International travel with small infant - NEED ADVICE!

E

evgreen

Registered User
So I'm going to New England next month for 2 weeks with my now 3 month old. I thought about bringing my helper at first, but the likelihood of having her visa rejected are very high (she is a new contract employee), and the fact that I will only be gone for 2 weeks makes all the trouble for getting her a temporary visa seem pretty daunting.

I will be visiting my in-laws and will be traveling alone with my baby (I'm meeting my husband there). I'm a first time mom and I really have no idea what to expect when traveling internationally with a young infant. I'll be flying direct from HK to NYC on CX and then there's another 3 hour road trip up to Connecticut (I won't be driving thankfully, my in-laws will be picking us up). I need all the advice and tips I can get! Going thru security, what to pack for the flight, how to best handle checking in baggage, going thru immigration, etc. How helpful are the flight attendants if I wanted to say, step away for a minute to go to the toilet? How helpful is a stroller at the airport? Is a sling more appropriate and easier to handle instead?

Btw, I am breastfeeding so no bottles needed. That's one less thing to worry about at least.
 
You will be fine- I flew on my own many times and everyone in HK was super helpful. id take at least 3 changes of clothes for the baby( probably more tho;) and one for yourself, nappies, baby bjorn or whatever carrier you use, burping cloths, light baby blanket and a rattle or other small toy he/ she likes to play with, also a number of pacifiers if you use them My daughter at that age skept pretty much thru the flights. Request a basinet now to make sure you get one on the plane. If you arebreastfeeding then liquids are not an issue . I also found very usefuk the disposible changing mats from Babes to Babes- made by pampers- the are big enough to spread on the changing table in the toilet. Antiseptic hand gel will come useful for you. babies love the white noise and there is plenty of it on the plane.Good luck!
 
It'll be a breeze. My now 6 1/2 month old girl has done several international flights. Nurse her when you are taking off and landing (or give her a pacifier - I'm not pro paci but it helps with the pressure). If the baby is asleep, no sweat. From my experience our girl did just fine whether awake and nursing or asleep.
In terms of dealing with the airport - check in everything possible! I always wear the baby (bjorn, sleepywrap or ergo), the stroller is a good idea in theory but a pain at security if you don't have any help.
What to pack for the flight? I suggest 2 extra baby outfits and 1 extra shirt/outfit for you (along with all the other diaper bag essentials). This could be the time your sweet lil'baby decides to spit up for the first time (it happened to me - and it was everywhere, thankfully I had an extra outfit). Since it is the baby's first flight you never know how their little system will react to the pressure.
As for using the bathroom, as helpful and caring the flight crew are, I have always worn my baby while "going". Might not sound awesomely hygienic but I just didn't feel comfy leaving my baby with a "stranger".
Overall, our baby sleeps for the majority of flights. She just can't compete with the constant white noise.

By the way, where are you headed to in CT?? I grew up in CT. Enjoy the winter (although it has been unseasonably cold)!

Happy travels!
 
The good news is you won't have to pack too much for your baby on the flight at this point! I recommend a spare set of clothes and/ or pyjamas. If your baby usually sleeps in a sleeping bag take that, or blankets, or whatever you usually use to keep your baby warm. Flights can be pretty cold. If the baby has a favourite toy or blankie take that too, and whatever you would use to keep him/ her occupied at home. Also pacifiers if you use them. Oh, and a muslin blanket or breastfeeding cover if you have one - in case the person next to you is uncomfortable with the breastfeeding.

For a 3 month old a sling is definately the way to go. If you need the stroller at the other end you can take it, but it can be folded up and put on the trolley with your suitcases. Having attempted to push a trolley and a stroller at the same time by myself, I can reliably inform you that it is near to impossible!

As for immigration and security, not much to say really. If you are lucky you will be directed to the courtesy line, but in my experience that can be completely random even in the same airport. I have never flown to NYC so can't comment what is likely to happen there.

Cathay are usually helpful on the flight. Make sure you phone in advance to get a seat with a bassinet. That can make a big difference when the baby is small. Also, other passengers are often very helpful when you have a baby, both on the flight and with collecting bags from the carousel.

Make sure your in-laws have the appropriate car seat in the car for when they pick you up.

I hope you will be pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to travel with a 3 month old. It is good to breastfeed on take off and landing if they are not asleep (don't wake them if they are asleep!) as it helps with the ears.

