Tips for Traveling with a 3 Month Old...

I think it's much easier to travel with a little one this age. Nurse him on take off and landing, if he's not hungry you can use a pacifier, this helps to equalize the pressure in his ears. Take as little carry on as possible, you will have your hands full with the baby. I used a sling when we flew with our daughter. She was 19 months old and she fell asleep on take off both coming and going. Good Luck!

Babies this age are really easy to travel with - even easier when you're nursing exclusively. I wouldn't bother buying a seat. Bring a baby carrier (sling, bjorn whatever) with you if you have one - you can't wear it during takeoff/landing (FAA regs) but it will be nice to have. Nurse your baby on takeoff/landing and he won't have any trouble with his ears popping. Other than that, ask the flight attendant if there's a bathroom in the plane with a fold-down changing table - usually there's one that has it in most planes. If you're lucky, he'll sleep most of the time. The plane travel is really easy - all he cares about at this point is being fed, held, and having a clean diaper.

I would just check everything you can - it's much easier than trying to haul it all around with a baby. You can gate check the stroller.

FYI if they do - God forbid - lose or damage your carseat, the airlines are obligated to replace it. Also if it somehow doesn't arrive with you, the airlines can give you a loaner so that you can get to your destination - they will swap it back for your own when they deliver it (I've had to do this). Good luck!

Hi H.
I recently just came back from a trip to New Orleans with my 3 month old daughter(from C.). We had to drive to Picayune, MS when my parents picked us up(1.5 hour drive).
I was also nervous about the plane ride.
Suggestions:
I put a blanket on the ground at the airport and we played, because i didnt want her to feel confined, like she would be on the plane.
I asked for an open seat next to me so all my bag would be right next to me for anything i needed.(IF available)
I let her look around at everyone until we started to move, then i gave her a bottle. She finished it and cradled her.
She slept the entire flight! I nudged her to suck on her pacifier when we started to descend, i was worried about her ears.
She was great!! You wouldnt have known there was a baby on the plane!! I thought it was good luck, but she did the exact same thing on the plane ride home. I was also worried about checking my Maclaren, but it was right there for me as we left the plane, and in good shape!!
I found that the people around you and the airline employees tend to be really helpful when they see you traveling with an infant.
Good Luck and dont worry...its easier than you think:)

Rest assured that traveling with a newborn is a cinch. You're lucky he's still so young. Just nurse the whole time you are ascending and descending without pause. In other words, if he is suckling while the pressure changes he will not even notice. Seriously, it gets SO much harder when they want to go around or be more active. What a blessing! In regard to the bugaboo, I do not have one but my close friend took a flight with her bugaboo and the rubber black part on the handle got torn like crazy and it looked old and worn after her flight. She had only had it for a few months too and she was so upset after spending all that money on it. It might be worth while to put it in some kind of bag that seals it with padding. I know I would not take the chance. Maybe there is a cheaper version that works as well? With regard to carseats, I am with you on the car service thing. We drove ourselves for that reason and parked at the airport and then rented a car at our destination with a carseat too. On the flight it is unnecessary as long as you hold him while nursing for most of the flight. He probably will sleep in your arms through most of it though. You most likely will have to check in the carseat too unless its a carrying one they often do NOT make you check it in so that you can put the seat on the floor next to you. Make sure to get the front row where there is more room for putting down the seat. That makes ALL the difference in the world.
Now with regard to the meds for you I personally would not be ok taking dramamine or any other anti-nausea medicine while breastfeeding. Often doctors will be more lenient than they should be about this topic. See if you can get some hot tea (maybe ginger in it or peppermint works wonders) and drink it in the beginning of the flight. Also, get some peppermint drops to ease the quesiness if this is a sore point for you. I too am not a good flier and I feel sick during all flights. I just have a sensitive stomach when it comes to the change in altitude I guess, since I do not get nauseaus during pregnancy that much and otherwise. I don't know. I didn;t read anyone else's post but maybe you got some other good ideas about easing the flight for you personally. Either way, you'll make it and hopefully enjoy all the rest of the trip. Be well, fly safely, return safely...

If I might add, you may want to just get a cheapy (but goody!) $10 stroller from walmart or babys r us carries one a bit more (maybe $30) for traveling. Its way more compatible than lugging a huge stroller with on a trip and in the ariport. Also you won't have to worry about it getting damaged cause its cheap enough to replace next time.

