'll be proud you made the trip, I'm sure. I agree with @julies1949, you're a competant mother who is just unecessarily stressing out.
Also, Mrs. Avacado just recently flew to Poland with her almont year-old. I think this was written a ways before they flew overseas for the first time, but maybe it'll give you some insight. Or you could just e-mail her.
http://thatwifeblog.com/2010/07/flying-with-baby/
Lots of luck!
Thanks, bees! I'm feeling a little better about this whole thing. :) And lots of good tips (especially about introducing new toys, getting bulkhead seating, and watching movies, if all else fails).
@bree72: Thank you! I love Mrs. Avocado, but I haven't been following her blog probably since Addie was born (just less time to read it, not that I don't want to). I will definitely message her; that's a great idea!
When I was 15 my father, step mom, 3 little brothers (all under the age of 6) and I traveled to Fiji which is an 18 hour flight.honestly it wasn't truly that bad. Most of the bad things I remmeber were my 15 year old crabby pants hating sharing my vacation with the kids. Be sure to let your airline know your traveling with a little one and see if you can get either an aisle seat or a seat at the front where they can hang those little crib things. Remember to have comfort snacks since many of the things they will have to eat will not feel normal to them. Kids can have fun doing just about anything and I think the earlier they travel the better. Don't worry! Make sure you have lots of things to entertain her, maybe a dvd player with her favorite few movies or treats she wouldn't normally get. Don't you dare miss your sisters wedding over traveling internationally with the babe. My 3 brothers were 6, 3 and 1 when we went there. They had a blast and they slept most of the flight.
My aunt came to visit, flew from Sweden, when her daughter was 6 months. I don't remember her ever complaining (and she is one to openly complain if it pertains) about any issues. She was alone with her baby and I think she rather enjoyed it.
On a recent trip to Hawaii(6 hour flight from Chicago) a mom was traveling solo with two kids under 5 and an infant. I offered my help to her and said whatever she needed please let me know. Every hour they would get up and do laps around the plane. Got the energy out of the kids legs and got them charged to sit down again. She didn't need any help!
I have taken my daughter to the Phillipines(19 hours all together) when she was 5. My sisters and I packed everything you could think of - coloring books, games, and almost bought a DVD player which at the time was around $300 but the battery only lasts about 3 hours so what's the point of that? Our saving grace was that there was a tv screen on every seat and the flight attendants spoiled her rotten with snacks, etc. She was an angel on there!
Just be prepared and realize that as long as your baby is with you she will be happy!
Oh and make sure she is sucking on something, preferably a bottle at take off. Ears popping hurts!
We flew to Hawaii with an 8 month old and it went really well. Addie will have her same usual temperment on the flight so I wouldn't worry too much. Make sure you have some tylenol, lots of snacks and some books and toys (that she hasn't seen before).
You're gonna do great momma!
It will be stressful, but honestly, people on the airplane are SO understanding if you have to get up and walk with the baby, or let her sit on the floor to play a little and stretch her legs (if you get bulkhead seating). You get priority boarding and all that and really, nobody gave me any hassle at all, even when my daughter fussed a little bit during the trip. I second introducing new things to her- if you have an iPad or iPhone that you can load movies onto, just let them do their magic! And obviously pack lots of her favorite snacks, and an outfit that does not require you to take the pants off- you just want a snapping onesie type outfit or a dress, because it's a lot easier to change her on your lap in the restroom than on that shoddy looking changing table, especially if there's turbulence.
It will not be the easiest flight you've ever taken but I'm confident you can do it! And the earlier she gets used to traveling, the better she'll be when she's a little older so that she'll be a pro flyer in a few years.
I don't have kids but I have a friend who has 3 under 5 and travels a lot. She always books night flights so the kids have more chance of sleeping. For the baby she gives her a pacifier or a bottle during take off and landing to help with the air pressure in her ears. If you book ahead you should get the seat with the crib at the front where they can properly lie down and sleep.
I hear it's easier if they're younger than two, for what it's worth, because at 2 plus, they figure out that tantrums get attention.
You can do it, missy! You absolutely can! Will it be a breeze? Probably not. Will it be a worthwhile experience? Absolutely.
They sell car seats that have pull out handles that make them strollers. I would make sure she has her own seat. Make sure you get an aisle seat so you can walk when necessary. I don't advocate too much TV for kids, but a portable DVD player could be your best friend. Most kids seem to do OK on the airplane. It's Customs that kills them...