I imagine the most difficult thing will be adjusting to the time difference. You will probably find you need to feed more often during the night for a few nights, while the baby works out what is going on.

Can't think of anything else off the top of my head.

Good luck, and enjoy your holiday.
 
Hi evgreen,

At 5 months I took my baby to the UK for a couple of weeks on my own. A 12 hour flight, 3 hour layover and 1 hour second leg. Not as far as you are planning but still a slog.

I actually think it is easier when they are very little because you can just pop them in the bassinet to sleep, so for a lot of the journey you can have your hands free and time to yourself. I'm not sure what the flight times are for you, but if you pick a night flight then hopefully your little one will sleep for a lot of the way.

It is much harder for me now (at 1 year), but at 5 months my son slept for 7 hours of the flight on the way to the UK (during the night portion) and then I would put him down for a nap every 2 or 3 hours after that and he would sleep.

The most important things we learned were about bassinets (on CX, I have found other airlines better) and strollers...

If flying CX, take some luggage straps or something to tie your baby into the bassinet. I've flown Cathay long haul twice with my baby now and they have open bassinets, which makes them effectively useless because, although the bassinet is pinned down, your baby isn't so if you hit an air pocket they will fly out. Not safe at all I don't think. For this reason, on our first trip, I wouldn't use the bassinet on the outbound leg. On the return leg we bought two luggage straps and tied them around the bassinet so that there would be two restraints in case of unexpected turbulence.

If you can use the bassinet, then you can nip to the loo or something while your baby is sleeping. I find most of the cabin crew are helpful in general.

Regarding the stroller, I think it depends on your baby. My baby won't sleep in a sling unless I am walking, but he sleeps in a stroller beautifully so it was really important for me to take one. Our every day stroller is a huge one though, and heavy, that comes apart into two pieces, and I have to say it was a bit of a nightmare trying to put it in the bag at the gate, whilst holding my baby and struggling with all the carry on. I found the ground staff (at all three airports I went through) particularly unhelpful and would just watch me struggle. I even asked the woman in HK if she would hold my baby while I sorted out the stroller but she wouldn't. After that we bought a cheap, second hand, stroller that is very light and easily collapsible, just for travelling.

Overall though, I think its fine. I'm doing it again this year with an 18 month old which no doubt will be a lot harder! Enjoy your trip!

Edit: just read one of the other posts, and yes, it is difficult to push the stroller and your trolley (though it can be done)... If there are porters at each end, or if you have someone to take you and meet you at the airport then it is manageable, but otherwise tough. I checked my luggage all the way through. My husband dropped me off and my parents picked me up from a small airport where someone at the carousel had given me a hand with the trolley.
 
Last edited:
alfa said:
..id take at least 3 changes of clothes for the baby( probably more tho;) and one for yourself, nappies, baby bjorn or whatever carrier you use, burping cloths, light baby blanket and a rattle or other small toy he/ she likes to play with, also a number of pacifiers if you use them My daughter at that age skept pretty much thru the flights. Request a basinet now to make sure you get one on the plane. If you arebreastfeeding then liquids are not an issue . I also found very usefuk the disposible changing mats from Babes to Babes- made by pampers- the are big enough to spread on the changing table in the toilet. Antiseptic hand gel will come useful for you. babies love the white noise and there is plenty of it on the plane.Good luck!
Click to expand...

This is all great advice and pretty much exactly what I did with my little one (about 4 months) on a HK - NY flight by myself. Breastfeeding will really make it easier as cleaning or carrying enough bottles for a long haul is one of the worst parts. Definitely recommend the larger sized disposable changing mats and at least 3 changes of clothes for baby.

I didn't find that the flight attendants were helpful with bathroom breaks - technically they cannot look after the baby while you go, so I just took baby with me and made do, which isn't that bad. I have friends who have found either another mother or helpful person on the flight who would hold their baby for a few minutes while they used the toilet, so with the right people on the plane that will work.

Honestly, while it isn't a cake walk, travelling with a little infant is easier than a little toddler and you will be fine! Its a long flight, but as long as you're prepared to be a little tired you'll get through it. Also, if you have the bassinet, there should be some longer stretches of time for you to just relax while the little one is napping.
 
