This is how you fly (travel) with a baby (or small child) – (holiday) tips!
First thing first: Flying with a baby is - in my opinion - not that exciting at all: much more than a bottle or your breast (note: there are still, very outdated, airlines where you are not allowed to breastfeed (because it is offensive...) . Don't shoot the messenger but good to take into account if necessary), some cleaning wipes, diapers and a clean suit, just to be saved, you don't need it. No, from toddlerhood onwards it becomes a bit more difficult (but that can also be done, it's a mindset). Anyway, where were we...
“Oooooh, his first holiday"! shouted half the plane (okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get where I'm going with it), when we arrived with baby Vito. "Do you know how it works? Let me help you!", said the sweet stewardess. "Sure, please," I said politely. Because what's the point of saying that I can now dream up the flying-with-a-baby rules and that strap with 1 hand to get? You learn as you go and baby Vito had already flown before he was months old. Which, in case you were wondering, always goes well - his ears hardly bother him and he finds it mandatory to play for a few hours. or sleeping on top of mom's and/or dad's lap. Are we lucky? I realize that too mindset: your child senses your tension so if you let it go, you are already halfway there! Tips? Certainly!
Make sure you reserve your seat immediately when booking. If that doesn't work online, call society: hardly anyone can resist a young father or mother asking for help (you woke up about five times last night, so you are now allowed to 'abuse' the situation a bit). With a baby you are not allowed to sit on the aisle or near the emergency exit, but you can sit in the front row. You want that because you have extra leg room, you sit next to the toilets, but more importantly: if your little one starts crying a lot, the cabin crew will always let you rock them in the hallway. The cabin crew is also close by if you need anything (I also flew alone with a baby and the staff is always very helpful. Take things from the hold, hold your baby for a moment; after all, you are short of a pair of hands in that case). If you have a long flight: reserve the crib! I repeat: re-serve-the-cradle-you.
Only 1 spot available in the front row and there are 2 of you flying? Reserve that one spot anyway. If possible, and so far it has always been possible for us, the cabin crew will arrange on the spot so that you can sit together (possibly behind each other, but that is also okay).
Front row seat? Or anywhere on the plane? Make sure you grab a pencil case/small (wrist) bag with your Always in style with ATF! that you want to be able to grab quickly. An extra pacifier, toy, your (measured powder) food (in the case of powder food, take more than enough with you! If you are delayed, you don't want to be left without food. Tip: buy one of these at Hema or Etos milk powder stacking container – super handy), a thermos with hot water (they always heat it up on the plane in a bain marie, which is good but takes a while and sometimes you don't have that time when there is panic in the tent. Moreover, a thermos of hot water is allowed through customs if you have a baby with you), a hydrophilic cloth, diapers and wet wipes... Everything in a small bag that you can easily take with you. There is nothing allowed on the floor in the front row and you can put a small bag with those necessary items in the front pocket. It is also nice to have such a small bag next to you, wherever you sit on the plane.
NB: Most major airlines allow you to take extra luggage with you for your baby: 10 kg in the hold and an extra bag on the plane itself BUT not with all airlines! So read the fine print carefully before you count yourself rich.
Easier than a car, but just as nice during all holiday activities. Look, ten points ahead NIMBEL. Where they sell practical and attractive baby carriers. A pilot study showed that when using the baby carrier, muscle activity in the back is minimal and lower. The carrier ensures that your baby's knees are higher than the buttocks, creating an optimal and ergonomic M-position. And in addition to that technical advantage (so nice for the holidays), we are also pleased with the design. With clean lines and striking colors we shine during the holidays.
Above all, a good buggy is of course very key – long live the buggies that fold into a tiny package that you can take on the plane as hand luggage. This way you can roll those little rollers right up to the seat, and, as an added bonus, they won't be thrown by the baggage handler. The best tip in that regard? Cybex Dragonfly. Tried and tested and this buggy is really the smallest of them all and yet super sturdy (read: vandal-proof). The Libelle buggy is also so light that you can easily take it with you, and it is also very comfortable for a child who likes to take a nap during the trip. You can fold and fold with one hand. Thank us later: Cybex Libelle
Try to plan it so that your little one is (a little) hungry before you ascend and descend again. This way he/she is distracted if he/she doesn't think it's cool that he/she is not allowed to move in any direction while ascending and descending (because of that strap). If there is also some pressure on the ears, this is also the best and easiest way to get him/her to swallow to reduce the pressure. Be careful not to shoot your powder too early! Taxiing often takes quite a long time and your baby has already finished his bottle before you get up in the air and that's a shame. So only open the bottle when you're actually going to take to the air.
Doesn't that work? We always have a bottle of Infacol with us as an emergency solution. A remedy for intestinal colic that Vito 'needed' at the beginning, but which he now really likes thanks to the orange flavor). We rarely use it, but when necessary we put a little on his pacifier (not a whole pipette) and then the taste makes him completely forget why he was grumbling again. Also always take with you: a bottle of neutral baby nasal spray. REALLY helps with pressure on the ears + they get a bit of a shock, which in itself also helps.