I saw this post and since I just flew from California to Europe on Sunday while sitting behing one child and next to two others, I thought I could add. I should also say, I know I will eventually need to fly internationally when I have kids so I try to be sympathetic to the parents and their situation. That said, I don't want to sugar coat it. The child next to me (across the aisle) was prob about the same age yours will be and she cried/screamed for about 8 hours on a 10 hour flight. She did not sleep until the last hour and only stopped crying for brief periods, mostly when the younger baby in front of me began crying. The younger baby was prob around 10 months and she slept a lot more. For her, it was clear take off bothered her as she woke up from sleeping in her dad's arms and started crying. I don't want to be negative, just want to be realistic in that you may need to entertain her the entire time. Also, I second the comment to alert the airline and ask for a bassinet seat. There is often a shortage of these places as only one baby is allowed per front row section due to oxygen masks and I've literally seen paretns get into verbal fights over these places. Also, make sure she has options for entertainment and encourage her to sleep by slightly adjusting her schedule for the 2 weeks leading up to the flight if you are flying over during the day. You sound like a very good mother and I am sure you will be well prepared and everyone will be fine.
I think you've gotten alot of great tips for sure!
I haven't travelled internationally but I have gone out of state when DS was a toddler.
The only thing that came up was being in a new place and scheduling... He refused to sleep without me, which wasn't the norm at all since he'd slept in his own bed w/ self-soothing since he was an infant. I found myself laying up with him till 2 or 3 in the morning and he really struggled with his daily nap. It wasn't too bad other than I had a final that was scheduled the day we got back so trying to study was out the door.
Just remember that schedules can be changed and that your baby is adjusting to the new place just like you. It's totally doable =)
I know this post is a couple of months old, but I just saw it pop back up today and then happend to read this post, and thought it was a cute concept.
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/travel-outings/traveling-with-baby-airplane-favors-151033
Also, there is a very interested thread discussion here on the topic:
Just thought I'd throw those in there for future reference. :)
I was seated in a row with a baby just yesterday actually and she seemed to be right around a year old. I wouldn't worry all that much about it. I don't even like babies that much and I just felt bad for the mom during the crying not angry. There is just no way around traveling with babies sometimes and I think people get that. If possible I would get her her own seat because that seemed to be the primary problem with this child... her arms and legs were flailing all over the place and you could tell she just wanted a little space and her mom was holding her the whole time. The mom had a bottle for take-off and landing but the kid was pretty inconsolable and refused to take it which I'm sure made the problem worse. She also brought some toys that lit up and spun around and those seemed to keep the baby's attention pretty well.
There's so much good information in this thread!
Due to some conflicts with my grad school program, we're no longer going to my sister's wedding in Spain, but we are still flying cross-country (from CA to NYC!) during the same time period. Thanks so much for all of your contributions! I'm sure they will be very helpful on our (still very long) flight in August.
@Mrs. Spring: We just did SLC->Det->Roa and back (spent 9 hours traveling each way). Cecilia did great! We went to the toy store before we left and got 4 new small (fascinating) toys. We pulled one out on each leg of the trip and saved the best, most intricate ones for the longer legs of the flight. We also brought her favorite snacks (Happy Baby Poofs and cheese, cheese, cheese).
Cecilia has never had juice before and on the very last leg when she was getting a touch cranky after 4 flights in 3 days (we were only in Virgina for 36 hours), I put just a touch of cranapple juice in her Nalgene. Can you say happy baby?!
@Mrs. DG: Do you have some toy recommendations? Our travel from Sacramento to NYC (with layovers) is going to be 10 hours.
Also, it's so funny that Ceci loves cheese. :) So does Addie! She'll even eat feta and goat cheese!
@Mrs. DG: You came to Roanoke from Seattle? My sister is making that trip as I type.
@Mrs. Spring: I wish I could do her voice saying "cheese". It comes out more like Chiiz and it's so cute!
Let's see, more toys... We got a wooden puzzle (but I see you already have some), Caillou, a new ball (she loves balls) and her rolley wooden fox, bear and rabbit.
I wish I had gotten something that lights up for the last leg of our journey when the cabin was dark.
@TheFutureMcBride: I did Salt Lake City to Detroit to Roanoke and then Roanoke to Atlanta to SLC on the return... but your sis would be like the 5th person that I heard of going to Roanoke this week!
My parents travelled with us 3 small children internationally for a decade! Granted it was pre 9 11 but still. You can do it! Make sure to get her passport photo taken correctly. They're sticklers for the photos now - esp for babies!
@Mrs. DG: Really? I didn't realize that there's anything really interesting in Roanoke besides an upcoming Wombat, not that I'm biased or anything.
This airplane travel toy was a lifesaver for my 6-month-old niece when they travelled internationally - http://www.amazon.com/Star-Kids-Products-Travel-Green/dp/B002VEBXYU
@TheFutureMcBride: We went for a wedding :) Our luggage went elsewhere, so I got to learn the Macy's at Valley View Mall well!
@ImHungry247: That is super cool! I'll put that one on my list, too. :)
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