I agree with most tips of above posters. Just to add:
- if your baby is born in HK and has permanent HK resident status and foreign passport, bring the original birth certificate for immigration, saves a lot of time
- I did like a stroller, especially since I used it with the maxi cosi. If there happens to be a seat available next to you, you can ask if you can bring it on the plane as well (if you have one). Also security was very easy, the baby can stay in the stroller (at HK int airport at least)
- I went to the toilet during my baby's sleep without problem. If he would've start crying it's just for a few minutes. Buy in practice he slept for ten hours out of the twelve.
Have a good trip!
 
Do request for ground assistance from the airline. They will have their ground staff meet you at the checkin counter, help you through immigration, security and all the way till you board the aircraft. Upon landing in destination, there should be a ground staff to help you disembark the aircraft, clear immigration, retrieve baggage etc. till you are out of the airport. I requested for one when I travelled with my then 2.5 months old to Singapore on CX and it was so much easier especially when clearing immigration and security where you can beat the long queue cause they usually have this separate channel for assisted passenger. CX should have the same assistance service for NYC flight.
 
All very good tips above & not much to add except:

1)If you are using a sling/carrier/baby Bjorn, be prepared to remove & put it through the X-ray machine just in case they ask you. They don't do it all the time but I was once asked to put the carrier through the X-ray even though I protested that my baby would wake up. They didn't care.

2) Bring some duct tape to tape a thin cloth/wrap on the wall & make a canopy over the bassinet. The bassinets are usually near the toilets & people keep peering over your sleeping baby so it gives a bit of privacy. Also, you can "dim" the lights a bit to help your baby sleep. I saw this tip a few times on the net & couldn't appreciate the use until I saw how handy it was. Don't bring a roll , they might confiscate it. Just a few strips.
 
Thanks so much for all these tips. Experience really is invaluable! I will definitely try requesting for ground assistance. I didn't actually know you could take the stroller into the cabin. Funny how they let you go thru security without taking baby out of the stroller but not with the sling. I'm actually very excited about traveling with baby and I'm feeling less anxious about it now knowing some of these tricks.
 
CMD said:
By the way, where are you headed to in CT?? I grew up in CT. Enjoy the winter (although it has been unseasonably cold)!

Happy travels!
Click to expand...

My husband is from the west Hartford area. I personally love new England anytime of year and I'm hoping for some snow so we can get some skiing in (we're going to a wedding in Vermont also).

My baby still hasn't seemed to get used to sitting in a carseat, so I'm actually more nervous about the road trip than the flight now. While most babies fall asleep during car rides, my little girl is wide awake and calm for the first 20-30 min before having a major meltdown. Eventually she cries herself to sleep which is not really ideal. Hopefully she will be too tired by the time we get to NYC to put up much of a fight.
 
Like many have said above - you'll be fine! We have flown CX a bunch of times to NYC and overall they've been great. When I fly (even when my kids were 3 months), I always brought our Maclaren stroller and our Ergo. I think it's a personal choice.

Here's my advice:

1) When I travel alone with my kids, I always ask for "meet and assist." This means, someone comes to help me from right when I check in to when I board. THey help carry my bags, while I push my stroller, help me go through security etc...I get to board early as well whcih is great when I've got 2 bags with tons of things in them. When I land, there's also someone there to help me and the last time I did it, I cut immigration entirely with BA (that's who their partner is in the US) and went through the diplomat line - perfect when you've just had 17 hour flight.

2) If you are wearing your bjorn which I highly recommend for 3 months year old, practice wearing it with the baby and going to the bathroom. Sometimes the flight attendants do not like watching your child b/c it's a liability for them.

3) make sure your bring enough diapers then add 4 extras

4) bring 2-3 changes of clothing for your baby and an extra top for yourself.

hope this helps and don't worry - it will be fine!
 
Last edited:
you would be fine and comments above pretty much cover all... i think you just have to be prepared to be tired for the first few days after you arrive. with combination of nursing and white noise young babies usually do pretty well on flights, ours did, but when we travel with him now at 15-months it's another story!

wish i've known about ground assistance which would be helpful on the flights i took when my husband was not travelling along, esp for the trip to LA. we have been on 6 trips with our son since 5 months and half of those with only me & the little one. i thought it's only available for kids travelling without parents as well as elderlies since we always requested that for our grannies, as i went through that myself when young going to visit the grannies... i always pay for porter service though, coz it's just easier with dealing with the luggage until we get picked up, even people around would usually help.