Be sure to read this one as well: a list of sustainable summer essentials and this list is also useful: baby layette on a budget
If you have a chair for you, purchase the Flyebaby. Ideal thing that works like a hammock. Just read: Flyebaby Of course you are not allowed to use this during take-off and landing, but for the rest of the ride you have your hands free and your mini is looking at you wonderfully.
There are a few practical things that are not necessarily necessary, but that have made many holidays a little easier.
That's how it is there Deryan baby tent. An easily foldable tent in which your little one can sleep anywhere and has his or her own bed: you can make it up with his/her own bedding and in your hotel room, in the tent or caravan and on the beach, the little one will then have her own, well-known mini palace. . He/she won't roll out because you can zip it closed (which also makes the tent anti-mosquito). A really great purchase!
Plus: provide entertainment. A good idea: it Bol.com Bollebozen Letter package. This package keeps children busy with reading and stories in a fun way throughout the holiday. If you order the package (for just under 13 euros), it will usually be delivered the next day, as you are used to from Bol.com. Or even the same day. The package itself is a cozy cardboard suitcase, filled with an activity book, coloring book, a fun reading book and more! At Bol.com they believe that all children deserve equal opportunities: If you order a Bollebozen Letterterpret package, one will immediately be donated to another child. You can order the package here.
And buy 1 or 2 washable swim diapers: saves you a lot of dragging!
Speaking of dragging around: download the baby monitor 3G app – the best baby monitor for traveling. The app works with 2 phones, one of which you leave with the baby and the other one you take with you. This could be your partner's phone, for example, but you can also take an extra (old) phone with you on which you install the app.
What also gives you a lot of peace of mind is if you have your hotel or resort arrange in advance to pick you up. May cost a little more but it brings you so much! No stress (looking for a taxi or fiddling and even worse: queuing with your baby at the car rental). Moreover, you can indicate that you want a car with a baby seat! Also make sure you ask for a new born baby seat (if that is the case): most taxi companies have a standard car seat that your little one can sit in from 6 months. If you have a smaller baby, like us, he will swerve from left to right and that is still not very safe of course. As said, one learns by doing. This happened to us the first time (oops), which we solved with the help of the sweet driver by 'proping' Vito up with hydrophilic cloths. Great temporary solution! But in the future, always ask for a new born seat.
Well, you always have people who look at you and your baby before you even get in... With a look that says it all. Indeed, you always have those people. A frequently heard tip is to hand out small goodie bags to fellow passengers sitting next to you. Earplugs, a piece of candy, a note apologizing in advance... Of course it's possible, but I think it's complete nonsense. Especially on a short flight. Yes, it's annoying when your baby cries, but hey, they can also see that you're doing your utmost to keep your baby quiet and the rest of the plane happy (assuming you do that, of course)? So far we have had only, really only lovely people around us. People who asked if they could please hold our baby for a while because it is so sweet (which you are very happy about because it is quite nice to be 'without it' for 10 minutes) and everyone is actually very happy to help you. Provided, again, that you also see your best side. But yes, you can of course make those goodie bags. How sweet of you.
What we really learned is that we fly to Vito's rhythm. Our little man hates being disturbed during his 'big' sleep. And then I can't sleep anymore out of sheer frustration. Done once, never again.
So for us (now) we prefer to fly during the day. This way he still gets his regular naps of an hour, sometimes two hours and - so far so good – all on the plane. The 'humming' of the engines is pleasantly sleep-inducing, provided it is relaxed. But that applies to us: for some children a night flight may be the solution. Anyway: think about it and don't blindly choose the cheapest flight. That's what you will enjoy the most. That could of course be different later! And then we simply adjust our preferred flight times again.
Not for the plane, but one relaxing holiday depends – in my opinion – on a child who sleeps easily everywhere. Achieving this is something you can actually do all year round. Sure, all the pedagogical books and the well-known mother mafia will say that I cannot promote the following... I can live with that because it works for us: don't always let your little one sleep in his own bed, but let him get used to traveling -sleeping place. For example, we invested (and are investing again for the 2nd time) in a good, sturdy, solid stroller: most travel-loving, urban people opt for a compact, easily foldable stroller because 'it is so easy to travel'. In my opinion, that is the wrong choice: a good cradle on your stroller functions as a familiar bed and you can detach it from the chassis and use it as a bed. wherever you go. In a restaurant (we regularly slid it under the table), in a hotel, on the beach, etc. If you find that too heavy or your child is (almost) too big for the crib, combine it with the sleeping tents from Deryan. A really great tip: it is a foldable tent bed that your little one cannot roll out of. Here too, just like with the pram: make sure that your child recognizes the bed as his own safe haven all year round, with his own sheets, cuddly toys, etc., so that you will have so much fun during your holiday or weekend away. !