I think you should probably book the car for 6.30-6.45am - gives you extra leeway, to find where you need to check in, and go through security without rushing with a little one. Also in the morning, if there is an accident or weather is not the best, the drive could be alittle longer - you won't need the stress!
At security, if you have computer, you need to take it out of the case, remove your shoes, have toiletries/liquids in a see thru ziplock, then by the time you've carried baby thru + the stroller or carseat if you're taking either of those to the gate - it's stressful.
Since your baby is so small - I would recommend just carrying him, saves all the fussing thru security and at the gate, and check in the stroller/seat. If you're going to make use of the covers for other journeys- it is probably a good investment, but we just use an umbrella stroller for convenience as they get older. They do provide a bag to put them in - but it's not padded, rather just keeps the bits together.
Incase his ears play up - it's best to let him feed during takeoff and landing - the sucking motion will help keep his earways clear. Extra diapers and a change of clothes for inadvertant mishaps maybe.
On some flights there are bassinets available on the bulkhead - check to see if this is available. It will give you abit of extra room too. Ask for the bulkhead row - gives you abit more space if it's still free.
I'm from NZ...and I have travelled 5 times to NZ (24hours door to door) with my boy since he was 5months, and once to Europe just recently - with a 2 1/2yr old. Believe me - it only gets more challenging the older they get.
Most important, enjoy your trip!! Little ones pick up on anxiety so try and "keep your cool".
Caroline

If you have a baby bjorn carrier or some sort of front carrier that is the most comfortable way to travel with baby. Not sure what to advise on how to relax your nerves to fly because taking drugs is probably not the way to go since nursing your baby when you take off and land is necessary so your baby's ears don't pop. If it's necessary for you to take drugs then pack some formula. A baby at that age should be fine on the plane otherwise, it will probably lull them to sleep like a car does. And as for transporting your stroller, maybe you could buy a stroller attachment for your car seat instead and that would be much easier to travel with, especially if it's only for just a few days. To make it even easier, if you are going to see friends / relatives maybe one of them have a car seat and stroller you can borrow while you are there so you don't have to lug your own. Hope this helps!

Hi H.,

I am a new mom and went and went to Ireland recently (7 hour flight) with my son when he was 3 months. I too have the bugaboo frog and did buy the travel bag as I plan to do a lot of travelling and it is worth not getting your stroller damaged. I tied a garbage bag around my car seat. I also brought the baby bjorn to carry him through the airport and that worked great. Give yourself enough time to get to the airport but early morning is not too bad.The Best advice I got was to feed your baby on take off and landing-binky will work if he is not hungry so he is sucking and his ears wont pop. I stayed calm and had an air hostess hold him if I needed to use the restroom and as he was so small was able to change his diaper on my lap. My advice is to stay calm and your baby will feed off you and a calm mommy and daddy leads to a calm baby. Have a great flight.

Everyone has already given you all the best advice. He'll travel well being that small. And having him still nursing is brilliant. I've travelled with all three of my girlies since they were 4 or 5 months with each of them. And usually the trip is 8 hours to Dublin with a 2.5 hour drive on the other end. Just got back last month with the three aged 5yr, 3yr and 8 months - that's when things get interesting, but still completely do-able. It will be fine.
Don't forget you can gate check your stroller at the airplane door, but you will have to fold it up to go through security and take the babe out of the car seat---I'm not sure if that was already mentioned. Have a great trip!

Hi H.! I just took a 2 hour flight + a 1.5 hour car drive following the flight with my 3 month old last week. Unfortunately, my husband was unable to join us on the trip b/c of work conflicts so I did this alone. My husband was able to drop me off and pick me up though, so that was nice. I nurse exclusively as well. Honestly, taking an infant on a flight is not that bad. There were a lot of children on the flights I was on and it seems it's the one year olds that are the most fussy. I gate checked my carseat and stroller. At the airline counter ask for a plastic bag to wrap your carseat in. That would be a cheap alternative to buying a carseat cover. That's what I did and my carseat was just fine. I didn't have a cover for my stroller. I did lose a cup holder on it, but other than that there was no damage done. On the plane I tried to nurse her on take off and when landing. She was fussy taking off and I couldn't get her to nurse, but once the plane was up in the air and really moving she went right to sleep. On the way home she had a diaper explosion - which was not fun trying to change her in the airplane bathroom - but I managed. Just be sure to bring a change of clothes for your baby and a shirt for yourself (just in case!) If you have a baby carrier such as a Baby Bjorn, I highly recommend taking that to get through security. Even though your husband is there you will need a free set of hands to take off your shoes, etc. They let me walk through security with my daughter in the baby bjorn and there was no problem. If your baby has a favorite toy - my daughter loves the soft book - Busy Bee - and I took that. On the way home she was interested in it for a while, but she mainly loved looking around at all the people and seeing the lights.

I think your car service picking you up at 7am is perfect. If you were driving yourself that would be a different story, but you will be dropped off at your terminal by the car, so 7am should be plenty of time.

Good luck - it's not that bad!!!