Hi all,
Having a baby is a game changer. After being a parent you know your life will never be the same. Your trips will never be the same either.
I know you can travel anywhere with a baby but for my first time travelling with a baby i just wanted it to be easy. I actually found travelling with a baby on a flight not as terrifying as people make out, but it does require extra planning. So here it is.
Before my first flight with my four-months-old daughter, I read lots of article about “ticketing, check-in, car seats, feeding, napping and all the other stuff that makes your brain explode.” It was October 2019 when i was flying alone with her from Dubai to India for Diwali celebration. Dubai to New Delhi is a very short flight but with the immigration, baggage etc, makes it total of 7 to 8 hrs travel.
The easiest way to avoid forgetting things is to make an itemized list of the major items you pack .
Looking forward to my baby’s daily schedule i planned the flight accordingly and the best part about flying with baby is that we can take our stroller till the gate which makes it more easy. Most gate agents give you the option of early boarding—and with a newborn or infant, that’s the way to go so you can get settled with bags stowed and essentials out for takeoff.
I changed my daughter’s diaper before boarding so that she don’t feel fussy on flight. I was informed from cabin crew that easiest way to keep a baby from crying on the flight is to feed them on takeoff and landing – as it helps babies adjust to the change in cabin pressure, and yes it worked for me…
I was flying at night, after i fed my daughter she was in a sleepy mode, she continuously slept on flight till landing, it was very easy and convenient for me . This gave me more confidence to travel alone with her.
Now after 2 months, while returning back from NewDelhi i was not alone, i was having my husband and sister in law along with me. This time i was very happy and calm as i was having 2 support this time.
Flight, hault, packing etc. everything was planned the same way as it was done previously…..sorry regarding luggage i would like to clear that one checkin baggage should not exceed more than 32kg well it depends upon flight to flight, but for us we had 30kg each so in total we had 90kg and 10kg extra for an infant. Our total baggage weight was under limit but still we did one mistake, our one luggage was 40 kg and other two were of 25kg each, so we end up adjusting weights, well i did R&D but i guess i missed this one.
So after security check etc. while we were at lounge we found that flight is delayed by 2 hrs, then after 1 hr we were told it is again delayed for 2 hrs but at the end it got total delayed by 6hrs, we got so frustated even my 6months daughter also started getting iritated. All planning, timings, etc. went into Zero. while we were on flight my daughter was so tired and was feeling so uneasy that she ended up crying and crying, it became very difficult to calm her, i had support but still was feeling helpless at that time, but somehow we managed, she became calm and slept.
I frankly was not prepared for this but yes next time i will be. Its not a rollercoaster ride to travel with baby infact its just that we should always be prepared for coming situations and its consequences.
I think i had great time flying with my daughter, few ups and down are everywhere. I believe my experience can help many out there.
XOXO
PREETI
