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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

AHhh!!! Flying With A Toddler

I'm scurred y'all! We're taking Bean on her first flight in October. I realize people fly with younger babies and have no issues, but I'm a spazz about traveling alone (finding where I need to be, did I pack everything?, etc.) but now I have to make sure I have everything for me, and Bean. I'm not even worried about her screaming the whole flight long, it's not her style. Here's some things I'm currently stressing over...

Booking our flights I want need a window seat, that way I won't have a stranger near me when I'm nursing her. It also will give her something to stare out if the books and toys don't hold her attention. Which, knowing how active she is, they probably wont hold them for long. I also need to make sure she's ample amount of time in between connecting flights to get to the next gate and let her run around, nurse, diaper change, etc.

What the heck am I going to do with our car seat?! Do I check it with the luggage? Do I gate check it? Should I buy/borrow one of those travel roller things to lug it around the airport? What if I check it and they lose it! I know I can rent car seats, but I know they wont be to my obsessive safety standards.

Breathe Mar, breathe.

What if Bean decides to take a huge, messy, poo on the plane? There's barely enough room for me to turn around by myself in airplane bathrooms. How am I supposed to even begin to attempt to fix a messy diaper situation in there? How do people have sex in there?!! There's just no room for it!! Guess I'll have to change her on my lap tray and hope for the best.

Hope people don't mind being flashed! Cause they will be. Bean is a very distracted nurser, and I'm sure my boob will be hanging out to say hello every now and then while I'm trying to nurse her during take off and landing. I also hope that I don't get weird stares since she'll be almost 18 months and still nursing. We all know people judge, it's human nature.

I know it's going to be fine, and whatever happens we'll make it through. What can I say, I'm a worrier, it's what I do.

I probably will gate check the car seat, just to make sure we have at least have that when we land. Especially since we will be having a layover somewhere. I just don't trust airports not to lose my luggage! I think we'll get this bag to use to protect the car seat when we gate check it, and it also has a carry handle, so that will be nice for my husband when I make him carry it through the airports.
[Credit: Amazon.com]

I hope everything works out to make it as comfortable for us as possible. I hope that my child stays as easy going as she has been and doesn't freak her crap out on the plane since she won't know what's going on. Any tips, or tricks, you'd like to share would be great! As much info as I can fill in my head to prepare for this, the better!

5 comments:

  1. I'm taking my 6 month daughter abroad in November its only a 4 hour flight but im dreading it! How on earth am i going to nurse her. and how is she going to sleep she wont sleep anywhere other than on the boob or in her swing lol!!! Hope it all goes ok

    www.ohsoamelia.com

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  2. Hi, thanks for linking to the Mommy Brain Mixer! I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine! I would take a lot of help from the flight attendants..they're trained to this sort of thing and it will also give you some breathing room. You can definitely request them to assign you to a seat where you feel most comfortable! Best of luck!

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  3. I flew with baby boy when he was 6 months old and also nursed because it was the only thing that would quiet him and calm him! I sat in the middle of the row so I don't think anyone saw my boob and was covered up, but if they did I'm sure they like it! lol just joking :) Good luck!

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  4. Hi, I just bet everything will be alright. I am like you in a lot of ways regarding thinking about all the what if's. I want my ducks in a row and things to go smooth. = ) Your little bean will hopefully find the trip a wonderful adventure with all kinds of amazing things to look at curiously. = ) As far as those getting a free eye view of your breast, well, let them turn their heads and respect you are doing the right thing and giving that babe the best nutrition. Yes, some judge but oh well, that's their issue. = ) You are being a great mom. Enjoy that trip and thanks for commenting over at Dedicated 2 life. I appreciate you reading my work and following. = )

    Irish
    Dedicated2life.com

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  5. Ahhhh... relax, babe! I just flew with Gray and have flown with my other two at the same age. I won't lie... it wasn't relaxing, BUT. Definitely a window seat... if they see the aisle (freedom), there's no holding them still. Otherwise you're so packed in by the window that they don't realize they could move. Don't worry about nursing, just do it. People stay in their own little bubbles on the plane anyway. And they also have a fold-out changing tray in the bathrooms. And this is random, but Grayson played with a pack of colored pencils for 45 minutes straight, pulling them out of the box and putting them back in. Lol. So glad you linked up to the Mixer, friend. I hope to see you again on Thursday!

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