our experience through security check and custom are usually positive, hong kong airport even has family with kids line now from our recent Christmas trip! i always prefer to check in the stroller and keep my carry on items light (my usual baby bag or a rollie luggage) so it's easy to go through security check with baby in the carrier. the only time i had to take him out of the baby carrier was in LA airport, had to put the carrier through the screening machine along with my bags, shoes etc so it was not fun travelling by myself that time without assistance, but all other i pass through the security check with him on me without issues.

about the stroller, you can wheel it all the way to the boarding gate, where they will give you a plastic bag for the stroller and take it from there and will store all strollers at the luggage area during the flight, the stroller should be waiting for you at the gate when you land. it's really personal choice here depending what your baby is more used to on taking the stroller to the gate or using a baby carrier on board. we use a bugaboo bee+ which has a good padded trasport bag that i prefer to check in as an additional piece of luggage, and not having to worry about our stroller being damaged.

and since you are breastfeeding, make sure you drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated... i always bring along a water bottle for myself (it's ok to bring liquid on board / through security check if you are travelling with babies under 2, in all airports which i've passed in asia, canada and the states).

the flight is indeed much easier then the ground transfer portion, you mentioned your baby is not used to sleeping in car seat, are you planning to bring your own or your family will provide one in the car when they pick u up? for our first trip back to Canada we just borrowed one wherever we were, thinking that since our son usually sleeps well in our car in his maxicosi, there shouldn't be any major issue. however as the make and style can be quite different, he wasn't a happy rider in some of those and he had a meltdown in one of the longer drive from Vancouver down to Seattle which was not fun.

in addition to his favorite toys, blanket etc, do bring along his favorite CD for music on the car rides, and be prepared to make pit stops at various gas stations, family restaurants or event on the side of the highway along the way, we find fresh air always helped... and be prepared that the usually 3 hour drive can be 4-5 hours...

one more think i wanna add about being tired for the first few days is dealing with jetlag. somehow our then 5 month son was jetlag during our first long haul trip back to Toronto (same time zone as New York). he is a good sleeper and was sleeping through the night since 3 month, but was waking up every 2 to 3 hours at night and wide awake since 4 or 5 in the morning while we were in toronto, took about 4 days to readjust so we did lots of early morning walk and i must say mommie was really tired! but again we were visiting our grannies in their 90's so they couldn't be of much help, it will be a better situation if you have family to take care of the baby for a bit during the day while you catch up with some sleep it will be a much better story...

good luck and enjoy new england!
 
Put diapers & wipes in a pack. Take that pack out when you board the plane & stow away your carry-on bag. If you have bunkhead seat with bassinet, then your bag will have to go above. So having diapers out ahead will be handy.
Also, bring some plastic bags with you for wet diapers or dirty clothes.
I like bringing a sarong for lining the bassinet or for warmth or for nursing or for creating a canopy over the bassinet.
 
One other thing, Cathay don't prioritise passengers with children for bassinet seats.

When we flew back from the UK at Christmas we had been told there were no bassinets available. We listed for one, for months, in case one became available but they never did, so we faced the miserable return journey having to try and have our baby sleep on us.

Anyway, on boarding the plane it became evident that the two men in the bassinet seats didn't have children. Also, they wouldn't swap seats with us. To be honest we were pretty mad about it. Cathay said there was nothing they could do now that the plane had been boarded but that if we had taken it up with them at check-in they would have tried to shift people around.

We had just assumed that "the bassinets are all taken" meant by other people who needed them, not by people who could quite happily sit anywhere else on the plane. So if the same happens to you, I recommend you find out whether they are actually taken by people who need the bassinet, and if not, kick up a stink about it.
 
Just an extra note - I always have to take my (now) toddler out of the stroller at security and fold the stroller and put it through the x-ray, so actually it doesn't help from that point of view. I have had to take him out of it and out of the sling when he was sleeping, and it is not fun. It is also quite difficult to fold the stroller while holding a sleeping baby and the bags. But my preference with a baby is to take both the stroller and a sling, and then you have options. Another thing, it is airline dependent whether or not you get your stroller back at the airplane door when you return to HK airport, even if you were allowed to take it to the plane in your departure airport so it is worth finding out when you check in. It is less of a problem when they are babies as you can carry them in the sling. I recently had to carry my sleeping 2 1/2 year old all the way through HK airport until I got the stroller back at the carousel. Not easy.

Last piece of advice - I really recommend taking a backpack rather than a trolley back on the flight. Much easy to manage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top