Flying/Traveling (& Medicine)

We flew with our son almost twenty times before he turned a year old. I read a lot about traveling with babies, and here is what I used the most:

Baby Bjorn: When our son was little (up to six months or so), I used a Baby Bjorn carrier. I could unlatch it without taking the whole thing off and if he fell asleep, I could take him out without waking him. This worked better than a stroller when he was tiny.

Warm Clothes: Airports and airplanes are so cold, I dressed our son in layers. I actually bought a "snow suit" type of outfit made of really soft material and he loved it - even traveling in summer! It had a zipper on the side that I could unzip if he got too warm. This was especially important when he was small (up to six months or so).

Cute clothes/hat: I dressed him in the cutest outfit he had and made sure he had a pilot's hat on or ball cap and sunglasses. When the crew and other passengers saw him, they would "ooh" and "ahh" instead of roll their eyes and give us dirty looks for bringing a baby on board. :)

Bassinet: We didn't buy him his own seat for financial reasons, but we asked to be seated next to the baby bassinet. They have them on the larger planes. He slept great in that when we went overseas.

Liquid: I kept a bottle of chamomile tea (and took extra tea bags) for when we took off and landed. A baby's eardrums are so small that the pressure can really hurt them. The rule of thumb is when you feel pressure in your ears, give them a swallow of liquid (or when they're old enough to eat, give them a cheerio or gold fish cracker). I used chamomile tea because it is also a natural relaxer and calmer. On "short" flights, the pressure lasts for about half an hour going up and then starts about half and hour before you land. On over-seas trips, it's about an hour both ways. I think we've all probably heard babies screaming throughout the entire flight. My doctor told me this was due to pressure in the ears, so this is important. If he was sleeping during take off or landing, I would just watch him really carefully and have the bottle ready in case he woke up.

Sudafed Nasal Decongestant for Children: Congestion makes the air pressure worse, so I carried this with me in case he had a runny nose or cough before the flight. Our doctor suggested giving it to him about 1/2 before take-off. He suggested 0.8 ml (for a 5-month-old), but check with your doctor, because this is not recommended for children under age four. I haven't had to use it, but I still take it with me.

Allergy Medicine (Benadryl for Children): My doctor said that if Elliot was too sleepy to calm down, I could give him 1.25 ml (5-month-old) of this. It makes most babies drowsy and helps them sleep. Again, check with your doctor. I haven't had to use this, but I take it as a last resort. My absolute first resort for sleeplessness is the (all natural) Hyland's Chamomilla from www.vitacost.com.

Children's Motrin: I like this better than Tylenol. I took it in case he got a fever, etc. My first resort for fevers is the (all natural) Hyland's Belladonna from www.vitacost.com. I received the following dosage recommendations for Motrin from our pediatrician: 12-17 lbs = 1.25ml(1/2 tsp), 18-23 lbs = 1.875ml(3/4 tsp.)...give 6-8 hours as needed, no more than 4 times in 24 hour period.

Homeopathic Colic Tablets: Our son had terrible stomach problems when he was really little. We initially used Gripe Water, but found the colic tablets to be just as natural and much cheaper. (We went through BOTTLES of the Gripe Water.) I also bought this at www.vitacost.com.

Hyland's Chamomilla & Belladonna: These were a teething lifesaver. And they are completely all natural!!! We use them even when he's not teething. The Chamomilla naturally calm and sooth. I found they also helped our son sleep. They instantly dissolve and are small enough that they can't choke on them. (I give Belladonna for fever/teething and Chamomilla for fussiness/teething. Or if I'm not sure, I just give him one of each.)

Stroller: We got a cheap stroller to send through with the luggage for once we got to our destination. We use it in the airport now that he is a little too heavy to carry.

Bentonite Clay: This little powder is a first resort in case our son gets bitten by a poisonous snake or spider. I never know how far we're going to be from a hospital, so I always travel with this. I get it from: www.bulkherbstore.com.

Small First-Aid Kit: Antibiotic cream and a few bandaids.

WARM Mist Humidifier: Depending on how far we're traveling and how long we plan to be gone, I usually take a warm mist humidifier with us. This is my main-stay for when he is sick - I turn it on for every nap and at night. When our son was a couple weeks old he began coughing up dried blood. We panicked. Our doctor told us to keep a warm mist (not cool mist) humidifier in his room during the winter and also at other times if he had any congestion/runny nose. A baby's sinus passages are small and still developing. If congestion gets caught and dries in there, it can get infected (hence ear infections, chest congestion, coughs). Our son is now almost three, and to-date he has not had an ear infection. He has also never had chest congestion/cold/flu/fever that required a doctor's visit. If I could recommend only one thing for keeping your baby well, it would be this. (If you have hard water, a mineralized coating will develop. Some humidifiers have automatic shut-off and others get burned out. Pour a little vinegar [1/4 cup] over the heat source and run it until it turns off.) We got ours at Walmart for $20-something.

Lavender Essential Oil/Eucalyptus Essential Oil: We use two or three drops of each in the humidifier vapor cup (where the mist comes out). If I don't catch the congestion fast enough (with the humidifier), and it develops into a cough, I rub one drop of the eucalyptus oil on his chest and on his back before a nap. I also use the lavender oil for burns and diaper rashes. (But I also carry diaper cream for major rashes.)