Taking my baby overseas for the first time

M

marlie

Registered User
My husband and I are hoping to take our baby to Australia for Christmas - she will be about six months. She has not been on a flight before and I have no idea how she will react when she find out she is not going home (at least not for 10 days)

Advice/tips/experience would be most welcomed - from travelling to getting her accustomised and what are the essentials to pack! Thanks.
 
I hope I'm the right person to post this reply. My son (9 1/2 months old) has flown 25 times so far...
We mostly fly on Cathay, and the baby bassinet they have is quite short. Zack dind't like being in it so much. At the check-in counter, I always ask for a favor if they could block an empty seat off for him. I find that it's more convenient than having him on my lap or in the bassinet. During turbulences, you're supposed to pick the baby up from the bassinet anyway, and it's awful to have to wake the baby up that way. If he's lying on the empty seat next to you, at least he could be buckled up all the time. I prefer an aisle seat. Somewhere not to far from the washrooms. I personally don't like the bulkhead seats as you can't really put any bags down by your feet.
CX supplies diapers, but I always bring my own. A lot of them. Wet wipes. I also carry small plastic bags to throw the diapers in. Toys that he sleeps with. Formula. Biter biscuits. Food. Wipe clothes. Bibs. One or two extra outfits, depending on the length of the flight. MY extra top. You never know when he will hurl on you. A traveling stroller.
Hope this helps.
 
A baby air vest is a must in my opinion - if there is turbulence your little one can sit a bit more comfortably on your knee than with the airline belts. Bumps to Babes sell them for about HK$250.

When I've flown long haul with our daughter, the first day or two after arriving are always a wee bit fraught but definitely not enough to put us off.

Little ones can get very cranky from dehydration, so try to get as much liquid into her as possible while in the air and once you get there. In terms of getting used to the time difference and different surroundings, the best solution that we've found is getting into our normal sleeping and eating routine as soon as possible once we arrive. This is quite difficult when you're travelling about and staying in rellies' houses, but can make things a lot easier for the whole household and cut down on midnight walks! We also bring her Grobags and a sheet or two so that she has the same smells as at home.

Once in a routine, being away from home hasn't been a problem. Therefore, don't worry too much about things and just look forward to lots of other people wanting to do nothing but help you and tell you how wonderful your little girl is - she will be able to do no wrong, believe me!!!
 
Try to fly at night..that way your baby may sleep the whole time. I took my son on an 8 hour flight when he was about 9months old. He slept throughout the flight. He only just fit into the bassinet but that didn't seem to bother him much. I made sure I nursed him during take-off to avoid any ear-pain.

It's great when they are young. When they are toddlers it's diffiicult to keep them still ! I few again in september 2003 and just couldn't get him to sit still.

I worried about how he would react too but he was happy from day one. Inspite of being very suspicious of people in general he was very happy meeting relatives..could he sense they were family ?
 
Thank you!

For all your useful insights! Some follow up questions if I may:
- What is a travelling stroller, is it just one that is smaller than your usual, will the airlines allow you to take it on board and even unfold it?
- Any tips for making sure the baby will swallow during take off?

Sometimes I don't know what is more stressful, going or not going on holiday!
 
I've not known any airlines to allow prams on but they will let you keep your baby in your pram which should be as lightweight & easy to get up and down as possible (I think a pram is is probably the same as a stroller).

I took our daughters favourite toys on board with us and these kept her amused when she was awake.

Ears - if you are b/fing then try to nurse on take off if your baby is awake, if not b'fing then a bottle, dummy, finger - basically get her sucking on something. I have heard that if they are asleep then they tend to be okay but not sure if this is true - maybe someone else can advise on that.

Our baby is pretty happy and didn't even notice that she wasn't at home - far too interested in everything else that was going on (we travelled with her when she was 5 and a half months).

Anyway enjoy your holiday and be warned rather than overpacking for yourself you'll now be doing it for your baby!
 
Sorry I didn't make it clear when I said a travelling stroller. I meant an umbrella stroller or whatever kind of stroller than is light and is easy to fold. Most airlines make you leave the stroller at the plane's door beore you get on board, and return it to you right there when you get off. Sometimes when the flight is not full, they allow you to carry it on board, which for me is a nuisance. I then would have to look for a place to stow it. I'd rather leave it at the door and get it back at the destination. They won't allow you to use the stroller in-flight anyway. Mind you, on ANA once a flight attendant asked the mother to put her crying baby in the stroller and walked up and down the aisle during the taxying stage after we landed. I found that extremely unsafe.

If it's not a feeding time, I normally keep the water/juice bottle handy for the take-off and landing. I don't know whether it helps, but prevention is better than cure. Noone likes a crying baby on board, especially the mother. But once my son had a cold and his ears must have hurt him. He cried during the last 5 minutes of the flight, and couldn't drink. When it comes to that, I guess you just have to let them cry.
 
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You can find some locally branded ones at Toys'R'Us. I think the cheapest ones are about HK$200 or so. Make sure that you check to see that the clasp (that locks the stroller once it is collapsed) is working.
 
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